A couple of quite radical developments at Craghoppers, especially
if you're a fly or a sunbeam.
Seems like the Mancunian company have got it in for both with -
wait for it - a new range of insect-repellant clothing called
'Nosquito' and a tie-up with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund for
their sun-protective Kiwi travel range.
Overall, there's a renewed emphasis on travel clothing with a neat
new 'Apres Travel' range in cotton alongside the more 'hands on' kit,
plus the very effective Flow Motion rucksacks continue with no major
changes.
Note that all this kit is due out in March next year, 2002 and isn't in the shops yet.
Starting with the stingers...
Insect-repellant clothing isn't as daft as it may sound. The
fabric is impregnated with a non-DEET repellant called 'pyrethoid'
apparently based on, er, dafodils. It's been tested for oral
toxicity, skin irritation and corrosion and passed, unless you're an
insect...
In tests it's said to give a 45% reduction in mozzie landings and
an 80-90% reduction in bites. Apparently it will last up to 35
washes, after which you'll be able to re-treat with a spray. The
updated Bharkan and Simoon technical travel ranges will get the
treatment next year, so if you're the one the biting things pick on,
you'll know what to do...
Then the Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Craghoppers has used high SPF UV-protective SolarDry fabric in its
Kiwi range of travel clothing for the past two years and this year is
linking up with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in a move which
Crags MD Jim McNamara describes as 'putting our money where our mouth
is and helping to educate people on the dangers of the sun.'
The clothing will be badged with the ICRF logo to promote their
'Sun Sense' campaign and 2% of the trade price will go to the fund.
Apparently skin cancer is now the commonest cancer in the UK and
numbers of new cases are increasing each year, presumably because
travel to hot areas is increasingly common.
In hot climates it's possible to be burned through conventional
clothing, so UV-protective fabrics are a real contribution to
health.
New Pakka Jacket And Pole Advances
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Latest Pakka is notably
smoooother
and slicker than predecessors
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There's a new Energy Pakka lightweight waterproof jacket in the
range. Weighs in at around 624 grammes and costs some £60.
Features include rollaway hood and slicker casual styling than past
Pakkas to fit in with the increasing emphasis on travel clothing,
that now even extends to a slick, more casual, cotton-based 'Apres
Travel' range for those post trekking moments.
In
the pole department, there's a new Contour trekking pole which
combines the comfortable 'bent' soft handle of the 'Ergo' model with
an anti-shock mechanism. It's also a very sexy silver, if you find
trekking poles sexy that is... Price is £32.50 per pole. Also
new is the Hiker, a basic entry-level pole at £19.99 per
arm.
