The warmth of the parka system worn by four Yukon Quest dogsled teams kept them warm and comfortable for the race. The parka system was provided by race sponsor Northern Outfitters.
Hans Gatt, who won the 1000-mile Yukon Quest this year, wears the parka, boot, mitten and hat system found in Northern Outfitters’ 9-piece clothing system.
A second race, the Yukon Quest 300, runs concurrently with the 1000-mile race. The three top winners of the Yukon Quest 300 also were sponsored by Northern Outfitters. These mushers also wear parkas and clothing systems designed for extreme cold weather and sold exclusively by Northern Outfitters.
The top three mushers in the shorter YQ300 were Sven Haltmann, Magnus Klatenborn and Sean Williams. The YQ300 is a qualifying race to participate in the Iditarod in March 2010.
“I really want to thank the folks at Northern Outfitters for supplying me with the best winter clothing in the world. It stood up to everything the Yukon Quest could throw at it and performed flawlessly,” Hans Gatt said. The winners of the YQ300, Haltmann, Klatenborn and Williams all expressed their gratitude as well.
“What our cold weather clothing does is give the mushers the edge in warmth, flexible comfort and moisture wicking,” according to Jim Harrison, owner of Northern Outfitters. “Dogsled racing requires that the mushers are able to move freely, and our parkas need very few layers, giving them the ability to move easily so they can compete at the highest level.”
Gatt won the Yukon Quest with a time that beat the previous race record by more than 24 hours. His first order of business at the finish line was to check and thank his dogs. He arrived with his great dog, Sonny, showing the way and nine dogs on the line. At the finish line, he also thanked Northern Outfitters for supplying the gear that served him so well on the trail.
At the end of the race, on February 15, 2010, Gatt said, “This team is the best I’ve ever raced. It is strong and resilient. We’re ready for the Iditarod which begins in about two weeks. We’ll be running with Northern Outfitters again.”