RIDER'S IMPRESSION - Guide Impressions by Akihiro Tatemoto
We received impressions from Akihiro Tatemoto, a Teton Bros. contracted guide.
Akihiro Tachimoto [ AKIHIRO TACHIMOTO ] http://www.norte-sapporo.com/JP/
He is the head of the mountain guide office "NORTE" based in Hokkaido. During his high school and university years, he was a cross-country skier and competed in the National Athletic Meet, Inter-High School Championships, and Inter-College Championships. In 1996, he moved to Hokkaido and began working as a mountain guide.
・1998 Ski downhill climb of Mount McKinley in Alaska ・2006 Ski downhill climb of Andes Pisco (5475m) in South America and climb of the southwest face of Alpamayo (5947m) ・2009-2011 Served as a wintering field assistant for the 51st Antarctic Research Expedition of the National Institute of Polar Research ・2013 Sea kayaking and skiing expedition in Greenland
Japan Mountain Guides Association Certified Mountain Guide Stage II / Hokkaido Mountain Guides Association Member / Rescue 3 Technical Rope Rescue Qualification
Wapiti Hoody
The Wapiti Hoody is one of my favorite TB products.
I wear them every day, from walking my dog early in the morning, to clearing snow around my house, driving to the mountains for work, and even while guiding.
It has just the right amount of warmth and breathability, and is also very stretchy, so it's comfortable to wear and just easy to wear. When I go into the mountains in the winter in Hokkaido, I wear the Wapiti Hoody over wool underwear, and the TB jacket on top of that, just the three basic layers.
When the temperature is particularly low, I adjust by adding an extra layer of underwear.
As an insulation jacket, it wicks away moisture exceptionally well, so even though I tend to sweat a lot, I barely need to take it off when hiking uphill, so I don't have to worry too much about regulating my body temperature. Even after emerging from the forest onto the ridgeline, the jacket's moderate wind resistance and warmth prevent a sudden drop in body temperature.
On days when the weather is nice and the temperature rises during the day, I often ski with just the Wapiti Hoody without an outer jacket. It's so versatile that it's become an essential piece of clothing for my winter life in Hokkaido.
Sonic TB Jacket
The TB Jacket is a flagship model that has undergone many improvements over the years in terms of design, cutting, and materials. This luxurious jacket goes even further than the standard TB Jacket, with as little stitching as possible being eliminated and made using ultrasonic bonding.
The standard TB Jacket itself has undergone gradual updates to its details, and I feel that it has now reached a point where it is almost complete as a backcountry riding jacket design.
The fact that they chose to go stitchless shows Teton Bros.' passion and commitment to uncompromising manufacturing. When you actually try on the Sonic TB Jacket, you get the impression that the lack of stitching in key areas such as the arms and back makes the Neo Shell's inherent stretchiness even more pronounced. This also contributes to a slight weight reduction, making this the ultimate garment for discerning riders.
(The photo below shows the regular TB Jacket)
