Equipment

7 Best BERINGIA Jackets for Outdoor Life

For this blog, we’ve been looking at a selection of the best BERINGIA jackets to find out which examples we should bring you. One thing we’ve found is that very few brands do technical apparel like BERINGIA®.

The brand itself is named after lost worlds that once linked the far-northern fringes of northeastern Asia and northwestern North America. During the Pleistocene Epoch a land bridge formed in BERINGIA, which allowed plants and animals to move between present-day Canada and Alaska.

Therefore the name will also evoke a spirit of discovery. BERINGIA® products are also made to withstand punishing Arctic conditions, like those that would’ve prevailed in this region.

The inspiration behind their designs is a place where binaries dissolved – where fire and ice flowed and night and day merged. This raw cauldron of timeless energies has fuelled and inspired the brand’s innovation.

BERINGIA jackets are notably lightweight, packed with technical features and traditionally built to survive in the harshest environments our planet has to offer.

Fuel For Innovation

BERINGIA is undoubtedly a brand driven by development. They work at the cutting edge of modern technologies. Everything, from their design ideation to fabric engineering, speaks of a bold willingness to explore and discover new things.

One thing we love about this brand is the fact their technical designs have been honed using insights from mountaineers in the Swiss Alps, Southern Alps and Japanese Alps.

Global mountain expertise and partnerships have enabled BERINGIA to unify apparel artisans, wielding unique yarns, threads and textiles.

Beringia lifestyle in the snow
©BERINGIA

BERINGIA is not some abstract entity that sources fabrics from places its leaders never visited. In fact, the company works closely with textile innovators to fine-tune and customise their high performing fabrics.

The brand’s ‘Masters Of Bishu’ initiative is just one example of how they bring traditional methods and regional artisans to a global market.

Masters Of Bishu

BERINGIA has helped to champion visionary Japanese design by introducing it to the North American market for technical outerwear.

Bishu is a region in the Aichi Prefecture where wool has been used to make luxury fabrics for more than 300 years. The region benefits from clean hydro-energy, which is supplied by the confluence of three rivers.

This water is used to wash raw wool fibres and power textile mills, churning up the necessary conditions to produce some of the world’s finest natural fabrics.

‘Bishu is a region in the Aichi Prefecture where wool has been used to make luxury fabrics for more than 300 years…’

In the past, the historic powerhouse of Bishu had only delighted the Japanese domestic market. Now, these extraordinary fabrics have been brought to the outside world.

BERINGIA has collaborated with specialised spinners and knitters to apply their traditional expertise to performance-oriented fabrics for outdoor adventures.

Today, BERINGIA has evolved throughout the international market. The brand is still headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, but also has its own design lab and store in Tokyo, Japan.

Let’s take a more detailed look at their craftsmanship up close:

Ezo insulated jacket
©BERINGIA

7. BERINGIA Jackets – Ezo Insulated Jacket

The low profile Ezo Insulated Jacket weighs just 780g and features soft 2-layer Täsmä fabric, which supplies added comfort and allows for freedom of movement.

This design helps to maximise warmth and style. It was crafted using the Toray-Japan’s 3DEFX+ compatibility system to bring you the benefits of advanced insulation and stretch fabric, sewed into a single ecosystem.

This lightweight parka will keep you warm with little effort and without any unwanted bulk, or awkward design additions. The stretch insulated fabric offers a freeride fit without feeling baggy.

Notice the storm-proof neck, waterproof YKK vislon zippers and helmet compatible hood – features that combine to make this one of the best lightweight skiing jackets on the market.

Powder skirt, waterproof zippers, helmet compatible hood and storm-proof neck design. This is one of the most advanced, lightweight insulated storm skiing jackets on the planet.

Lightstream insulated shirt
©BERINGIA

6. Lightstream Insulated Shirt

Another breakthrough in terms of lightweight insulation, this Lightstream Insulated Shirt is built to bring you performance insulation in a snap shirt design. It’s ideal for everyday wear with large pockets and ample stretch factor.

This single piece spans a range of functions and may just be your new best friend when the cold weather sets in. The Primeflex outer is both water repellent and stretchy, with an impressive breathability to warmth ratio.

We really appreciated how lightweight and packable this shirt is – it’s versatile too and the high quality detailing is an added bonus in both alpine and urban settings.

Farallon insulated shirt
©BERINGIA

5. Farallon Insulated Shirt

Next, we have this stylish Farallon Insulated Shirt, which was crafted with regenerative wool woven fabric from the Masters Of Bishu initiative.

You’ll appreciate a product made with traditional methods perfect by the textile magicians of the Aichi prefecture. This thistle-brushed wool is softer than other wool shirts and ideally suited for cool weather.

You’ll always feel warm and cosy with the quilted lining and ample pockets to hide chilled extremities. Made in Japan, this shirt has a looser and boxier fit and also bears that coveted Bishu label of authenticity.

Bering down hoody
©BERINGIA

4. BERINGIA Jackets – Men’s Bering Down Hoody

For all your everyday needs, this Bering Down Hoody is a lightweight down puffy that has been upgraded by the brand and thrust into instant popularity.

The Allied Feather and Down 850 fill is sure to keep you happy and the water-resistant, PFC free down insulation is a feature that is surely worth a mention.

Indeed, this hoody sets a high standard in terms of sustainability and the usage of hydrophobic down treatments. The hood can be easily adjusted with a cohesive stopper as well.

BERINGIA Jackets - St. Elias jacket
©BERINGIA

3. BERINGIA Jackets – Men’s St. Elias Jacket

Coming to the last few selections on our list, we couldn’t leave out the flagship of BERINGIA®’s outerwear offerings. The St. Elias Jacket is a very capable outerwear system for active winter sports.

The ESP precision membrane adapts to varying weather conditions, retaining those crucial features of being waterproof, breathable and stretchy. YKK Vislon zippers are a neat addition too.

BERINGIA Jackets - Bering down jacket
©BERINGIA

2. BERINGIA Jackets – Bering Down Jacket

The Bering Down Jacket not only evokes the wilder reaches of this world, but is also created to survive in that region as well. This jacket serves as essential high alpine gear packed into an innovative design.

One thing we noticed about this jacket is that it’s surprisingly lightweight. You’ll enjoy improved mobility in this expedition-level down jacket, which exists as a flagbearer for the brand’s insulation ethos.

Other noticeable features include a unique cuff design with elastic on the inside of the sleeve, 850 fill Allied Down (sustainably sourced) and an adjustable hood, worn comfortably over a helmet.

BERINGIA Jackets - Altai over hoody
©BERINGIA

1. Altai Over Hoody

Finally, we’ve arrived at the versatile Altai Over Hoody – a loose fitting jacket that can be easily pulled on and hurled off as conditions change. The 12D Nylon shell makes the design extremely lightweight, but durable too.

We love that this jacket is highly compressible and frankly regard this is an undervalued superpower, lacking in other hoodies of a similar ilk. You can even stuff this particular product into its own X-large hood for fast-paced transitions.

Other features we liked include the elbow-length arm zips, fast drying PrimaLoft Thermo Plume and big mesh inside pockets to accommodate gloves, goggles and chilly hands.

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