Trail Gear Blog Fri 26th Sept: Crux, North Face, Inov8...
Gear news
25 September 2008 17:22
Trail exclusive!
Crux’s first down jacket
Coming soon: exclusive video review of Crux's new jacket - we reveal the pros and cons of the only waterproof, welded seamed down jacket in the UK, due to hit shops this October.
Trail exclusive!
This week we previewed…
This week we got our mits on Marmot’s all new women’s fit Reyna softshell jacket before any one else could nick it. It’s out this January and Marmot reckon this £160 number knocks the previous softshell, the Women’s Genesis out of the running with an upgrade from Gore-Windstopper to stretchy Polartec Windbloc.
The test
Staff writer Claire Maxted took the jacket on a 24 hour running event, the Round Norfolk Relay, to see if Marmot really have made a highly breathable, better feeling and fitting jacket for women. She says, “I didn’t run in the Reyna as it’s designed for more moderate exercise, but there was enough brisk walking and biking behind night-section runners through the chilly September night air last weekend to see what this softshell was about.”
The fit
I particularly like the way it curves in at the waist and fits at the shoulders, whilst the sleeves are long enough for arms stretched-out to bike handlebars. However, there is not much room around the bum for anyone with a bigger behind than me. I wouldn’t be able to eat many more pies and still expect this jacket to fit at the bottom!
The stretch
This jacket is now made from more stretchy Polartec Windbloc which became apparent as I walked the windy, steep Norfolk coast paths and biked slowly alongside runners through the night. The jacket provides enough give for walking and scrambling, although cuffs are slightly bulky.
Pocket wars
Why have pockets opening from bottom to top? I couldn’t get on with it at all! They are harder to yank open, and by the time you have opened them fully, your tissues, snacks, lipsil, mobile phone, wallet and could have made a break for freedom.
Verdict
This jacket is very comfortable to wear walking and slow biking. It does fit well, but there could be more room around the bum for more pear-shaped women, and the pockets, in my opinion, should open from top to bottom.
No finger-freeze this winter
New from The North Face and Extremities this winter, gloves are on the menu:
The North Face want Santa to bring you an iPod for Christmas. They have just released the Etip Gloves, and for £22 you get a pair of gloves with metallic first finger and thumb tip pads so you can operate your MP3 player wheel without getting cold hands, and the silicone gripper palms reduce the likelihood of droppage of said expensive electronic item.
Extremities popular £75 Ice Gauntlet, a waterproof shell with fleece liner glove has seen improvements to the palm, fingers and thumb. These are now constructed with stretch Kevlar, then overlaid with extremosuede (tested to 40,000 abrasion cycles), thus improving the flexibility and providing good durability.
The top end £100 Mountain Glove is a completely new, re engineered version of the Ice Gauntlet - a waterproof liner glove inside a robust outer shell, but this glove has all leather palm and fingers rather than a leather-PU combi. Knuckle and finger protection has been redesigned, allowing more flexibility and the outer covering is now leather. The inner glove has a full silicon amara palm, which improves its durability and makes you more likely to use it on its own without the outer shell.
Inov8 X-Talon shoe test
Last week we told you about Inov8’s lightest ever trail running shoe, the 212g X-Talons now Pete MacFarlane, Trail’s light weight afficianado has got his feet into them. What are his first thoughts?
What did you think as you opened the box?
Christ, that’s light
They’re bright yellow, did you like that?
I like anything garish!
Where did you take them first?
Around the house, to check which thickness of sock I could wear with it them
Ok, where did you take them outdoors first?
My local hills, the Kilpatricks, half way between the Loch Lomond national park and Glasgow
How do they compare?
The X-Talons are very different to an American or European style running shoe shoe like the La Sportiva Crosslites with more underfoot cushioning for higher, longer mountain days. The X-Talons are less cushioned as they are designed for shorter distances and mountain marathons, where you generally want more foot control and dexterity.
Most interesting feature?
I reckon the X-Talons have Inov8‘s best heel cup yet. They’ve been criticised in the past for having quite a straight heel back, without any thickening towards the top. However, this one does get thicker towards the top, and that wee bit of extra padding adds comfort and friction so the heel is less likely to lift up out of the shoe and rub.
What’s next?
I usually go for a more solid heel cup for bigger mountain routes when carrying a backpack as gives better stability, especially on the descent. So, I want to put them through a longer distance with a heavier weight backpack, say 8 kilos, for a couple of days. I also want to see if I can bust the upper and investigate this ultra-soft, flexible sole unit. I’ll be very surprised if they aren’t slicks by the end of my testing as Inov8 have used their softest rubber compound - you can almost press the lugs flat.
Spiderman comp winner!
Last week’s winners of the latest Spiderman Buff were Julian, Dan, Paul, Ann and Saabman. The best answer to our question “I am too scared to wear my pants outside my trousers up a mountain because…” was Paul’s “…I wear my merino boxers for days at a time.” Yuck. Avoid men in the new Spiderman Buff on the hill!
