The latest Haglofs Lim Ultimate Paclite is lighter than a very light thing, and that's not all that's new in the shops from the Swedish gear makers right now.
We've just had an e-mail from the nice people at Haglofs UK
pointing out that while the North Face jackets we told you about
recently are quite light, the latest version of the LIM Ultimate
Paclite jacket is even lighter at a claimed 247 grammes.
That they reckon might just be the lightest waterproof jacket out
there right now. The LIM - LIM stands here for Less Is More, geddit?
- has been upgraded for this spring. Not only is it lighter than
before, but it also has an improved hood, a new flexible 4mm
water-resistant main zip and new sleeve design for better
articulation and mobility.
It also uses Gore's new micro tape for seams which cuts weight
slightly and effectively increases the breathable area of the jacket
by a significant amount. The glue used to hold seam-sealing tape in
place renders seams non breathable, so a narrower tape means more
breathability.
The latest LIM Ultimate retails for £140 and is appearing in
the shops about now. Minimalist, but if light weight matters to you,
they don't come much lighter.
Completely new to the range is the Fusion Jacket. It's
another shell combining Gore-Tex Paclite with Gore-Tex three-ply ZXC
reinforcement in more vulnerable areas to up the overall robustness
of the garment.
The XCR panels cover the tops of the shoulders and the undersides
of the arms. The spec is more lavish than the minimalist LIM
Ultimate, with twin torso pockets, a three-point adjustable hood, and
pit-zips. Again the Fusion features articulated arms and micro tape
for better breathability.
Available in both men's and women's versions, the price is
£190.
Packs
Too
Also brand spanking new for this spring is the top-of-the-range
Topo expedition sac, which Haglofs says is 'clearly the best
one we have ever created'. Following on from last year's impressive
range of climbing and LIM packs, the Topo has a new adjustable
harness system called WiB or 'Weight in Balance'.
WiB, says Haglofs, is multi-adjustable and includes a cunning
patent pending metal gadget which adjusts both the height and length
of the shoulder straps and the distance between them resulting in a
sac which they reckon will fit anybody.
The hip-belt too is multi-adjustable and can be shaped to fit the
wearer's hips and also features a pivot contruction with central
suspension for maximum comfort and mobility.
Side pockets and a whopping front pocket give an extra 15-20
littres of extra capacity on top of the 60, 75 and 90-litre main
body. The sacs come in three sizes: 60+15 (3600 grammes), 75+15 (3800
grammes) and 90+20 (4000 grammes) with prices from £200 to
£250. Those weights seem on the high side, but when you're
hauling big loads, it can be better to use a heavier, but more
supportive sac, so we'll reserve judgement until we've had a chance
to try one.
Watatait...
Er, we looked at that word for a while, then reallised it was like
'watertight'... Doh, it's a 15-strong range of waterproof accessories
from pouches to dry bags. Not that it ever rains here or in Sweden
for that matter.
More Haglofs info from their
web
site
