Outdoor testing is a rigorous evaluation of gear. It may sound highly procedural and even a bit dull, making it hard to associate with......“fun.” But if you’ve seen Columbia’s outdoor testing, you’ll probably fall in love with this crazy fun—such execution, so wild, so much fun!
Recently, Columbia gathered a group of people, including Wu Zhentian, the dashing host of “The Amazing Race China,” several well-known outdoor travel influencers, and nearly a hundred everyday adventurers. Fully geared up, they headed to Harbin in northern China to engage in an intense“real-life ice and snow tower defense battle”in temperatures as low as minus 23 degrees. Their goal? To testthe cold-resistance capabilities of Columbia’s outdoor gear.
This“real-life ice and snow tower defense battle”took place in a400-square-meter frozen maze. Minus twenty degrees in Heilongjiang’s polar-like conditions is enough to make anyone shiver just thinking about it, but a maze built entirely from ice and snow amplifies the chill. Add in its twisting, turning layout, and those brave enough to step inside can truly be called heroes.
No top-notch gear, who dares to flex like that??
However,AllanWu Zhentian had to venture alone intothe 400-square-meter frozen maze, identify five hidden influencers wearing temperature stickers among 100 lookalikes, then equip them with Columbia’s “battle suits,” and finally lead them out of the maze. If the influencers’ temperature stickers returned to normal upon exiting, it meant Columbia’s gear had passed the cold-resistance test.
Of course, the frozen maze alone wasn’t enough to showcaseColumbia’s usual wild approach to outdoor testing—the real thrills came from the maze’s numerous challenges: fierce attacks from wind cannons, ice ball assaults from the boss Thermal Bear, and sudden ice bucket drops from above.……All these unexpected ice and snow surprises sent the difficulty level of the cold-resistance test soaring. Truly, they were“testing extreme passion with extreme cold.”!
So what were the test results? DidColumbia’s gear pass this wild challenge? The results showed that Columbia’s outdoor equipment truly lived up to the task—after emerging from the maze, both the influencers in their “battle suits” and Wu Zhentian returned to normal body temperatures.
To survivesuch a crazy test,you absolutelyneedColumbiaexclusive cutting-edge technologyon your side.Omni-Heat™ reflective heat retention technologyThe silver dot fabric efficiently reflects the body’s own heat to reduce heat loss; the breathable material between the reflective dots quickly dissipates excess heat and moisture,achieving the most comfortable and stable temperature.It maximizes the warmth performance of down jackets to the fullest extent.
Indeed,“If you don’t have the skills, don’t take on the challenge” — Columbia only dares to use such a tough testing method because it has full confidence in its own products.
In fact,““Tested Tough means getting real.”has always beenColumbia’s brand philosophy. Since its founding in 1938, Columbia has been seeking the harshest possible testing environments to put its outdoor products through extreme tests.
With such a bold and creative approach, what isn’t it willing to try? We believe Columbia will come up with even more fun and wild tests in the future,,providing its top-tier, rigorously tested gear to outdoor enthusiasts.