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Developed with Department of Defense grant money, Ardica’s battery-powered heated apparel is ideal for people who are addicted to snow but intolerant of cold (and want their iPhone to last). It’s crossed over from the military-industrial complex in the last few years in the form of Mountain Hardwear jackets like the pictured Refugium.
The microfiber jackets are pre-wired to interface with Ardica’s Moshi Power Packs, flat, flexible and light (10 ounces) pads comprised of several lithium-ion batteries that can pump out heat all day — or charge your iPod.
In the Mountain Hardwear jackets — the men’s Refugium and the women’s Radiance — the Moshi’s charge lasts over eight hours in low-heat mode (105 degrees F) and about two at full blast (a sauna-like 140 degrees F), and it can also charge your gadgets up to 20 times via a USB cable that feeds into a pocket from the jacket’s innards. An LED power gauge lets you know how much juice is left. Each runs $230; the Moshi system (not included) runs another $145.
There’s also a camouflauge Ardica-enabled hunting vest that looks good for skiers and ‘boarders and ‘shoers as well.
Here’s a demo video from the Ardica site:
