In our first post in our new series of “ask the experts”, we’re answering common questions we get from customers relating to our product range, starting with breathable technology material.. First up: What is Gore-Tex and why is it any good?

Gore-tex is a waterproof breathable material best known for it’s use in activity outdoor clothing. The reason being that there is always a demand for waterproof products that are also breathable to take away sweat, which if trapped, could result in hypothermia for the wearer.

Optimal conditions for it are in hot, dry air conditions and also in cool wet weather when not excerising too much. The waterproof layer is built from DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treatment which lies on the surface of the fabric.

While it’s the most popular and well known brand, it does have both it’s advocates and opponents. A common complaint is that it’s not truly breathable and thus can only pass out a limited amount of sweat vapour. Alternatives have actually come from the US Military and focus around a material known as eVent which provides up to four times as much moisture transfer as goretex’s premium XCR fabric.

Tags:   event · gor · gore · gortex · material · technology · tex

Well, James spent pretty much all weekend putting our brand new first batch of gear live from The North Face. We’re ecstatic about getting these guys live as it’s not every day they approve a new ecommerce retailer to sell their range.

As a bit of background, the North Face brand was established in sunny San Francisco in 1968. The name was chosen as the north face of any mountain is usually the most difficult to climb and this helped reflect the fact that their gear is designed to cope with even the toughest terrain. You may not also know that they have a sibling in “Jansport” which is one of the world’s largest backpack makers.

We’ve got a good starter selection of products online and in-stock now, encompassing the hugely popular North Face jackets and North Face trousers / shorts.

Tags:   brand · Brands · face · gear · north · stock

Pure class!

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I’ve been a geek for a good 10 years now (although I love both tech things and women equally!), and I’m passionate for the outdoors. What I’ve managed to do is put together a list of recommended stuff that combines both of these in one place. So here it is, enjoy..

1: Oakley Thump Pro MP3 Sunglasses

Why I like it They’re lightweight, hold 1gb of storage, and look pretty cool when I’m snowboarding. Very easy to take the buds out your ears and use them as a pair of decent shades too.

2: Quicksilver U-Ramp I-PodJacket

Why I like it Buttons down the left hand side are responsive and enables me to control my integrated ipod. Easy to manipulate when moving fast. The Jacket is also a decent outer shell too.

3: Keen Burnside Laptop Pack

Why I like it Has a little pouch to fit my macbook pro into it. Side entry zip is genius for getting into a packed bag with all my RoR programming books. High quality material too.

4: PowerMonkey Explorer

Why I like it A slim clam-shell of solar panels for recharging my gadgets while out and about. Handles my ipod, iphone, and PSP no probs. Takes a couple of hours to charge, but nothing like being able to juice up my stuff while at the top of remote mountain.

5: Space Invaders jacket

Why I like it I had to order this from Denmark and not sure if you can still get it. Even so - it has loads of little pixelated alien dudes from Space Invaders on it. What more can I say!

Ok - that’s what I’ve got for now. Let me know if you agree with it in the comments - but personally these are THE best outdoor tech gear items by far..

Tags:   gear · geeks · outdoor · top5

We’ve started rolling out some new site updates recently and the first elements are the new landing pages for our brands, starting with Berghaus, Mountain Equipment, and Keen.

First thing you’ll notice is an actual brand header outlining the brand’s message in more detail and some text explaining a bit about them, with relevant links to new products in their range or explanations of the technology they’re using (click the image below to see it full size):

Each product range the brand stocks is outlined in a cleaner fashion, and we are now showing the bestseller list from that brand on the left hand side. Overall - nothing major but a sign of what we’re doing right now - small, incremental changes, based on what we’ve learnt from the last few months of user stats and feedback.

Now believe me when I say this is the 15th variant we came up with before putting it live… all fun and games.

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So the inevitable happened, the kid came along and as a result all our best laid plans of heading walking crashed and burned. The last couple of months, however, have seen a bit of a rennaisance due to one tidy piece of kit, the Macpac Vamoose. The Vamoose has had us strolling the beaches of the Isle of Wight, the South Downs and the fields of Kent in places where you would not be able to get a buggy and has had led to some seriously happy parents.

A couple of things have really impressed me about it’s design, firstly the hip belt. As you can imagine with Sprog and all his attachments in tow, he weighs a ton, so comfort in carrying something so heavy was the top order of the day. The hip belt feels like I have been cuddled by a bear, e.g. soft and strong and so it take a lot of the weight. The shoulder and back system are to Macpacs usual high quality - all in all it is a very comfortable ride.

It also has a fair few features that also get the thumbs up. Firstly a zip off day pack which is awesome for carrying all his bits and bobs. You can then simply take off the backpack if you need to go and chenge his nappy anywhere or if you want your partner to spread the load. Secondly, the sun shade and rain cover are fantastic and keep the worst of the weather from your child. We had a trek through snow whilst in Kent and all the while he was gurgling away happy as larry on my back. Finally there is so much space in the bottom of the pack along with the zip off day sack that we end up just taking the Vamoose when we head out.

Things you may not be as happy about are that it is quite heavy due to all the attachments and there are definitely cheaper ones out there. From our perspective however we love it and are looking forward to some happy tramping over the next year or two. One final word as with any kiddy carrier though is to introduce your kids nice and early. The later you leave it, the less happy they are getting in to one we have found in our experience with friends kids!

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