New technology from RECCO that allows rescuers to search vast areas of land quickly becomes available in FORLOH apparel immediately. 

Most people who spend time in the great outdoors aren’t trying to be invisible, but that’s certainly the case for hunters, who rely on being silent and invisible in order to stalk their prey. But what happens in the rare emergency, when someone gets into trouble and needs help? The very thing that helps them in their hunt becomes a liability. 

This week, FORLOH is introducing RECCO®, a technology that makes the user easier to locate in the event of an emergency, in its entire line of AllClima Rain and SoftShell Jackets. 

FORLOH is a relatively new high-end brand that is making 100 percent American-made gear. The fact that it manufactures in the U.S. was an asset when it comes time to integrate new technologies, like RECCO. FORLOH was able to integrate RECCO as a rolling change in its AllClima line, which means every AllClima piece has RECCO integrated today — not next season. It usually takes manufacturers who make products offshore at least six months and more often a year to make changes like this in their lines. 

You may recognize the RECCO name from winter sports, where it has been used for years as a tool in the kit for avalanche recovery. Most ski areas worldwide have RECCO units. RECCO is a two-part system. Rescuers use hand-held RECCO detectors to locate a RECCO reflector which is carried by the user, and integrated into clothing or other gear. 

But, a new technology from RECCO is making the system more applicable to search and rescue missions. And FORLOH is proud to be the first brand in the hunting space to offer that added margin of safety to consumers. 

The newly introduced RECCO SAR helicopter detector is a larger detector unit. It is mounted under a helicopter and enables rescue teams to vastly reduce the amount of time it takes to search large areas.

A RECCO-enabled SAR helicopter can cover large areas fast. Searching from a height of 100 meters with a search area of approximately 100 meters wide, rescuers can cover a 1 km-square area within 6 minutes.

“Unlike snowsports which are often enjoyed within a resort, wearing bright clothes on clean snow, backcountry hunters are more often at the bottom of valleys or on steep, treed sidehills, wearing camouflage and far away from other people or help,” said Andy Techmanski, CEO and founder of FORLOH. “It’s a no-brainer to put this technology into apparel for hunters and many other kinds of outdoor sports.” 

Currently, there are 17 RECCO SAR helicopter detectors globally, with five in North America and 12 units deployed across Europe (see a map of RECCO coverage here). In the last two years, as its new helicopter-based detector unit came into use, RECCO worked to get that technology into use with search-and-rescue teams that cover large areas of Montana, Idaho, Washington, Utah, and western Canada. Recco-enabled SAR units are stationed in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Kalispell, Mont., as well as Vancouver and Canmore, Canada. More than 90 SAR teams in North America and hundreds worldwide already are equipped with hand-held RECCO units.

By pioneering this technology in the hunting industry, FORLOH is working with RECCO to help increase the margin of safety for consumers. 

“Working with FORLOH, we are excited to enter the hunting market, a completely new segment for us, and to help make hunters searchable with the help of RECCO technology,” said Fredrik Steinwall, CEO at RECCO. “The outdoor market, where we have been on the market for a long time and are well known, is closely related to the hunting community. So for us, this is a natural progression. To be able to do this with a technology-driven brand like FORLOH feels very inspiring.”