Rescue Raincoat: a tribute to the mountain expeditions of the 20th century

This is how our Rescue Raincoat was born, in the name of the olden days which were rife with extreme adventures and unstoppable urges for exploration and the understanding of our world.

At Fuel we thought about the Rescue Raincoat with the mountain smock in mind. So we developed an easily wearable cotton waterproof, treated with hydro-repellent oil, suited as a supplementary clothing item to be worn over your riding jacket. A modernized idea of clothing rather than a modern one… which has deep roots.

The term smock has unclear origins, however its birth as an item of clothing dates back to the middle ages as a type of underwear for women. Its uses then evolved till the XIX century when it was used by farmers, livestock farmers and carters during everyday work; at the time they used it over their everyday clothing as protection. From an upper class garment of comfort, it had become a working class item which was both versatile and sturdy. Often made of rough linen, sewn into simple squares of fabric, smocks started to be used as combat kits among the military by airborne units and mountain troops, starting in the XX century. 

However, the most striking use case, in our view, was during the first Antarctic exploration journeys. This famously took place when Ronald Admundsen, a Norwegian, and Robert Falcon Scott (a Brit) competed to reach the South Pole in the first two decades of the 1900s. Their expeditions were undertaken in the name of science and human progress. This is how the mountain smock became a true symbol, so much so that it was subsequently often used by the film industry: as was the case in Seven years in Tibet, in which Brad Pitt wears one.

As you already know, here at Fuel we have always been astonished by these achievements, which is why we designed the Rescue Raincoat: in order to remember them and incarnate their spirit.