Japan’s Nanga has been making super high quality down products—sleeping bags, jackets, blankets, etc—for 74 year, but it has only caught the attention of North American gear nerds and outdoor enthusiasts in recent years. We think that’s about to change. The new Nanga x 686 lifestyle collaboration pairs the OG "feather product" maker with longtime snowboard outerwear brand 686 for an adventure-ready capsule collection.
Consisting of two, all-black pieces—each a combination of GORE-TEX outer shell with removable down layer—the capsule collection takes aim at everyday wear scenarios, from the trail to town.
The 686 x Nanga 3-in-1 Jacket relies on Gore-Tex Paclite as its main ingredient, making for a lightweight shell that’s hyper packable, wind- and waterproof, and breathable too. Among the jacket's more interesting ffeatures is a removable cross strap system that allows the jacket to be worn like a backpack when hiking. Working with the minimalist shell is a cardigan style down jacket with chest patch pocket and side handwarmer pockets. The collar-less design is especially useful for layering.
Pants wise, 686 swaps in Gore-Tex Infinium, increasing performance in breathability, wind blocking and ultra-thin insulation in place of waterproofness. As such, the 3-in-1 Nanga x 686 pants are meant more for travel, two-season hiking, etc. Complementing the pant is a Nanga down short capable of being worn in conjunction to improve insulation or separately around the house. Over a pair of long johns and under a ski pant is another fine use for these puppies. (If you like that you'll like our roundup of best down pants, too.)
In the end, it’s a pretty straight forward collaboration, but one we’re happy to see. 686 has made efforts in recent years to reach a non-endemic lifestyle driven audience, and Nanga is well deserving of attention outside Asia. So, nice work, both ya.
