![\"MtnLogic](\"\/images\/blogArticles\/2017\/06\/mtnlogic\/MtnLogic_PWhittaker-5.png\")
<\/p>\nMtnLogic, the new mountain apparel venture headed up by Peter Whittaker, released 19 total styles this month, categorizing their offerings as \u201cWick,\u201d \u201cInsulate,\u201d and \u201cProtect.\u201d These products are only available direct to the consumer and the Whittaker Mountaineering store, employing textiles from Polartec, Primaloft and Toyota fabrics. Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI) guides\u201460 of them\u2014partake in all steps of design, testing, and validation, and produced impressive numbers for the just released items: In a 12-month timeline, 7,000+ pieces of apparel covered 1.2 million vertical feet of climbing.<\/p>\n
The reality of selling outdoor goods translates to design constraints enforced by market pressures. The design team traditionally must absorb demands of the merchant, competitive pricing, and trends, compromise becoming standard issue. MtnLogic sidesteps these threats, designing to address guide and client need first and foremost. Pricing and other market driven factors aren\u2019t a consideration to the working guides in the field, whose livelihood and safety (and client safety) depends heavily on their gear, the exact people driving the product development. The process is also quick with the 60 RMI guides doing fast work of accumulating real-world prototype testing time. Every item carries a \u201c100k Promise,\u201d coined when the guides realized at least 100,000 feet of human-powered climbing were the minimum required to validate that piece. The direct to consumer model ultimately adds freedoms as well, the retail margin no longer a factor in final pricing.<\/p>\n
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In a phone interview with Peter Whittaker, the past frustrations of designing gear in the traditional market driven matter were obvious. MtnLogic gives Peter and his guides liberty to design around their needs, creating truly functional gear based on the namesake \u201cmountain logic.\u201d Quoting Gary Smith, Polartec CEO: \u201cWhat sets this process apart is the combination of best-in-class fabrics from Polartec and a design process where need dictates product. MtnLogic was developed by guides to first solve their apparel problems, with commercial considerations secondary. It shows how a product-first approach with Polartec can enable the most authentic product creation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peter Whittaker brings a long history and family legacy of spending time in the mountains. He summited Rainier in 1971 at age 12 and made his first trip to Everest in 1984 with his father, Lou Whittaker, as part of the first Amercian ascent of the North Face. Peter then created his international guide service, Summits Adventure Travel in 1985, outfitting and guiding over 250 trips. He followed in his family\u2019s gear industry boot steps, consulting brands such as Marmot, and eventually opened Whittaker Mountaineering, a retail specialty store. He also partnered with Mountain Hardwear, bringing them on board as RMI\u2019s sponsor and the primary partner of Whittaker Mountaineering.<\/p>\n
![\"MtnLogic](\"\/images\/blogArticles\/2017\/06\/mtnlogic\/MtnLogic_WomensPowerQuarterZip-0.jpg\")
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(Female guide is wearing Women’s Power 1\/4 Zip)<\/p>\n