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Photo courtesy of Ardica.

Photo courtesy of Ardica.

Ardica’s state of the art way of keeping warm.

February 2009

Dogpatch-based Business Offers Warmth to Go

By Paul Kelly

As the world becomes increasingly more gadget and gizmo orientated, Dogpatch-based Ardica has created a system of portable power and heat that may revolutionize the outdoor apparel industry.  Founded just five years ago, and located at the American Industrial Center on Third Street, Ardica has designed a garment which caters for customers who want to combine technology, function and fashion.

Ardica Enabled Outerwear have their own power system. The jackets can provide heat for three to nine hours, depending on the setting. They can also serve as a portable re-charging station, enabling users to re-power their cell phones, iPods and other battery-powered equipment via a Universal Serial Bus (USB).  “People can now take their lives with them,” said company director Hap Klopp.  An outdoor enthusiast, Klopp founded the outer-wear giant The North Face in 1968.  Several years ago Klopp realized that increasing numbers of people wanted to take their electronic gadgets into the wilderness, leading him to search for what he calls “heat on demand.”

An initial application for Ardica Enabled Outerwear is skiing. With the sport becoming an increasingly expensive hobby, Spokane native Klopp noted the amount of wasted time on the slopes putting on and taking off layers of clothing. “People are freezing on the chair lift and sweating on the slopes,” said Klopp. “Our jackets eliminate the downtime.”  

Ardica relies on a re-chargeable lithium-ion battery pack. Compared to nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium-ion is low maintenance, has a low self-discharge, and causes minimum environmental harm when disposed and properly recyclable.  “We like to think of ourselves as environmentally responsible,” said Klopp, a Stanford University alumni.  The battery pack is rough six by six inches, weighs 295 grams, and is concealed between the shoulder blades of the lightweight jacket. It takes three hours for the battery to charge fully. For convenience, the control panel is situated on the left breast, and operates with a simple press of the thumb. A USB port is integrated into each jacket, enabling wearers to charge any compatible personal electronics, including a Global Positioning System (GPS). As adventurers constantly push to the extremes, a GPS is now regarded as standard outdoor equipment.

The company is experimenting with a “trend-setter” program involving 200 athletes located at ski resorts in Vail, Colorado, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Northstar-at-Tahoe, California, among other places. “We’ve been getting great feedback so far,”  said Klopp.  Ardica plans to market the product in conjunction with leading outer-wear brands Mountain Hardware, Sitka and Red Wing Shoes, and hopes the line will be available by Fall 2009.

With funding from the United States Department of Defense, the company is also experimenting with equipment for those who live and work in extreme conditions. With energy costs steadily rising, the idea of heating individuals rather than buildings is being explored. “It’s a very realistic possibility,” said Klopp, alluding to the concept of wire-free heat regulation to suits, gloves and shoes. “Heat loss is primarily through the head, fingers and toes.”

A tour along Ardica’s assembly line is reminiscent of a James Bond movie, where 007 is shown the latest knick-knacks. Project manager and design engineer Martin Corpos, a more affable version of the irascible Q, has worked on the jacket since joining

the company in 2005. When a guinea-pig was needed, Corpos stepped up.  In an experiment that involved sitting in a nearby Safeway freezer at four degrees fahrenheit, a well wrapped but non-battery heated Corpos managed to last just over half an hour. After donning the heated jacket, he could bear the nearly sub-zero temperatures, at his ease, for more than an hour. “I brought a good book with me,” laughed Corpos, pointing out that he also wore a woolly hat, extra gloves and socks.  “Just in case.”

With help from former The North Face designer Anne Hamilton, the jacket style will keep up with modern fashion trends. The company decided on orange and grey/black as the predominant colors for their product. Orange was chosen for the logo, which is meant to resemble a spinnaker. “Printing orange can be tricky,” said Corpos. “The margin for error is very small. A slight discrepancy is very noticeable.”  Depending on the style of jacket preferred, consumers can expect Ardica Enabled Outerwear to add up to $50 to the retail price of the garment. The personal power components will retail separately for $145. The jacket will be machine-washable, after the battery pack is removed via a simple disconnection.

Ardica’s expectations for the jacket are high. The company brochure predicts: “No longer do you have to miss the big play because you are huddled around the heating unit in the causeway at the stadium.”  Green Bay Packers fans must be licking their lips in anticipation.

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