We adored our small factory on the banks of the Neisse River, surrounded by poplars and willows, with a view of green meadows across the river in Poland. Last August, the river swelled beyond its banks and flooded the machines and most of our inventory. We did all that we could to try to salvage what was still to be saved from amidst waist-high water. The damages that resulted from the flood rose into the millions. We had no choice but to abandon the factory.

Yeti’s friends and colleagues helped us immensely during those difficult times, for which we would like to thank you once again.

Our feet have dried, but our eyes are still moist. Within six months, we found a new headquarters. Our contact to the city Görlitz remains strong; we managed to maintain all our employees there, which we are quite proud of. Most recently, the Oskar Patzelt Foundation nominated Yeti for the

“Großen Preis des Mittelstandes.“

What have we learned from the flood? To be prepared for what the weather may bring tomorrow. Nature is graceful and serene, but from time to time, she shows her immense strength, as she did in Görlitz last year.

“We should not try to avoid surprises,” with regards to nature’s forces, “but rather, we should prepare to be surprised,” as noted by the French philosopher and risk-researcher Patrick Lagadec.

We have developed several unparalleled new innovations. Perhaps we were inspired in part by the floodwaters as we equipped the sleeping bags in our Elements Series with new synthetic fibers. These fine-spun, waterproof polyester threads not only repel water and retain body warmth but also feel soft and warm to the touch, much like Yeti’s classic goose down.

I would also like to draw your attention to our Ambition Jacket; at 380 grams, it is the world’s lightest-weight down expedition jacket, woven from sturdy, ultra-light LightyGram fibers and filled with high-quality Crystal Down. The Ambition Jacket recently accompanied the Czech mountain climber Radek Jaroš on his expedition

to Lhotse Mountain, at an elevation well above 8,000 meters in the Himalayas.

I hope you enjoy the new catalog.

Let yourself be inspired.

Yours, Kay Steinbach