Suits you sir!

Gareth    Clothing     down jacket, Expedition, Rab

Just had some rather big belly laughs down at the Warehouse today, we got the remainder of our Rab down gear in, our buyer Keith decided he was a little nippy so tried on the expedition down jacket and pants. He broke a sweat in 4 seconds flat he reckons….

North Face Nuptse

Keith    Clothing, General Outdoor     down jacket, north face, north face nuptse, nuptse, winter jacket

Here at Webtogs we seem to be selling a amazing amount of the classic Nuptse Jacket from The North Face For those who have not yet got the low down on why so many people choose this as their winter coat of choice, we have put together a couple of videos taking you through this classic winter piece.

Updated Changabang for Winter 2010

Gareth    Clothing     changabang, goretex, Mountain Equipment

They have been busy over at Mountain Equipment HQ refining their already excellent range of Gore-Tex Jackets. Developed with extensive testing from Plas-y-Brenin Mountain Centre and Mountain Guides, these are not just any waterproof jackets (don’t worry, this isn’t an M & S advert….) These jackets have been crafted to meet the expectations of professional mountain users who need all of their kit to perform to the highest standards day after day.

The top of the range jacket is the Changabang, an all mountain jacket designed for mountaineers and serious off piste Skiers. The Changabang is designed to accommodate a full active cut featuring a shorter body length and articulated sleeves for an exceptional range of movement, no matter what the predicament. Additionally the Mountain HC stealth construction hood moves easily whether a helmet is worn or not with 4 way movement giving an excellent full range of visibility even when at full stretch. Pit Zips take care of ventilation when you are working hard.

For this year The first and most significant update is to the face fabric. Mountain Equipment are now using a combination of two fabrics. They are using the new Gore-Tex Pro Shell Ascendor II fabric which features a slightly tighter weave for improved abrasion resistance. Heavy wear areas are taken care of with the use of Gore-Tex Pro Shell Tenacity fabric which provides an amazing 20% better abrasion resistance.

The next improvement is the introduction of the Stratum pocket system which provides up to 25% more storage space. The Stratum pocket system creates two huge napoleon pockets that are A4 sized. These pockets are a class above anything else we have seen and anyone who has struggled to stow maps and route cards in foul weather will appreciate the thought that has gone into the new pocket design.

Altogether, we have been seriously impressed by the new Changabang, if you are looking for a top end Mountaineering jacket (that’s British to boot) look no further.

Kuhl is rocking our world right now..

Gareth    Clothing, Gareth     Clothing, Gareth, Kuhl

Believe it or not, with the weather throwing down cats and dogs in the car park, our march in to spring summer has been on the go for some time now. Out of all the brands that have come in over the last couple of weeks though, our buyer Keith has really hit gold with the Spring Summer range from the lovely guys at Kuhl

Describing what a brand is like and what products are like over the internet can sometimes be a little tricky, and especially with a small brand like Kuhl, they can sometimes sneak under the radar. They are definitely worth a special mention though as everyone in the office has got excited about them and nearly everyone has bought a piece before they even went on the website. They remind me a little of Howies in terms of design although their focus is completely on stylish, practical mountain wear. That comparison is probably not completely accurate one though as Kuhl are REI’s largest selling trouser brand. We are on a mission then to let the UK know about just how damn good these guys are!

The whole range can be viewed here although we are still expecting some bits and bobs in for April. Stand out pieces for me have to be the Eiger long short and Moda Ped for women, excellent long shorts with ariculated knees that are going to be great for indoor climbing walls and light scrambling. The other pieces that really grab me are the Jeans and Pants as they are just so comfortable on. Great for walking, climbing or relaxing back at the campsite, they are light, breathable and incredibly durable.

Anyway, can’t stop to chat more, I need to go and raid the warehouse before any more dissapear in to the grubby hands of my colleagues!

Power Ranger love Keen

Gareth    Clothing, Gareth     Gareth, Keen, power rangers

One of our favourite brands over the last couple of years has been Keen, the American outdoor footwear brand. We love them so much, you can usually see at least 2 or 3 of us wearing them each day in the office and warehouse. They are also the only brand we actually back up with a special Keen comfort guarantee

Apparently though we are not the only ones to have heard how special they are, and alledgedly, those crazy Power Rangers dig them too. We finally received photographic evidence however this week…..

Western Mountaineering Meltdown Jacket – first impressions

Gareth    Clothing     Western Mountaineering

When you’ve been doing it for a few years hill walking and mountaineering have a degree of “second nature” you become familiar with and many of the brain numbing decisions become semi automatic. Nowhere is this more apparent than kit selection, and the chances are that if you know someone who’s been getting out on the hills for a while they’ll be wearing the same brands as they were 5 years earlier. When it comes to kit people build up loyalty based on their own personal experiences, and tend to stick with what they know works well – it’s not that familiarity breeds contempt, but familiarity building confidence.

Once that brand loyalty has taken root it’s hard to change the momentum that drives decision making, after all why should anyone deviate from what they know is reliable and does the job? This was the dilemna I faced last week when my trust Rab Neutrino Endurance suffered from the chaos of trying to decorate a new house, and got a little paint splattered. The automatic reaction was to simply replace it like for like. I know the Neutrino well, and it’s been a number one choice for years, but by pure coincidence I’d been hearing glowing references to a brand from across the pond that promised something special.

Taking the plunge, I decided to give the Western Mountaineering Meltdown Jacket a chance – and I’ve certainly not been disappointed! Yes it’s a down jacket that at first glance looks like a neutrino, but the moment you pick it up the difference smacks you straight in the face and questions start flooding your mind. First inclinations were to add a mid layer beneath the Meltdown to bulk it up a bit closer to how the Neutrino feels as it just doesn’t “feel” substantial and reassuring in the way my old familiar Rab did.  While the technical specs shout out that this is a quality product it’s hard to get your head around how something that feels so lightweight can give the same level of protection as you’re accustomed to. Pull the jacket on and you still feel almost half prepared, but once you step outside the misgivings soon start to fade. Despite its miserly weight this jacket is up there with the big boys when it comes to keeping you warm. 

The Meltdown uses 850+ fill power down inside an ultra lightweight shell, giving the kind of performance you’d expect from a more substantial feeling product but at a fraction of the weight. Yes there are compromises, but in reality the compromises take nothing away from the overall performance. The Meltdown has a classic short cut, with hem adjusters to pull the jacket in tight to the waist and neat velcro straps at the cuffs. The hood appears to be missing at first glance, being rolled away into the collar and hidden behind a zip so narrow it appears to be just a fabric join. There’s no inside pocket, but the hard warmer external pockets are insulated inside and out and have the same soft-to-touch lining as the main inner fabric.

It’s early days for the Western Mountaineering Meltdown, but it’s already taught me a valuable lesson; It’s all very well to stick with something you know does the job, and it won’t let you down, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something that does the job equally well or better!