One of our customers, Musaab Aljanabi, from Japan sent us this extract from his recent climb on Mt Fuji which is a dormant but not extinct volcano.
This is his story:
We rested at a mountain lodge at 3400m for a few hours of sleep, during which time the Braemardried out completely.
I ordered a Braemar windshirt from your company in early August (Order Number: MA085110001170) , as a component of my gear for a planned climb up Japan’s highest mountain, Mt.Fuji. (August 26th) Initially I was told there would be a delay due to stock shortages, but after informing you that my order was urgent, delivery time was reduced and the Braemar arrived in good time.
At around 2:30am we continued on to the summit in still damp weather. We reached the summit (3700m) just in time for a lovely sunrise (5:10am) and triumph. Descent of the mountain was slow and steady, and we were greeted at the lower levels by a continuous downpour which really tested the smock. Again no problems, just some stiffening of the fabric but no leakage or noticeable wetness inside the smock.
Wherever the next hike/climb will be, the Braemar’s the first thing in (and out of!) my rucksack!
All in all I was extremely impressed with the performance of your product, which proved it’s worth from start to finish and now I have my sights set on a more ‘bespoke’ version made just for me!
Musaab Aljanabi
Mt Fuji Crater
All the best
Musaab on Mt Fuji
So, many thanks for responding to my needs – I really appreciate it. Nowadays I find such communication between retailer and customer to be quite rare and it’s frustrating!
I was also invited to share my photos of the climb, so here’s a brief (and I hope not too boring) account of the climb and smock performance notes, plus photos attached.
We started the climb in earnest at about 2,300m (7550ft) to fair weather. After about an hour or so however, things changed and the tone was set for the rest of the climb (in total abut 12 hours) with fine misty rain and light wind. Conditions persisted, with rain getting heavier the higher we went, with only occasional breaks and gaps in the cloud. Throughout this time, the Braemar smock dealt with the situation perfectly. Rain beaded and rolled off the fabric all over, apart from the hood, which stiffened (the famous ventile ‘cardboard’ effect) but remained effective.
Another point to note, and a key reason for my choosing ventile, was temperature regulation. Due to the fact that the climb was in summer, temperatures were wide ranging (from 20 to 4 degrees c, low to highest elevation) and as a result many people – especially those wearing more ‘modern’ garments – were sweating profusely in the early stages, so were just as wet inside as out. Not me however, the breathability of the fabric was great and I had no trouble maintaining a comfortable body temperature (btw, inner and mid layers were merino wool – merino long sleeve undershirt and Ullfrotte gilet).
View from Mt Fuji
