Hanesbrands Inc
(336) 519-8080
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News
Media contacts: Matt
Hall, Hanesbrands Inc., (336) 519-3386,
matt.hall@hanesbrands.com
Elizabeth Castro, O’Malley Hansen Communications,
(708) 557-0373, elizabeth.castro@omalleyhansen.com
CHAMPION
ATHLETIC APPAREL UNVEILS ULTRATHIN HIGH-TECH SUPERSUIT PARKA FOR EXTREME-WEATHER
WARMTH AND COMFORT WITHOUT THE USE OF GOOSE DOWN
At just 3 millimeters thick, the Champion
Supersuit, which will be tested this spring on
WINSTON-SALEM,
N.C. (Jan. 21, 2010) – Champion
Athletic Apparel has unveiled its final prototype of its Champion Supersuit that will be the thinnest extreme-weather
apparel gear ever designed and tested at high altitude on Mount Everest.
The
Champion Supersuit insulation is just
3 millimeters thick, compared with a typical goose-down jacket thickness of 40
millimeters, and uses a nanotechnology insulation layer and a proprietary
radiant warmth system. The result is a
breakthrough ultrathin cold-weather garment that is no thicker than a typical
computer mouse pad but provides equal insulating properties, greater mobility,
and superior wind resistance than typical extreme weather gear.
“The
Champion Supersuit uses advanced
technology to conserve, capture and return heat unlike any other
extreme-weather apparel currently being used on Everest,” said Mike Abbott,
director of research and development for Hanesbrands Inc., the parent company
of Champion apparel. “It has been a rewarding research and
development project. By developing the
Supersuit and other garment layers to be used on Everest, we have identified
new Champion products to roll out and
new features and enhancements to potentially add to our everyday line of Champion Athletic Apparel.”
Champion is outfitting a
Champion Athletic Apparel Unveils High-Tech
Supersuit Parka – Page 2
“We
were given the challenge to develop a summit suit that would advance the state
of cold-weather gear, that wouldn’t look like anything else on the market, and
that would protect climbers against extreme temperatures and conditions on
Hanesbrands
has a booth at the Outdoor Retailer Show in
The
Making of the Champion Supersuit
The
Champion Supersuit is made up of four
layers, each with unique characteristics to preserve warmth. The Supersuit is designed to prevent the loss
of heat via air movement (convection), promote the insulating effect of still
air (prevent conduction), and capture heat produced by the body (radiant heat
source). Details of the layers include:
Supersuit Outer
Layer (anti-convection). A hard-shell
polyester fabric mated to a wind-barrier membrane prevents sub-zero winds from
penetrating the inner layers and conveying heat away from the body. Blocking strong winds in extreme cold
conditions prevents compromising the effectiveness of the insulating and
radiating layers of the Supersuit.
Supersuit Nanotechnology
Insulation Layer (anti-conduction).
The Champion Supersuit is the
first commercially viable application of Element 21’s Zeroloft Aspen Aerogels,
which allow the Supersuit to be so thin.
Zeroloft insulation has four times the thermal insulation of goose down
because the transparent solid gel is made up of nano-sized multisided spheres
that have so much surface area that air movement is restricted, which reduces
conduction and prevents heat loss.
Radiant Foil
(radiant warmth). A metallicized foil membrane reflects heat
generated by the body and returns it back to the person wearing the Supersuit
through conduction. This body heat is
typically lost when apparel relies on insulation alone.
Inner Lining
(wicking). Made of polyester technical fabric, the inner
lining draws moisture away from the body.
Using
the Zeroloft Aspen Aerogels insulation in the Champion Supersuit is a breakthrough for the apparel industry. Aerogel is made of puffed glass and is the
lightest solid on earth. It has historically been used by the natural gas and oil
industries to insulate deep-water pipelines.
“Our
expertise and relationships in the textile science industry allowed us to find
a material that no one else was using,” Abbott said. “We search for proven
concepts and materials and determine how to reapply them in the apparel
industry. We felt that aerogel had a lot
of potential to give our climbing team more mobility while protecting them from
the elements.”
An additional side benefit of the development of gear for the Everest expedition is that Hanesbrands also plans to use aerogel to insulate equipment in its manufacturing facilities as a way to reduce energy consumption.
From
Everest to Everyday Activewear and Athleticwear
The
Champion and Duofold brands will use the Everest project’s research discoveries
for new products and enhanced products for years to come. The first products inspired by or influenced
by the Everest project will come to market in fall 2010.
Champion will introduce
Cold Weather Gear that can be layered in various combinations to promote warmth
and comfort, a technique that will be used during the
The
compression base layer, quarter-zip and full-zip tops and soft-shell jackets
will feature soft fabrics, ergonomic design for stretch and movement,
chafe-resistant seams, lock-down zippers and grip-tape at leg openings for
safety, and MP3 and invisible zippers for convenience. The gear is designed for colder-weather
training, running, mountain biking, hiking and other outdoor activities.
Duofold will introduce
an advanced seamless base layer product in the fall that is identical to that
developed for Clarke and the other climbers on
One
piece that the Hanesbrands R&D team did not have to invent for the
Champion Athletic Apparel Unveils High-Tech
Supersuit Parka – Page 4
Follow
the Hanesbrands and Champion
Hanesbrands
and its Champion and Duofold apparel brands are leading the
The
expedition features two Web sites where people already can follow the progress
of the team, including viewing a series of inspirational “Steps to the
Expedition
Hanesbrands’ ClimbWithUs.com Web site
features articles about Everest, Nepal, Sherpas and the gear developed for the
expedition team; frequent audio, photo and video expedition updates; and
content provided by outdoor adventure freelance writers Stephen Regenold and
Stephanie Pearson. Twitter users may
follow the expedition at http://twitter.com/ClimbWithUs.
A
second Web site, Champion’s “Climb
Everest With Us,” houses an online community for users to declare their own
personal Everest goal and has expedition updates, photos, gear information and Champion apparel information. The site is located at www.ClimbEverestWithUs.com.
About Champion
Champion offers a full line of innovative athletic
apparel for men and women including sport bras, activewear, team uniforms,
sweats and accessories. Champion can be purchased at most
sporting goods and department stores.
For more information about Champion
for men and women, visit www.championusa.com.
About Duofold
Introduced
in 1906, Duofold is a leader in base layer apparel for men, women and
children. As an outfitter of the
National Ski Patrol, Professional Ski Instructors of America and American
Association of Snowboard Instructors, Duofold is the expert in helping winter athletes and outdoor enthusiasts
perform at their best even under the most challenging weather conditions. Duofold is best known for its popular
Varitherm and Originals cold-weather products.
For more information visit www.duofold.com.
About Hanesbrands
Hanesbrands Inc. is a leading marketer of
everyday apparel essentials under some of the world’s strongest apparel brands,
including Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, JMS/Just
My Size, barely there and Wonderbra.
The company sells T-shirts, bras, panties, men’s underwear, children’s
underwear, socks, hosiery, casualwear and activewear produced in the company’s
low-cost global supply chain.
Hanesbrands has approximately 45,000 employees in more than 25
countries. More information about the
company may be found on the Hanesbrands Internet Web site at
www.hanesbrands.com.
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