Sneak peek at what's new from OMM later this year including lightweight eVent waterproof tops.
We popped up to see the nice people at the
Original Mountain Marathon
Company yesterday, for a sneak look at their new kit out
later this year including new lightweight eVent waterproof shells and
some neat-looking lightweight insulation.
As we reported recently, founder
Mike
Parsons has now left the company, but the OMM
event goes on and the new owners are keen to stress that OMM clothing
and equipment will still be focussed on lightweight, fast-moving use.
For 2010, the lean weight pack range remains unchanged as does the
impressive new
Kamleika
'waterproof soft shell', but there are plenty of new additions to the
range due out in late summer.
New Yellow eVent
Waterproofs
The Kamleika kit, aimed at elite, fast-movers is set to be
joined by the new three-ply eVent Cypher Jacket and Cypher Smock.
Intended as a tougher, but still light alternative to Kamleika, the new
hard shells have a slightly more generous fit and are, say OMM, suited
to more general use, particularly with packs.
Weight is impressively low. The jacket - above - tips the scales at a
claimed 280 grammes, while the half-zipped smock version is quoted at
240 gramme. Spec includes fully-taped seams, a hood with
multi-directional volume adjuster, hand-pockets on the jacket and a
chest pocket on the smock.
The jacket gets Velcro-tabbed cuffs while the Smock has a Lycra-bound
cuff with thumb loops. Both use cunning cutting to minimise seams and
taping. The smock - like Haglofs Oz and the TNF Triumph - uses two main
fabric panels. Okay, so not 100 pe-cent original, but a
proven way of saving weight and bulk.
A quick try on showed that the jacket is actually a good general fit
and surprisingly long for a lightweight garment, jury's still
out on the hood, which seemed a bit fiddly to adjust compared
to some. Prices will be £200 for the jacket and
£180 for the smock.
To put things in perspective,
Westcomb's
eVent Specter Hoody LT weighs a real 290 grammes
with a helmet hood but a shorter cut and Rab's new for this spring 2010
Demand
Pull-On, also eVent, is quoted at 280 grammes,
so the new OMM kit is definitely in the weight room mix. Nice colour
too...
Lightweight Primaloft
Insulation
The new
Rotor
Smock is OMM's take on ultra-lightweight synthetic
insulation. It uses water-resistant Primaloft One 40g insulation
throughout with a Pertex Quantum inner and outer shells for minimal
weight.
The top's close-fitting and, according to OMM, impressively light at
around 280 grammes. It's not completely minimalist though. The collar
has a micro-velour lining for comfort and the twin handwarmer pockets
are both insulated and have a fleece front lining to allow easy drying
of wet paws on the hill, which is a nice idea.
Finally the original spec included a detachable hood, fitted with
press-studs, and there's still a chance that this will be available as
an extra. Price when it appears in late summer, will be
£110. Bear
in mind that the production version will be less shiny than the
prototype in the picture above.
And A Microfleece...
There's also a new OMM microfleece, it's a simple
all-round top made from Polartec 100-weight fleece with brushed finish
inside and out, so it feels luxuriously soft. It also has some neat
features, the sides of the trunks and inside of the sleeves are made
from a stretch fleece fabric to improve fit and reduce bobbling from
wear.
All seams are flatlocked, there are thumb-loops, a long chest-zip and a
lined collar. It comes in both men's and women's cuts with a close fit
for layering efficiency. Should be good for colder days and post-event
/ campsite lounging about. Weight is quoted at
300 grammes and
price willl be
£50.
That's about it. There's also a Radian stretch fleece beanie and the
280-gramme Finch Vest, with its 800+ fill power, 93/7
European down vest now has elasticated arm openings for added
thermal efficiency.
More information on the current OMM range and the event itself at
www.theomm.com
