Osprey produce some of the best made, most comfortable and
supportive packs on the market and we've been particularly impressed
with their hip-belts which are some of the best we've used.
This year though, the company has not only revised its
load-lugging Cresent and women's specific Luna sacs, they've also
introduced something called 'CM' or 'Custom Moulding' to improve the
hip-belts further and we had a sneak previews of the process up at
Cotswold Outdoor in Manchester.
The CM process is based on ski-boot moulding techniques where foam
and plastic are heated in an oven to help them conform to the user's
foot. Surprise, surprise, Osprey has applied the technology to packs.
Osprey dealers will have a small oven in their shop, the hip-belt -
available in different sizes - is popped into the oven and heated for
ten minutes to an undisclosed temperature, let's call it Gas Mark
X...
At the end of the ten minutes, the nicely warmed belt is removed
from the oven and wrapped around the customer's hips with no pack
attached. For the first two minutes you press down on the belt with
your hands as the outer, firmer shell hardens, then a further ten
minutes is spent while the inner, softer foam cools and conforms to
your personal hip configuration.
Yes, we know, it all sounds like another hyped-up marketing
gimmick. That's pretty much what we thought, but there's actually a
very significant comfort difference between a treated and fitted and
an unheated belt. The fitted one feels softer and fits more easily,
just more 'right' in fact. According to master baker Hamish from
Osprey UK, the process simulates the approximately six months of wear
it would take for your hip-belt to 'wear in' normally meaning that
your pack should feel like a well worn item from the off. We haven't
used it with a full load yet, but if first impressions are anything
to go by, it should make a detectable difference. Watch this
space.
There's no price premium for the process either - the Crescent and
Luna packs are priced the same as before - and you can replace your
old hip-belt with a new custom moulded one for £30, if you feel
it's worth it. Buyers of Aether range packs will also be able to opt
for a CM belt, albeit by paying an additional premium.
The belt can be heated up and moulded three times, so if you sell
the pack, it's still customisable for the new owner. One thing we
should stress is that you shouldn't try this at home. The actual foam
of the new belts is pretty much the same as before, but the glue
holding the layers together is different. Standard glue will melt
allowing the belt to delaminate, which is a bad thing.
Also new from the company is a cracking new ventilated day pack
called the Atmos. We have one to test and we'll be bringing you first
impressions next week. Custom Moulding is appearing in Osprey dealers
right now - Cotswold is the first in Manchester to have it - and you
can find out more about Osprey packs from their web
site.
Thanks to Cotswold Outdoor in Oxford Road and Hamish from Osprey
for their time and moulding expertise.
