Mountain Equipment's Radical New Soft Shell

Hot from the Harrogate trade show, where the outdoors industry displays its sharpest new kit, is some of the most interesting technical clothing we've seen for a while. Bear in mind though that this is gear that won't be in the shops till March of next year.

Mountain Equipment has taken Gore's Windstopper N2S - Next 2 Skin - fabric (see link to our launch report below) and used it to produce some highly technical and well thought out mountain clothing under the name 'G2'.

G2 Alpine Jacket - might look like a fleece but Gore N2S technology means it's effectively a soft technical mountain shell

N2S is the technology first seen in Mountain Hardwear's Transition 'windproof baselayer' garments, but moved on another step. The latest version has a tougher face fabric that won't pull on sharp edges or rub under Velcro and, in the case of the Mountain Equipment garments, will also feature a DWR - Durable Water Repellant - treatment by Grangers to stop 'wetting out' in damp conditions.

The promise is a highly breathable, yet water-resistant and wind-proof garment that can replace a waterproof shell in most mountain situations. It's the detail that really catches the eye though. Whereas the Transition kit differs little from 'normal' base layers, ME's new clothing has had a thorough technical going over.

G2 Alpine Jacket - £170

The Alpine Jacket has the sort of features you'd expect from a top technical climbing shell, but is claimed to be softer, more flexible and more comfortable. Judging from our experience of N2S so far, it will also be much more breathable.

All that means extended, water-resistant-zipped pit-zips, four front zip pockets, neat Powerfleece inner cuffs for wind-resistant sealing, neck and hem cords and a neat, close-fitting technical cut helped by strategic stretch panels.

It looks very cool in straight black, but will also be available in red and should be very, very interesting.

G2 Ultimate Mountain Pant - £150

G2 Pant - twisted seams, thigh vents, crampon patches and more

ME also reckon to have solved the mountain legwear dilemma with their matching pant. Taking a styling cue from Levis - just joking guys - the pant has a twisted leg seam and lower leg zip, together with hard-as-nails Armorlite crampon protection patches on the inside lower leg. Walk-in overheating is catered for with thigh-venting pockets equipped with the ubiquitous water-resistant zips. Stretch knee panels should sort out those high-stepping dilemmas on steep ground and an integral snow gaiter stops snow sneaking up your ankles.

For the less technically minded, there's also a more basic G2 pull-on at £120, which features the Powerfleece cuffs, a deep front zip and draw-cord neck fastening. Should be good for more basic hill use and winter mountain biking.

We reckon you're going to see a lot of these beasts grazing in high mountain pastures next year. In the shops from March 2002.

Other Mountain Equipment Stuff

Elsewhere the range has tweaked rather than being radically overhauled with the new for 2001 rucksack range continuing alongside the traditional range of Ultrafleece and down products. There are neat updates to some of the Ultrafleece clothing though.

Britain's favourite mountain fleece, the venerable Ultrafleece Mountain Jacket (£90) has had a good tweaking for 2002. The excellent light and wind-resistant main fabric remains the same, with drawcord waist and hem, but the floppy, loose hood we disliked in our last site review of the garment, has been replaced with a new, close-fitting Powerfleece stretch hood for increased warmth and better fit under a shell hood.

Britain's fave fleece gets a stretchy new hood for 2002

The Ultrafleece salopettes also get another update with a 'new look and active; cut based on the Kongur shell salopette. Best move, we reckon, is the incorporation of a new stretch panel at the knee using Malden's Powerstretch Windpro to improve mobility and high steps in particular. Some of our favourite winter legwear just got better.

Mountain Equipment web site