First Look at the Lightwave T0 XT Tent

Keith    General Outdoor     Brands, Lightwave, Lightwave T0 XT Tent, Tents

Getting the Lightwave T0XT tent out of the bag the first thing that hits you is the quality of the fabrics and components. The tent is inner pitch first with two poles that create the main sleeping area and an additional pole that creates the vestibule. The poles come in three colours, Green, Gray, and Black, which match up to colour coding on the pole sleeves for ease of pitching.

Once the Inner tent is up the Flysheet can be added and the porch pole inserted. There are velcro tabs on the flysheet that be attached to the inner tent for additional stability. There is one peg point at the nose and one at the tail of the tent.

When putting up the tent the quality of the manufacture starts to really shine through. I was particularly impressed with the way the high stress points on the fly had been constructed and they certainly have a “these are never going to fail” feel to them.

The Lightwave T0 XT tent has a huge amount of living space for such a lightweight tent. Its not possible to sit up comfortably for someone my size but there is easily enough space to get dressed and sort kit out. There are two mesh storage pockets either side of the door which will help keep small items tidy in the tent. There are no real venting options as the door to the inner is part Mesh and part Nylon, this is to save weight and to my mind not a big issue. The extended porch provides loads of storage space and will easily accommodate the preparation of food in bad weather.

In summary I think that this is is a truly excellent tent that oozes quality and great design. Its not the lightest tent in its class and it is certainly not the cheapest but in my view it is easily the nicest. I think the T0 XT would be particularly suitable for UK use as the door design will ensure no water will get in the tent when entering and exiting in foul weather also there is not as much mesh on the inner as many other similar tents which will make the tent feel warmer in the spring and autumn.

Primaloft jackets – Keeping warm in the wet British winter.

Gareth    Clothing, General Outdoor     Berghaus, Brands, Mountain Equipment, Rab, The North face, webtogs

It’s said there are just two certainties in life, death and taxes, but I’ve long thought there’s another certainty that should be included in this elite list – if you’re out in the British hills it’s going to rain. In summer it’s not a problem, with hardshells, softshells, packlite and a million and one choices to pick from, but in winter it’s not so easy.

Outside it’s that most perfect of walking days; that combination of cool blue, cloudless skies, a chill in the air and an inviting crispness to the ground. It’s a day just made for your favourite down jacket and a camera, but you just can’t avoid the fact that this is Britain and no matter what it looks like now, chances are the rain will find you and down and rain don’t get on well.
The alternative to down is Primaloft, a synthetic fibre that keeps working even when wet. Being synthetic it doesn’t quite match up to down for pack size and weight, and isn’t quite as warm ounce for ounce as a filling, but it’s got definite advantages when it comes to the British climate. Primaloft is water resistant, and even when it does get wet it retains the majority of its insulating properties and dries quickly. It’s often overlooked, but Primaloft garments are usually machine washable, whilst down means a trip to a specialist cleaner.

With autumn already upon us and winter creeping up we thought we’d give you the low down on four of our top name Primaloft jackets, all under £150.

Mountain Equipment Fitzroy Jacket
Price: £134.99
Weight: 620g/22oz
Features: Turn-with-you adjustable hood, 3 external pockets, Primaloft 100/60g combination for weight saving.

The Fitzroy’s been with us for a couple of years now, and picked up the “Best in Test” from Trail recently with its combination of Primaloft and Drilite Loft. The main body is filled with 100g Primaloft One – the highest grade Primaloft, with 60g filling in the arms to give your core warmth but keep that extra flexibility in the arms, and keep weight to a minimum. A double layer of Primaloft in the hood completes the insulation, with windproof, water resistant Drilite Loft covering the critical areas and a more breathable UltraSoft face fabric everywhere else.
The Mountain Equipment hood is legendary, and justifiably so with a good volume adjuster that’s truly helmet friendly and a stiffened peak that stays stiffened in the wind. The same attention to detail has gone into the draw cords for the hem which now have “capture points” to prevent snagging, and Velcro cuff fasteners you can manipulate with gloves on. You get four pockets, 3 on the outside and an internal zipped map pocket. The lower pockets are set a bit higher and a bit further in from the sides than on the other jackets making them easily accessible with a rucksack on.
Our View:
Value for money water resistant synthetic insulation that keeps working even when wet. Well positioned pockets and excellent hood from a name you can trust.

Berghaus Combust Jacket
Price: £143.99
Weight: 775g/27oz
Features: Highly tear resistant outer, close fitting baffles, Primaloft PL1 filling, Raptor hood.

The Combust jacket is from Berghaus’ Extreme range and features Primaloft PL1 filling and a coated nylon outer. Instantly recognisable the Combust’s outer shell uses a DWR and PU coating to keep the water out, with a unique combination of 15 denier nylon and 50 denier yarn making it highly tear resistant. The innovations don’t stop there, though, with a DWR coating applied to the lining and unlike the other jackets on test a storm flap over the main zip.
The Combust features an enormous, but fully adjustable hood that will happily take a helmet and still close up tight against the elements, and an elasticated internal pocket ideal for keeping your drink above freezing perched on a Scottish winter ledge. The two hand warmer pockets benefit from a soft-touch lining and the cord zips are just long enough to use gloved, though lack any form of toggle on the end. Once on you can’t fail to notice the sleeping bag style baffles in the main body which pull the jacket into you for a closer fit. The close fit also applies overall, and if you’re planning on using it as a traditional belay jacket to be thrown on over everything else when you stop then removed for setting off again, then you’ll probably need to step up a size.
Our View:
Innovative tear resistant construction combined with top quality insulation and a close fit give a very warm product. Not the lightest jacket on test, but it is cut a little longer and the generous hood will take a helmet with ease.

Rab Generator Alpine Jacket
Price: £139.99
Weight: 520g/18oz
Features: Technical version of classic Generator, Pertex Endurance shell, Roll down hood, Extra length.

The Rab Generator jacket is a legend in its own lifetime, renowned for its versatility in typical British conditions. The Alpine takes the best of the Generator’s features and adds to them. Like the Mountain Equipment Fitzroy the Generator Alpine uses 100g Primaloft One in the main body and 60g in the arms, but the outer shell is made from hard wearing Pertex Endurance.
Unlike the other jackets on test the Generator Alpine features a helmet compatible hood that you can roll down and secure when not needed. You only get two external pockets and one zipped pocket on the inside, but the back is slightly longer than the standard jacket and zips are water resistant. The Pertex Endurance fabric gives a more heavyweight feel to the Generator Alpine on the outside, but on the inside Rab have chosen to stick with Quantum for a softer feel.
Our View:
The roll down hood makes this an ideal jacket for winter belays or sitting around the camp fire in the colder months. A stronger, more hard wearing, version of a classic jacket with excellent warmth per gram.

The North Face Redpoint Optimus Jacket
Price: £118.99
Weight: 600g/21oz
Features: Seamless shoulder yoke, packs into internal pocket, Primaloft PL1 filling, Alpine Fit.

The Redpoint Optimus was developed for the North Face athletes team and became their favourite product with its Primaloft One filling and ripstop nylon shell. The 100g PL1 filling gives plenty of insulation and the shell is DWR coated giving all round security. A new design for winter 2009 is a snag-free, seamless, shoulder yoke that gives better flexibility for arms and shoulders.
The hood on the Redpoint Optimus is fully adjustable, and you get the traditional complement of two hand warmer and one breast pocket on the outside. The inside, zippered pocket doubles up as storage for your jacket when not in use, saving carrying an extra stuff sack. Unlike the other jackets on test the Redpoint uses softshell fabric for the cuffs, using elastic rather than adjustable Velcro fastenings. The Alpine fit is a little shorter than the Berghaus Combust and Rab Generator Alpine but the overall fit is a little less tight.
Our View:
The Redpoint Optimus offers great value for money, coming in cheaper than the other jackets on test. Rolling into its own pocket for storage it’s ideal for cold winter days when you can’t afford to worry about rain.

Webtog Blog – don’t worry, we’re still here!

Gareth    eCommerce, Planning     back, blog, Brands, comments, stock, webtogs

We realised yesterday over our morning coffee meeting that we haven’t actually been updating our blog in a long time. Shame on us! Apologies for that – it’s been a hectic time are at Baa HQ with signing up many new brands to come on board and receive shipments of the next line of stock for Winter.

Needless to say there is a lot to talk about and we want to get this blog rolling again with insightful views and experience sharing from our side and yours too.

Right – time to hit the whiteboard!

The North Face comes to Webtogs

Gareth    Planning     brand, Brands, face, gear, north, stock

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.