Our
latest Christmas Cracker was going to be 'something' from those nice
chaps over at web-only specialists Alpkit, but the trouble was
simply deciding what to go for.
Ever since they blew our alloy poles away with their
CarbonLite trekking poles at a daft £35 a pair,
they've bombarded us with a great selection of extremely capable kit
at prices that make everything else out there look a bit silly.
The Alpkit boys do that by using their combined years of
experience in the industry to source direct from the manufacturers
then slash overheads further by selling only via the web. Because
they're all outdoor people themselves, they prioritise what matters,
so their rather nice sleeping bags use straightforward but effective
fabrics combined with high quality down and proven construction and
design.
Their Airic range of self-inflating sleeping mats is a
little heavier than the market-leading brand, but it's priced at a
level that'll help you sleep better on its own. Our fave is the
Fat Airic at £35, a 7cm thick monster of a mat
that's actually more comfortable than our bed :-(
Then
there's the rather neat Filo down jacket, built on the same
principles as the sleeping bags with 650+ fill power down for
£60 and, new for the festive season, the Alpkids range
including the scaled-down Filo Kid jacket and selection of
tees.
Oh yes, they do tees as well, and jewellery. But hey, time's
short. Our advice is to go and have a look around - good kit at great
prices - www.alpkit.com
simon harry
