Who Invented The Down Jacket?

Down jackets are really a very simple idea: Take the lightest, most waterproof, most cushioned, most protective (too many mosts?) insulation materials in the natural world, and use it to make functional clothes.

The idea is so simple, and so useful, that the American Army changed their rules to allow the inventor to put his company’s logo on their clothing. But imagine coming up with that idea for the first time? And imagine who invented it?

Eddie Bauer

You might have heard of the American shops, Eddie Bauer. They became a big group of stores, owned by a very big company. But Eddie was a real person – an outdoorsman from Washington state. Born in 1899, he patented the first Down Jacket in 1940.

Hypothermia

In the late 1930s, Eddie went on a winter fishing trip in the cold waters of Washington state. In those days, winter wear consisted entirely of heavy woolen clothing. Fishermen would hike for miles to reach rivers and seas, and then would spend the day casting & reeling. Both of these made carrying heavy wool really impractical and, as a result, Eddie Bauer developed hypothermia.

Goose Down

After recovering, he spent the next few years looking at alternatives to wool garments. He eventually settled on the naturally warm, light feathers of the local geese. In 1940 he patented his first quilted goose down jacket: The Skyliner.

Following that, Down Jackets quickly became so popular that they were used in Himalayan expeditions, and several journeys through Antarctica. In total, Eddie patented more than 20 different types of outdoor clothing. A real pioneer who was responsible for a multi-million industry that protects explorers, hikers and keeps many other people warm today.

Eddie Bauer: Born October 19, 1899. Died April 18, 1986. Inventor of the down jacket.