Alpine Underwear combines merino wool and microfibre panels in strategic areas.
New to the UK for winter 2009 is
Mammut's
Alpine Underwear, a zoned baselayer that was, apparently,
a big hit with the Channel 5 Gadget Show where it was tested in a
walk-in deep freeze...
What makes the Mammut baselayer different, says the company, is that it
combines natural and synthetic fibres with mapped zones positioning
merino wool and synthetic fabrics in areas where they work best and
help the body function most effectively.
The baselayers come in two types,
All
Year for, erm, all year use and
Warm version for use
in extreme cold.
Mammut uses three different types of fabric for their
All Year baselayers
- above. Merino wool, with its ability to maintain warmth even when wet
is positioned in areas needed extra insulation like knees and elbows.
Fabrics containing light microfibres sit on areas which generate
surplus heat and sweat, while fast-drying 100% microfibres are used in
areas subject to intense sweating which aren't sensitive to
cold - armpits, back and the backs of the knees.
The
Warm
baselayers - above - are aimed and cold region mountaineering and folk
who simply feel the cold badly. The warm stuff uses two fabrics, a
merino-microfibre blend with a high proportion of wool for areas that
need insulation and 100% microfibre in less sensitive but sweaty areas
like back, underarms and the back of the knees.
We've seen merino and synthetics mixed before, but not baselayers which
use the different fabrics in different areas of the same garment.
Prices start at £19 for a pair of All Year briefs rising to
£60 for an All Year Zip Long Sleeve top, while the three-item
Warm range is priced from £55 to £70.
More information at
www.mammut.ch
