Minimalism in its purest form is exactly what we had in mind when we started the development process of the jacket that would become the Ridge GTX. What we wanted to achieve was a clean and streamlined esthetic but without having to sacrifice performance. You could probably best describe the Ridge GTX jacket as outdoor-meets-motorcycling-meets-high-end technology.

The end goal was to compose a garment with a look and feel that would enable the rider to seamlessly transition from a long-distance trip to walking the city streets without even having to blink.

Our ambitions weren’t to design a jacket that would appeal to the vast majority of traditional adventure touring riders out there. Though some might feel alienated with the end result, we say, to each his own. The Ridge GTX is something special.

We were motivated by the challenge of coming up with clever design solutions for the most apparent functional features you would normally find in high-spec adventure jackets, yet without being visible to the eye. We’ll leave it up to you to make that judgement call.

To start off, we’d like to introduce you to the brand-new ventilation system that we incorporated into the Ridge GTX jacket. The large front zipper is not just a zipper. It’s the YKK AQUASEAL^® zipper that was initially developed to provide 100% waterproofing in diving suits.

When closed, it obviously is 100% waterproof, but when opened, it reveals a 3D mesh panel that will allow tons of air to flow into the jacket. More airflow comes in through the venting zippers at the upper arms and hot air can escape through the venting zippers at the back.

At this level, you expect nothing but the best, and the best is still provided by GORE-TEX. In this case, we’ve used a 400D 3L GORE-TEX laminated outer shell fabric because it provides the highest level of waterproofing and breathability on the planet. Period. When making use of a laminated outer shell, we’re reducing the number of layers you’d normally find in high-performance jackets and trousers.

This has a big effect on breathability as there are less layers that hot air has to pass before it can escape. At the same time, a laminated outer shell does not soak water as much as a traditional outer shell construction, which also implies that the jacket always stays lightweight and dries quickly.

Another new smart feature - which is also incorporated in the new Poseidon 2 GTX jacket - is the storm collar. It too is constructed of a 400D 3L GORE-TEX fabric and features the super-comfortable neoprene chin panel that prevents chafing the skin when getting wet.

The removable storm collar is connected to the collar by using a thin but robust 360-degree zipper. When not in use, you can store it in the stealth back pocket.