by Matt Priest
04.04.2010
With Christmas long gone and heating bills shrinking, our bank balances have finally had time to recover. This is also the time of year when the lovely outdoor gear providers release all sorts of new stuff to help us maximise the outside world in its most glorious state. But this is one climb that you do not have to tackle alone – as here at WideWorld we have sifted through the mountains of gear to bring you the pick of the season.
Clothing
Helly Hansen: Ekolab Recycle Jacket
As lovers of the outdoors, we feel bad if we do not properly dispose of our plastic water bottles. Well then, isn’t it a slice of luck that our friends over at Helly Hansen have given us an extra reason to make sure we do? The Recycle jacket is made out of 100% - you guessed it - plastic water bottles. The jacket comes from their Ekolab range, which focuses on environmentally friendly clothing, is entirely water and wind proof and because it is made from light three-layered ripstop fabric, its comfort and lack of weight is ideal for the spring season.
£290 www.hellyhansen.com
Hurley: Phantom 120 Boardshorts
Hurley, the kings of gnarly boardshorts, have teamed up with clothing mega giants Nike to bring you this latest version of their Phantom line. Incorporating Nike’s flywire technology, the boardies are now made from a super-stretch fabric which is durable and ultra lightweight. The waterproof shorts contain Hurley’s trademark EZ Lycra fly closure, and welded seams that eliminate chafing whether you are out on your board, or on land.
£80 www.hurley.com
Teva Riva Mid
Although the Riva Mid is a decent boot for undemanding ambles in the winter, the spring season is when it really comes into its own. The boot finds the perfect balance between support and comfort, while at the same time being packed full of technology. The large lugs on the Vibram rubber sole allow it to have good grip, even on tricky surfaces, while the liner within the boot contains shock absorber which is a beaut when encountering rough terrain. As well as making it very waterproof, the eVent technology allows great ventilation ensuring that your feet don’t end up wet and clammy.
£120 www.teva.com
TNF: Woman’s Munda Bindi Tee
Chiefly designed for mountain biking the Munda Bindi is an excellently crafted t-shirt for outdoorswomen. Made from lightweight and breathable fabric, this is a seriously useful piece of gear. The tee is UV-blocking, quick drying and its flatlock seams are designed to prevent chafing for the wearer. The beauty of this tee is the thought gone into the hems: the front hem contains a chamois glass-cloth, so the wearer can wipe off the smudges and dirt from their eyewear. The back hem is longer to deal with the common complaint of tees ‘riding up’ when the rider is in the biking stance.
Helly Hansen: Ekolab Shorts
For some people the indication that spring has arrived is the blooming of the flowers, for others it is the reappearance of shorts. A rarely known fact is that shorts are 3-season creatures. Come the winter months, they begin to hibernate in the back of our wardrobes, but once it warms up they awake from their slumber. The Ekolab shorts are a great way to celebrate the beginning of the outdoors season. Made from 100% organic cotton, they are light and perfect for lighter terrain walking, for casual strolling or even for daily wear.
Gadgets
Solar Technology: Free Loader Pro Charger
One of the most disconcerting noises in the world has to be the ‘low battery’ bleep. We’ve all been there, trying to conserve every last drop of power because we have either forgotten the charger or there is no power socket in sight. The Solar Gadget Charger does exactly what its name suggests. It's a pocket-sized solar panel that stores energy that can charge your phone or PDA. It comes with 10 different adaptor tips ensuring that it fits all Nokia, iPhone, LG, Samsung, Sony and Blackberry phones. The addition of the CamCaddy ensures that you can also charge up virtually any phone battery as well.
Columbia: ‘What knot to do’ iPhone app
These days you can pretty much do anything online. You can learn how to cook, learn how to dance and now thanks to outdoor giants Columbia, you can look up what knots you need to tie. Columbia have jumped into the iPhone app market with a beauty of an idea that instructs you how to tie 70 different outdoors knots with step-by-step instructions. It is sure to come in handy when you need reminding how to tie a reef knot, tie up your hammock or tying up your llama. There really is an ‘app’ for everything!
£free www.itunes.apple.com
Lowerance Endurance handheld GPS
We're not certain, but we're pretty sure the reason humans have fingers and thumbs is so that they can play around with cool touch screen technology: it just makes everything easier. And that is certainly the case with this new range of handheld GPS. The three models vary depending on areas of interest but whatever that interest is they are well worth having. The robust casing makes it water and shock proof and it comes complete with a host of preloaded maps (to a scale of 1:50k) and the ability to store pictures and play MP3s and video.
£199-399 www.lowrance.com
Kodak Playsport
Whatever your foray into the wide world includes, you don’t want to be lugging heavy fragile items around with you. Cue the Playsport. This video camera is as rugged as there is. Not only is it pocket-size and built to survive elephant tramples, but it captures crystal-clear full 1080p HD video at 30fps. Surfers and kayakers won’t be cursing their luck either as it even works in up to 10ft of water.
£130 www.kodak.com
Sony A450 camera
A good photo is timeless. It can grab you and take you right back to where it was taken. It can make you remember the magnitude of what you accomplished last spring, or the soundless beauty of the wide open spaces. That said, there are three reasons why Sony have got it right with this latest DSLR model. The A450 is a 14.5 megapixel camera allowing it to capture crisp high-res shots. But don’t worry about being sparing with your photos, as it can take many as 1,050 shots before the battery runs out of juice. What really appeals to the outdoor sportsperson is the camera is able to capture continuous shooting images at a lightning quick speed of up to 7 fps, perfect for shooting speedsters hurtling downhill.
£699 www.sony.com
Gear
Uloop
When it comes to safety the Uloop is pick of the bunch. The concept is simple – one end straps to your wrist with Velcro, while the other is cable tied to your pack – and if anyone tries to run off with your stuff or cut the cable an alarm triggers. The device is reliant on a magnet with an alarm attached that will only detach when undue force is placed upon it. This excellent piece of security will allow the traveller to have a good night’s sleep knowing they don’t have to keep one eye on their gear.
£19.99 www.uloop.it
TNF: Big Fat Frog 24
The brilliantly named ‘Big Fat Frog’ is a personal favourite. As a two-person, three-season tent (not recommended during the winter), it is pretty comprehensive. Covering 14.5 sq ft it houses two people quite easily. The colour-coding on the poles make it quick and painless to set up, and generally it deals well with condensation issues. There is plenty of storage space and the poled vestibule is a good size for storing your pack or even for putting the dogs.
£250 www.thenorthface.com
Nikwax
Springtime brings with it the inevitable April showers, but don’t let that get you down or stop you getting out. Almost regardless of what your outdoors passion is you know that waterproofs are essential. Nikwax offers a range of DIY products allowing you to reproof your clothes using your own washing machine. Just place your clothes in the wash and add the necessary Nikwax product to the machine’s dispenser. The product is very simple to use and it can prolong the life of your gear. Because it is a water-based product it is entirely biodegradable and non-flammable.
£9.99 www.nikwax.com
Osprey: Kestrel Manta 25
Despite the unique joys that winter walks can bring, the sunshine and the longer days of spring is really the time when the British outdoors is at its best. The Kestrel manta 25 is the latest lightweight walker’s day backpack from Osprey. It brings with it all the gems that you would expect from an Osprey bag. Its AirScape technology allows for a sturdy and airy back support, allowing ventilation as well as support. The bag includes walking pole clips and has a multitude of pockets and compartments to place your compasses and walking maps. The crowning piece of this gear is the built-in hydraulic hydration system. The water lung fits into a compartment and can be accessed via a pressurised tube attached to the shoulder strap. Ideal for keeping hydrated on those day long treks.
£130 www.ospreypacks.com
Lifeventure Downlight Sleeping Bag
With the warmth of spring comes the traditional ‘shedding of layers’ routine. Gone is three tops, jacket, gloves, scarf and beanie combo, and all of a sudden everything becomes lighter and easier to manage. The Downlight 660 is an excellent light sleeping bag as it keeps its weight down without sacrificing its warmth by using high quality Duck Down insulation. Its ripstop nylon outer shell is complemented by its soft-touch tactel nylon 310T internal lining. For an added bonus the 660 is also treated with Lifeventure Ex3 which protects against bed bugs, mosquitoes and the build up of bacteria.
£79.99 www.lifeventure.co.uk
Books
Chasing Dean: Surfing America’s Hurricane States – Tom Anderson
Just so we are all clear, ‘Dean’ was the name of a hurricane that endangered the US eastern seaboard in 2007, not a very elusive person in a game of tag. The story recounts the journey of two Welsh surfers (Anderson and Marc Rhys) who set off to follow the hellacious weather that churns up the US during ‘hurricane season’, and attempt to surf the Grade-A waves that ensue. The book does not require you to have knowledge of surfing to keep up, as it is just as much a hilarious travelogue of the two cruising around in their Ford Escort Estate in search of their once-in-a-lifetime surf.
£7.99 www.summersdale.com
The Outdoor Pocket Bible – Paul Jenner and Christine Smith
Will there ever be a more apt reference book than this charming little book? Filled with the questions and answers that roam around your head when outdoors, from how to light a fire in the rain to advice on how to deal with snake bites or quicksand, this is an essential guide for the outdoors person. For those of us unlucky enough not to be blessed with the encyclopaedic knowledge of Bear Grylls, this pocket-sized gem should never be far from your reach.
£9.99 www.crimsonpublishing.com
Sport
Gul: Recore Wetsuit
People are getting greener. As a result manufacturers are scrambling to develop products that are environmentally conscious. UK surf brand Gul’s new Recore line of wetsuits is the result of these developments. These new wetsuits are made from a combination of various recycled materials, from PET polyester superstretch for the outside material, a nifty use of limestone-based neoprene (avoiding using dwindling oil resources) and bamboo thermospan lining, the main aim was to be as environmentally responsible as possible.
£200 www.gul.com
Lifesystems: Combi Stick
What came first, the sun cream or the lip balm? Either way, pack this nifty little ditty now and decide that later. The combi stick is a good way to combine these two toiletries with minimal space taken up. Using two different lids to separate them it works out to be a handy little multi-tasker, and perfect for those last minute April trips to the Alps or for trips out on the water.
£5.99 www.lifesystems.co.uk
Ocean Waves: Nalu paddle board
Row, row, row your boat. Sit-on-top kayak makers OW’s release of their new standing-up paddle boat is a whole lot of good fun. Made from linear polyethylene and 11ft in length, the beauty of this boat is the simplicity of it. Primarily made for standing paddling in calm water, the boat has plenty of space to allow for sitting-on-top rowing if it gets choppy. The Nalu is great for beginners but also caters for those more experienced paddlers, but most importantly it is simply just a great deal of fun, gently down the stream.
£399.99 www.oceankayak.com
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