Gear Blog Fri Dec 5th

Gear news

05 December 2008 14:24

Mountain Equipment’s newest jacket

Shhh…keep this one to yourself. We’ve got you exclusive access to the latest Mountain Equipment jacket out this March. You’re looking at the first pictures of the Graviton, the brand’s lightest waterproof yet at 290g (women’s M) priced £140 and designed for the worst summer storms and with enough venting for hard Alpine climbs and big UK scrambles. Check next week for more technical details and a first look video.

This winter everybody’s wearing…

The Rab Neutrino Endurance £220. Neil McAddie from Rab says, “This classic down jacket. has been on fire this season. We think it is because it is an extremely well-designed, top of the range alpine piece with high quality down giving it a great weight to weight ratio.”

The new Rab Microlight range is also a big hitter. Neil says, “This range of narrow-baffled down 650g fill down jackets come in hooded and vest versions too, and they’re the best new product we have ever launched. It’s their versatility that makes them such a good buy. A big thick warm down jacket will only be useful for say two months a year, but these very packable, good-looking, slimmer garments slip into laying system or can be worn on their own, making them useful in the UK climate for half the year or more.”

Microlight series vital stats:
Weight 320/310g for a men’s/women’s medium jacket
Prices Vests £80, Jackets £120, Hooded Jackets £130

Watch out for the next batch of new products from Rab hitting the shops in March, we’ll keep you posted.

New snow shoes

These Kahtoola Microspikes harness your shoe or boot like 4-wheel drive chains, but are these 400g (per pair) ice munchers the right way to go this winter? For £40 they provide a grippy, durable, slip-on traction system using chained up stainless steel spikes with a tough elastomer shoe harness that doesn’t require buckles or straps. They are best suited to walking, hiking and running on snow-packed trails. Kahtoola says they can be used on nearly any surface, “from ice and packed snow to wet rocks, concrete, and scree.” But what space could they fill in your gear cupboard this winter? Trail’s tech ed Graham Thompson says, “These are suitable for icey valley paths and roads, but we wouldn’t recommend you wear them up the mountain. No doubt there will be more experienced walkers or mountaineers using these on big mountains, unless you are very experienced we would not recommend taking this risk.”

Read the latest news story on the safety of lightweight outdoor snow-wear like this in Trail’s January 09 edition, out now.

One to watch…
the lightweight blogger

Into snipping bits off your pack to save weight? Here’s a blog from Japan that will get you inspired to tweak your kit yourself to make it even lighter rather than shell out for the latest lightweight gear. Vagabund has made his own MLV Cargo Ultralight System backpack weighs only 330g as he has used his sleeping mat as a back pad, a little like the stripped down verson of the Arctic Dry Pack designed exclusively from US site Backpacking Light. If you can read Japanese it could be more than useful, otherwise you’ll just have to nick his ideas from the pictures and videos on his YouTube channel.

Weirdest winter hat

“Arghhhh! Coyote attack! Just kidding, like the new hat?” If you thrive on scaring your mates and terrorizing innocent vegetarians, this is the winter hat for you. Not only is the Bridger Mountain Man Coyote Fur Hat from the US a shocker, but the price is eye-popping too at $199.99.

One happy customer says,"I have purchased a number of fur hats in my day but this is by far the warmest and most comfortable. Not only does it keep the back of my head warm but you can wrap the legs around your face to block the wind. The only reason this hat did not receive 5 stars is due to the fact that I was attacked by a bird thinking it was wounded prey while I was out for a walk. A rare but unfortunate occurrence when wearing an animal pelt on your head. Also great in the rain. Didn't smell at all after it was wet and it makes a great present. I'm getting one for my wife."