FarPointe Outdoor Gear manufactures and sells outdoor performance apparel. The clothing is made from an array of fabrics, both natural and synthetic. The clothing line consists mainly of sun wear and camp wear, with all items having a functional purpose while outdoors.
FarPointe Outdoor Gear is a small, growing company, with a current team of seven employees, including the owner, Joe La Pointe. Since the company began in 2021, FarPointe OG has featured 100% in-house production on the Oregon Coast. Every aspect of production from start to finish is completed at the Newport, Oregon shop, including: cutting, serging, hemming and packaging. The in-house team takes great pride in producing excellent gear that is made to last.
FarPointe Sun Cruiser ™
The FarPointe OG Sun Cruiser™ is a go-to item for ultimate sun protection. Made from ultralight fabric and rated UPF 30+, this product is a game changer in ultralight sun wear.
The Sun Cruiser™ is made with a few different fabric options: Polartec PowerWool 100gsm & 150gsm and a Merino Blend 150gsm. The garment will always contain natural fabric content, allowing you to reap the benefits that wool provides to outdoor performance gear.
This product features an extra-wide hood opening for added shade and sun protection. The material is temperature regulating, highly breathable, antimicrobial and fast wicking.
An excellent option for strenuous sun activities, including uphill running, thru-hiking and mountain biking.
Alpha Direct Ultralight Gear
Polartec’s Alpha Direct fabric is the perfect material for ultralight gear. This material is fast wicking and hydrophobic. It features an excellent compression ability and high warmth-to-weight ratio, making it a must-pack item for every adventure.
While Alpha material may seem like a new technology in the outdoor clothing world, the ultralight fabric is actually more than a decade old. With roots going back to 2012 and a collaboration between the U.S. Military and Polartec.
In 2012 Polartec partnered with the U.S. Special Operations Forces to develop the first active insulation layer, Polartec Alpha. They needed a high performance fabric that was ultralight, packable, fast drying, durable, warm and most importantly could breathe.
Polartec nailed it and they began making their 3A jacket with Alpha insulation, which became standard issue for all S.O.F. operators, remaining so to this day.
Jump ahead five years to 2017, when Polartec developed a more durable and rugged successor, Alpha Direct. While Polartec Alpha insulation requires a backing fabric, Alpha Direct works as standalone fabric, i.e. it can be used to create next-to-skin clothing.
Alpha Direct does not have very good wind resistance, but when coupled with a wind or rain jacket, it can provide an impressive amount of heat retention. If you combine a standard wind jacket with the FarPointe Alpha Cruiser™, it will weigh under 8oz. In comparison to a microgrid fleece hoodie, which weighs in at 11oz by itself. This product is revolutionising the ultralight gear game.
Alpha Direct fabric currently comes in a variety of weights, ranging from 60gsm, 90gsm, 120gsm to 190gsm. The 60gsm and 90gsm are your most common and popular weights, both being semi-transparent and offering a similar warmth-to-weight ratio.
The 60gsm Medium FarPointe Alpha Cruiser™ weighs in at just 3.8oz. It’s when you venture into the 120gsm to 190gsm weights that you see a significant increase in both durability and weight. The heavier weights are NOT transparent and look much more casual when worn in settings outside of backpacking. A lot of people say that the 120gsm is the “all around” best weight for being durable and versatile in a wide range of temperatures and environments.
Garments made from each of the fabric weights are all highly compressible, with the lighter weights packing down to nearly nothing.
Alpha Direct has been put through rigorous tests by troops in the field and by influencers in the bush, and the verdict is in: Alpha greatly outshines any fabric at its weight and is a game changer of the likes we don’t often see.
The Perfect Sleepwear Setup
Combine the FarPointe OG Alpha Cruiser™, Alpha Direct Camp Pants™ and Alpha Direct Camp Socks™ for the perfect sleepwear setup.
This combination is a great alternative to traditional sleepwear thermals and base layers. The entire FarPointe Alpha sleepwear setup weighs under 8oz, providing an optimal choice for sleepwear comfortability without adding unnecessary bulk and weight to your pack.
Providing excellent warmth retention while sleeping, and taking up minimal room in your pack, this is the perfect sleepwear setup for long-distance backpackers, bikepackers and trail runners.
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