Gear blog 7th Nov

Gear news

07 November 2008 15:38

Exclusive CamelBak Octane pics
No one else has seen these exclusive pics of the limited edition Octane 20, the all new hydration-bladder and backpack from CamelBak. This super light, £80 adventure racing pack with a 3 litre reservoir has a comfy harness and large, mesh-backed side pockets to reduce weight and increase venting. Only 200 have been made and they hit shops in January 2009, be first in the queue!

CamelBak price droppage!
What’s more, CamelBak are slashing the prices of some of their popular hydration backpacks for next year. The Octane 8 has been reduced by £10 to £70, the Stamina 1 has had a fiver knocked off and it’s down to £20, while the Helena and Trailblazer packs have seen a similar price drop to £60.

New Wenger penknives
Have you got one of these? If you’re a multitool fan, get a load of the latest knives from Wenger. The popular contoured Evo now has a soft touch grippy surface so you won’t drop it wearing gloves this winter for £30. If you’re a climber who always forgets to chop your nails before you get to the crag this new £15 Nail Clipper knife could be just what you need. Wenger told us that 88% of their knives are bought as Christmas gifts, and with nifty little gadgets like this you can kinda see why.

Camping Gaz's new snap stoves
Camping Gaz stoves will feature a new snap on valve system for Feb 09. The new five stove Twister range that includes the £17 Micro Plus and £30 Plus PZ (piezo ignition), clip on to the gas canister much more easily with a push and turn connection in one single click each time.

Yak boot delay
Yaks are brought down for slaughter only once per year from their home high in the Tibetan Himalaya. “So what’s that got to do with walking boots?” you must be wondering. Well, so scarce is the soft, high-quality leather available from this source that Barvarian boot-maker Hanwag have had to delay shipment to the UK. They will launch five low- and mid- cut boots into the rest of Europe this January, but unless you buy overseas, UK Yak-boot fans will have to wait until winter next year to see them at your local outdoor store.

Viewranger put Ireland on the map
ViewRanger have launched high quality 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey mapping for Ireland. You can use it on your smartphone for off-road navigation. It displays contours, roads, paths and tracks, plus tourist and leisure information such as historic sites, viewpoints, golf courses and picnic sites. You can also use the ‘Buddy Beacon’ for keeping track of friends on the hills and a sports computer for comparing routes and performance.