I love the smell of shiny new gear in the morning…. Mammut’s Extreme Cho – Oyu

Gear. Just the word makes me start to salivate with anticipation especially when a seriously nice piece of kit heads in to the office. There’s not much that makes us stop in our tracks these days but one piece of kit from Mammut has got the whole office up and cooing over it like a kid at his first fireworks display.

So what’s got the collective at Webtogs drooling like lunatics? Well it’s the arrival of Mammut’s Extreme Cho-Oyu jacket. Outdoors Magic previewed it earlier this year and we also saw it at ISPO , but the chance to check it out in the flesh and try on and wander about has given us some great initial impressions. So much so that our Tech Director started getting awfully excited and demanded he tried it on then and there…

The main story is the new Schoeller C Change climatic fabric. It’s a dynamic membrane that opens on the users generated warmth to release more heat and closes up again when cool. Cut wise it is a short Alpine fit, on the snug side (I usually take a medium and ended up with a large) and is in Mammut’s classic Orange and blue which frankly looks the Cat’s pyjamas. Feel wise is similar to other membrane fabrics, with perhaps a slightly more malleable and gentle texture. The hood is decent, though lacks a wire or stiffened peak and the articulation is great – this is going to be a fantastic jacket for any sort of climbing and scrambling. I really liked the breathable chin guard under the hood as well.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this performs out on the hill but initial impressions are of a great piece of kit.