Featured Image: Clayton Herrmann
Dependability is a fickle thing. Consumers want a reliable product, but innovation is a necessary part of the game. How does a brand move, adapt and change while maintaining a dependable reputation? This is the question facing most of the outdoor industry today, and if there ever were a case study in how to do so successfully, it would be Mountain Hardwear.
The California-based company has been a longtime staple in the ski scene. In recent years, they’ve begun a calculated effort to launch themselves into a new era of creative freedom, all while continuing the legacy of a brand steeped in that golden word: reliability.
MHW has added key players behind the scenes like Brand Manager Cale Meyer, tapped new athletes into the roster such as the French style queen Manon Loschi, and have even enlisted the help of freeskiing’s forever savior, Sean Pettit. With a fiery combination of aesthetic prowess and technical know-how, Mountain Hardwear is positioned to be a formidable favorite in the industry.
This winter, FREESKIER got an inside look at a Mountain Hardwear product that exemplifies the company’s refreshing journey. Over several days in Chamonix, France, we tested and took notes on the new 2026 Mythogen Gore-Tex Pro Kit.
The Mythogen jacket and bib combo has been crafted for long days in high peaks, with extra attention to mobility and user customization, from pocket placement to beacon tethers to helmet and hood compatibility. This was immediately obvious in the motherland of Cham, where the crew put this new creation to work from the Aiguille du Midi to the Vallée Blanche, all under the leadership of long-time MHW athlete and local legend, Vivian Bruchez.
As illustrated in the photo gallery below, the crew took the Mythogen kit on long approaches, down rock walls and back again. Restrained movement wasn’t an issue. While many alpine-focused kits can fit a bit too snug, that’s not the case here, as there’s a bit more room around the knees and thighs, letting you feel at ease without too much fabric hanging off.
Few people can delve into the technical process behind the Mythogen Kit better than MHW Senior Designer Will Hagna. “The design process for our Mythogen Kit is a culmination of materials innovation, athlete feedback, personal experience, and designer intuition,” he explained. “A large catalyst for the creation of these was the need to eliminate ‘forever chemicals’ from our products in partnership with Gore-Tex. We knew that this had to happen, so it opened the door for a total rethink of these slots.”
Hagna continued, “I think it’s crucial to critique what you’ve done in the past and always think of ways to incrementally improve it. We leaned heavily on the learnings from our previous ‘VIV’, ‘HIGH EXPOSURE’ and the ‘BOUNDARY RIDGE’ iterations as well as some stuff from our Mountaineering Category. It’s all about figuring out what worked and what didn’t. In the end, this new line has inherited successful traits from past models, which combine with new elements to create a better overall product.”
Like any good product, the design and testing process goes far beyond the lab. By tapping into an extensive athlete roster, Mountain Hardwear was able to craft the Mythogen Kit with feedback on everything from design to function from those who know best.
“This is actually a totally new slot for women in our lineup, so it was especially rad to work with female athletes like Rachael Burks and Erin Spong. They helped us ensure every detail had been thought out for backcountry use.” Hagna continued, “For example, pocket placement is integrated with our packs in mind, we’ve set up multiple beacon tethers so the user has options, the hood has been fit with a helmet and can snap down when it’s not being used, our vents are as long as possible, we pattern everything for mobility… the list could go on forever!”
This level of lab innovation and athlete collaboration didn’t come around by accident. “Around two years ago, [Mountain Hardwear] started this rebrand, looking to reestablish brand principles and set us on a new progressive direction,” MHW Brand Manager Cale Meyer told FREESKIER. “We really wanted to figure out what the next 30 years will look like for us, and then make short-term plans in alignment with that vision.”
Those conversations weren’t light-hearted, as Meyer said the team addressed both successes and learning points from the brand’s history, and used that to spark ideas of where they want to go. “We want to create the best gear out there, and continue to see our products be worthy of 4,000-meter mountaineering missions. At the same time, we’re hoping to reach a new consumer through athletes like Manon Loschi and [Sean] Pettit. Those are skiers who push the sport and culture to new limits with such fine attention to detail and aesthetics. When you combine those two worlds, the result is outstanding,” said Meyer.
Pairing design with functionality isn’t a set of new principles by any means, but the two tend to clash more than we’d hope. The goal here, however, is to make gear that satisfies on all fronts. It’s a lofty task, but one that the team isn’t taking lightly. By digging to the root of where Mountain Hardwear is and where they want to be, Meyer, Hagna and the rest of the team are setting a strong course for the future.
“It feels like an exciting time for Mountain Hardwear,” remarked FREESKIER’s own Zach Berman after the Chamonix mission. “They’ve achieved a prominent position in the technical snowsports world and are now pushing the sport forward without losing their roots.”
Stay tuned for much more of the new Mythogen Kit, available Fall 2025 as part of Mountain Hardwear’s winter 2026 collection, and dive into the full photo gallery from our trip with MHW to Chamonix below.
Photo Gallery
Images: Clayton Herrmann, Courtesy of Mountain Hardwear
