Though we’ve never actually spent the money on one of Vollebak’s crazy creations, we’re always fascinated by whatever crazy new, high-tech, overengineered pieces of gear they are coming up with now. From glass-filled to graphene jackets, each piece seems to build upon the others in the quest to create the most insane pieces of gear ever made. Well, the Black Squid Jacket, their new waterproof/windproof shell, is just the latest contribution.
At first glance, the Black Squid Jacket kind of looks like the purple static and fuzzy pixels you see when your screen breaks. But it’s just designed to mimic the shape-shifting color and glowing look of the Squid, which is known for its electric camouflage skin.
To get this look, Vollebak used more than 2 billion microscopic glass spheres, embedded into the polyester fabric with resin. These glass spheres reflect and scatter light, creating a multi-colored look that displays almost every visible color in the spectrum. Depending on the angle from which you gaze upon it – and from which the light hits – it can appear an almost entirely different color.
Fancy gimmicks aside, this is a fully featured outer shell ready for skiing and mountaineering. It’s fully seam-sealed and waterproof to 10,000 ATM; has waterproofed pit zips with two-way zippers for ventilation, as well as a waterproof YKK front zipper with rubberized zip pullers to keep water out. Merino lining on the back of the neck provides comfort and warmth.
It’s weird, it’s different and it’s ultra-expensive. But that’s the kind of stuff that Vollebak is into, and we’d wager that if you decided to make the purchase…you’d be the only one rocking this jacket on the slopes this winter.
