First Ascent is a proudly South African brand. FLYGIRL chooses First Ascent clothing above all

Travelling off the beaten track means I bare weight just like any other adventurer. Being  a paraglider pilot, mine starts with 15kgs of flying equipment packed into a light weight reversible harness/backpack combination with little room for clothes and camping equipment. This  is fortunate in a way because I am a women and give me a handbag the size of a backpack and I am going to fill it!

Thankfully there is an answer to my minimal clothing  requirements. First Ascent specialises  in lightweight  performance outdoor clothing and accessories. Just like its wearer, my clothing needs to multi-task and that means filling the role of flight-suit, daily, hiking, sailing, back packing and evening casual wear.

Here is a Performance Testing report back after one year on six First Ascent products.

My First Ascent  FLIGHT SUIT.

I chose the Men's Oracle Soft Shell Jacket over the more tailored Womens Oracle Soft Shell Jacket, because I wanted the extra length and space underneath for the Colorado Down Body Warmer and Firestorm Pullover.

The jacket looks fantastic and is suitable for all seasons - including a typical Cape Town day where the weather often changes throughout the day. The Oracle jacket also has an almost unnoticed inner stretchy sleeve at the wrist which seals very nicely. The material and workmanship is outstanding and it still looks great after a year of hard wearing.

The Men's Soft Shell Pants are not of the same material as the Oracle Soft Shell Jacket and did not wear as well in the harsh Australian sun.  Colour fading is obvious, especially when you lift the pocket flaps.  Unlike the jacket, there is quite a heat build up in the pants which means that whilst they are comfortable  for flying, these pants are not comfortable for walking on a typical Australian summers day of 35-39 degrees C. Pretty much the same as hiking in a conventional flight suit would be uncomfortable. I like their style, but had hoped for more versatility.

Improvements for me, would be these pants made in the Oracle Jacket material, the webbing belt permanently attached to the pants and velcro straps at the base of the leggings to seal the wind off when flying. 

The Colorado Down Body Warmer is great for paragliding at altitude for all seasons. It is light weight and efficient, fitting so comfortably beneath the Oracle Jacket that I barely feel its presence - except I am warm and snug at cloudbase :-)

I usually wear  a Firestorm Pullover under the  Down Body Warmer for its moisture management qualities. Should the  Down Body Warmer material come into contact with bare skin, the heat build up causes sweat.  The Firestorm Pullover is the perfect barrier.

And because my interests often lead me into adventures other than paragliding, I am one of the few who can confirm that the Colorado Body Warmer is great for wearing when 'learning' to sheep sheer in the Australian Outback! I wanted to keep my arms free of the muck but still stay warm in the Autumn chill. When not required, the Body Warmer packs away into a tiny ball in my backpack.  All in all, the Colorado Down Body Warmer is a great piece of kit!!

I had Aquarius Screen Printers and Embroiders in Diep River screen print 'Flygirl' onto the back of the jacket and pants.  They were hesitant at first as the material is heat sensitive, but Aquarius were up to the challenge and did such a good job that people ask  me all the time if I have my own brand of clothing :-)  One year of hard wear later and the screen printing still looks fantastic.  An added bonus is that when a photograph is taken with a flash, the reflective qualities of the lettering is visible.

Aquarius also do a great job of embroidering my sponsors logos onto the garments.

Everyone deserves a First Ascent Waterbottle.  So few waterbottles are reliable over time with regards to water tightness.  This First Ascent waterbottle was my constant companion in my nine month hike and paraglide around Australia.

South Africa's 2009 First Lady in paragliding
Khobi-Jane Bowden
was so impressed with Flygirl's garments
she is now stocking a range of First Ascent clothing
at their shop in the Wilderness.

www.cloudbase-paragliding.co.za

The Men's Oracle Soft Shell Jacket is my favourite First Ascent item of clothing

In 2010 I am popping a couple of new First Ascent products into my backpack. One which I am looking forward to testing is the thicker than normal air mat called the First Ascent Comfort Light.  I am desperate to find an air-mattress that is light enough to carry and yet comfortable enough to give me a good night sleep.  Maybe First Ascent has the answer?  2010 is the year to find out.