CINCINNATI, OH--(Marketwired - Mar 23, 2015) - A one-of-a-kind winter jacket using insulation from NASA and used in space suits, the space shuttle and Mars Rover is well on its way to becoming the next must-have item in performance apparel. Blasting past its Kickstarter campaign goal of $100,000 in the first two days of its one-month campaign, the Lukla Endeavor jacket is the thinnest, warmest and most breathable jacket of its kind -- comfortable from 40 degrees to frigid sub-zero temperatures.
Founded by three college students at Miami University, the company now sets its sights on a new goal of $500,000 by April 8. With the additional support, Lukla believes their product will quickly become the go-to jacket for all adventurers and residents in cold climates.
"It's surreal that an idea that came to us as we were climbing one of the tallest mountains in Europe two years ago is now becoming a reality," said Michael Markesbery, Lukla co-founder. "The many bulky layers we wore were clumsy and uncomfortable -- and we were still cold. We knew there had to be a better solution."
Once Michael read about aerogel, he and his co-founders experimented with the material and tested hundreds of aerogel formulations over the last two years before settling on the current design.
Aerogel is a synthetic material which is 98.2% air and naturally very breathable and extremely effective as an insulation. Aerogel is used in space vehicles, satellites and even the Alaskan pipeline. In the slim profile Lukla Endeavor jacket, the aerogel lining is only three millimeters thick (about the width of a napkin -- less than 1/8th inch), yet it is as warm as 40 millimeters of down.
Prior to the Kickstarter launch, the Lukla team, which also includes Rithvik Venna and Massimiliano Squire, put their jacket through rigorous beta testing. From mountain climbers in Argentina to snowmobilers in Michigan, they wanted to make sure the jacket would keep people warm and comfortable in the coldest conditions. In fact, when testing it using liquid nitrogen, which is -321°F, the inside of the jacket was a toasty 89°F. With the 'pit zips' on both sides of the jacket, outside air can come in and circulate to easily adjust the temperature for ultimate comfort.
"Whether you plan to climb Mt. Everest, go skiing, winter camping or just want to be warmer when you shovel the driveway, Lukla is going to change the way you experience the outdoors," continued Markesbery.
To make the jacket as fashionable as it is functional, the Lukla team worked with Michael Maiello, a young designer from Milan who created a look that would appeal to men and women.
To donate to the Kickstarter campaign, please click here. For information about Lukla, visit www.luklaapparel.com
Images available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96020427@N07/sets/72157651052408958/
Video here: https://vimeo.com/122794805
About Lukla
The Lukla team is made up of members who have a thirst for knowledge and a passion for adventure. Members of our team have developed therapeutic treatments for cancer, discovered detection methods for atrial fibrillation, and studied matrix metalloproteinases (yeah, we think it's a big word too). We've run with the bulls in Spain, scaled mountains in the Swiss Alps, skied throughout the French Alps, windsurfed in Hawaii, and downhill mountain biked in the good ole' U.S. of A. Uniting our love of science with our desire for adventure, we created Lukla apparel, the 21st century outerwear.
Contact Information:
Erica Zeidenberg
Hot Tomato Marketing
925-631-0553