OMM's Kamleika lightweight shell clothing is revamped for autumn, scoop pics and details.
We popped over to see the guys at
OMM
- the Original Mountain Marathon Company - yesterday and got a scoop
look at their completely revamped lightweight waterproof
Kamleika range which
they're promoting as a stretchy, waterproof, soft shell.
We've always liked the four-way stretch Kamleika fabric. It's close
fitting, which is great for running and biking, breathes well and is
light too, but the original Kamleika kit looked a bit old-fashioned and
had some functional issues too, most notably a front zip that leaked.
The good news is that things change for this
autumn, 2009. The
PU-based membrane fabric remains mostly the same, but has a new, nicer
feeling inner finish, so it's effectively a 2.5-layer material.
Test figures for both breathability and waterproofness are good, 20
metres of hydrostatic head combined with 20,000g breathability. In
simple terms, that's comparable with fabrics like eVent or Marmot's
impressive new 2.5-layer Membrain.
There are some neat touches on the close-fitting garments as well. The
main zips on both jacket and smock are now water-resistant YKK items
backed up with an internal storm flap, pockets are externally or
internally taped to make them as water resistant as possible and
there's bags of well-positioned reflective print front and rear and on
the sleeves for night-time safety.
The hood is a close-fitting item which moves with your head and has a
foam peak. The prototype's foam felt a little soft, but it will be
stiffer for production versions we're told.
The
Kameleika Race Smock
weighs a claimed
270
grammes, costs
£110
and is aimed at committed, minimalist raceheads who'll put it on at the
start of the event and wear it right through. Unlike the jacket, it
gets thumb-loops to hold the sleeves down when running.
The
Kamleika Race Jacket
is slightly heavier at
310
grammes and will retail for around
£130. It's
intended as more of an all-rounder with its two handy chest pockets,
full zip and close, fast-mover-friendly cut. Alongside those are a pair
of simple Kamleika trousers for full weather protection. Colours
available will be traditional black and new-fangled red.
The new kit really does look and feel good, like a stretchy, waterproof
soft shell. We have a prototype smock on test right now, so for once
we're half hoping it's going to rain over the weekend and we'll let you
know how we get on.
Information on the current range from OMM at
www.theomm.com.
The revamped Kamleika kit should be in the shops late summer/early
autumn 2009.
