Rab's New Autumn Clothing Revealed

We've already told you about the new Rab down clothing for this autumn, but the company's design team has also been hard at work on the rest of their clothing range for this season.

Highlights include a new hardcore Scottish winter mountain shell using a seriously heavy grade eVENT fabric, a Primaloft insulated smock that should have lightweight freaks drooling over their dehydrated muffins and an interesting waterproof/softshell hybrid. On with the show...

Neil McAdie models the new Rab Suilven for us - click pic for bigger version

The new Generator Smock, insulation with minimal weight and bulk - click pic for bigger version

Crunchy and chewy, the new Fusion jacket - click pic for bigger version

PowerStretch Top in men's and women's versions - click pic for bigger version

We reckon the new Suilven Jacket is going to strike a real chord with anyone looking for a seriously tough winter mountaineering jacket that doesn't sacrifice breathability and lightness for protection.

The Suilven uses eVENT three-ply fabric but in a heavier duty guise than previous Rab eVENT jackets. The main body fabric, the blue bit in the photos, is just slightly heavier than, say the Latok, but the shoulders, arms and hip areas - the bits that take real punishment - use a seriously tough-feeling version that should shrug off heavy pack use, mixed thrutching and the odd sandstorm too...

The jacket's cut slightly over-sized to allow layering underneath, has a redesigned and very capable full mountain, helmet-compatible hood with wired peak, plus two big chest pockets for easy stowage.

Despite all this it only weighs a claimed 660 grammes which would have been pretty much in the lightweight ballpark just five years ago. Price is £230.

Insulation Gets Light...

If you were lusting after the new ultra-lightweight Neutrino Lite smock but wanted something more useable in UK conditions then the Generator Smock could be right up your street.

Weighing in at a measly 340 grammes - claimed - it's lighter than the down equivalent, but packs a high tech punch. Both inner and outer fabric is lightweight Pertex Quantum, but the filling is top of the range 60-gramme Primaloft 1.

It's a siliconised synthetic filling which means it shrugs off water, but it also feels luxuriously soft and downlike particularly in combination with the fine Quantum fabric. Stuffs small, doesn't need to be pampered in wet conditions like down and is easy to wash too. Oh, and it's windproof and water resistant as well.

Pack and forget until needed, price to you, £80 and it's in the shops shortly.

It's Like Jazz Fusion...

It's sort of a soft shell and a hard shell in one garment, erm, crunchy but chewy, if you see what we mean. The new Rab Fusion Alpine Jacket and Alpine Pants combine waterproof eVENT fabric in strategic areas with a more breathable, stretchy, wind-resistant softshell fabric in others.

The jacket, for example, has eVENT shoulders, sleeves and hood plus seat but a softshell torso for a softer, stretchier feel. It's not intended as a substitute for a waterproof shell, more aimed at ski mountaineers and ice climbers, for example, who may have to cope with drips and drops but want a softshell feel.

It's more of an alpine than a UK garment, but we reckon it might also appeal to a few people who don't quite trust the full-on softshell concept in Britain. The jacket weighs a claimed 520 grammes and will retail for £150. It looks good too, not that we're shallow or owt.

We have high hopes for the Fusion Alpine Pants. Our experience is that softshell fabrics work really well for UK winter legwear allowing you to manage without bulky overtrousers but still keep a decent level of protection.

The Fusions take that to another level with waterproof areas at the knees and seat along with reinforced crampon patches and welcome zipped thigh vents for ventilation when things get warm. At 550 grammes they're actually lighter than the jacket and retail for £120. Watch out for an OM test this winter.

Powerstretch With A Twist...

Powerstretch eh? Big deal I hear you say. Well, that's what Rab thought as well, so the new Powerstretch Top in both men's and women's versions has moved things on a stage.

The tops actually use three different fabrics. The black bits in the pic are standard, proven Powerstretch fabric, but it's augmented with Polartec PowerStretch Grid fabric which uses a grid pattern for added breathability and lower bulk in the torso area. Finally the shoulders have small panels of WindPro Stretch with Hardface Technology to improve durability when used with a pack.

Neat idea and both the men's and women's versions retail for £70 though the women's top uses standard PowerStretch in the back section to up the insulation value. Apparently gurlz like warmth. Weights are 375 grammes and 360 grammes for the men's and women's versions respectively and that includes thumb slits...

More Information

More details of the Rab autumn/winter '06 range at www.rab.uk.com All the above in the shops shortly.