Westcomb wins 08 Backpacker Editors’ Choice with Specter LT Hoody

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Westcomb, the Vancouver-based manufacturer of functional, uncomplicated outdoor apparel of the highest quality workmanship, this month won a 2008 Editor’s Choice Award from Backpacker Magazine for its minimalist, backcountry-oriented Specter LT Hoody hardshell.

Given annually since 1993, the Editor’s Choice Award honors products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. The award denotes products that offer outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance. Westcomb’s award will be officially announced to the public in the April issue, on newsstands March 11.

Westcomb, one of the early adopters of eVent technology, built the 10-ounce Specter LT Hoody with eVent fabric for superb breathability in a waterproof package. Details include stitch counts among the highest in the industry for superb durability, while design stems from Westcomb’s ‘True Form’ design philosophy, adhering to clean, minimalist design – everything you need, nothing you don’t.

“This year’s winners show that designers in our industry are really pushing the envelope in producing lighter, tougher, and smarter products,” says Backpacker editor-in-chief Jonathan Dorn. “As we found in field-testing, they’re making it easier and more comfortable for anyone to get involved in trail activities. Adds gear editor Kristin Hostetter, who has spearheaded Backpacker’s Editors’ Choice testing for more than a decade: “These outstanding products should enjoy the same sterling track record as our past winners. Readers and retailers trust Backpacker’s picks more than any other magazine’s because our testing is unrivaled in its duration and intensity. Our unofficial gear-testing motto – we break stuff so you don’t have to – says it all.”

For more information about Westcomb, visit Westcomb.com To see the video on the Specter LT Hoody, go HERE.

About Westcomb

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Westcomb uses its ‘True Form’ design philosophy to create functional, uncomplicated gear of the highest quality workmanship. Each and every Westcomb piece is a product of precision thinking, thoughtful design, extensive development and constant refinement. The company, founded in 2004, partners with the world’s leading material innovators to engineer technically advanced gear constructed with the most cutting-edge materials available – often creating industry ‘firsts’ in the process. All Westcomb garments are designed and built in Vancouver. This design philosophy and experience has garnered the company international accolades, including three APEX Design Awards from Polartec as well as an ISPO ‘Brand New’ award.

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