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Outside Magazine February 2004

Jacket-O'-Lantern
Marmot introduces a new electrically illuminated parka for traveling light on those dark, stormy nights

By Christopher Solomon


Outdoor Gear, Glow-in-the-Dark Jacket, Marmot Phenomenon EL
(Tom Schierlitz)
Descending the mountain a little late and losing track of your partners? Just holler at them to turn on their jackets. Behold the Marmot Phenomenon EL: Five electroluminescent panels line this Gore-Tex hard shell—glowing couture that could light up backcountry ski guides in blizzards or help adventure racers read topo maps at night. Borrowing decades-old plane- and automobile-gauge technology, the panels contain phosphor, a solid material that converts energy to light. Four AAA batteries power the panels for up to 12 hours when set on continual illumination, or twice that when set to flashing, and the entire system—predicted to weigh about six ounces—has sewn-in wiring that disappears between the jacket's layers. Given that the panels produce no heat and are flexible and shockproof, expect mutations to surface on cycling jackets and inside tents. For now, a handful of prototypes are undergoing field testing on alpine climbs and backcountry ski tours. Marmot plans to have the Phenomenon EL on shelves by fall 2004, in time for an early-season hut-to-hut—or that Radioactive Man costume for Halloween.


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