Berghaus are all set to make an In Pression in spring/summer 2008, and no, that's not our attempt at a witticism. It comes direct from the north east's technical clothing manufacturer Berghaus, who have designed a new series of 'In Pression' packs for next summer.
That's a while off yet, but as Berghaus spilled the secrets of next year's range to us at the outdoor trade show in Freidrichshafen we thought we'd give you a sneak peak of what to expect from the brand in 2008.
Packs - In Pression and the Baby Bioflex
Firstly, look out for two main new developments in the pack range early next year. One of these is the Mach, which comes in 18 and 24 l versions and is designed for adventure racers or fast movers in general. There are lots of specialist fast-movers' packs on the market already, but what's special about this one is the new compression system called - wait for it - In Pression.
Whereas most rucksacks wear their compression straps on the outside, where you can tighten them whenever you stop and re-load your pack, the In Pression system features compression straps inside the rucksack itself. These are adjustable whilst on the move, by pulling on a couple of neatly-disguised straps hidden away in a zip up waist-belt pocket, where you'd normally hide your lip salve and energy snacks. Very clever.
The advantages are the absence of straps flopping around on the outside of the pack, and the convenience of tightening things up on the move, and they come recommended by top mountain biker Rob Jarman who tested the Mach 18 in the 240km Yak Attack race around the Annapurna Circuit. Here's what the Mach 24 looks like ...
Secondly, the award-winning Bioflex range has spawned a baby cousin in the form of the BioFlex Velocity pack, which is the smallest BioFlex out there at a measly 50l. So, you can now haul your lightweight backpacking gear around with a super-comfy carrying system, rather than having to pick either a larger size of pack or a less flexible back system.
The BioFlex Velocity will retail at £160 and there's also a new 35l Freeflow in the Velocity range, retailing at £80.
Footwear - Sorbo-what Shock Absorption?
It's all about underfoot Sorbothane in the Berghaus 2008 footwear range. No, we don't know exactly what that is either, but what we can tell you is that it's all to do with shock absorption.
Three styles in the new Torc range will have a plate of the stuff in the sole unit, absorbing over 94% of potentially harmful shock waves every time your feet hit the ground, according to Berghaus. Sounds impressive. Berghaus have exclusive use of Sorbothane and the models featuring it range from some rather trendy looking approach shoes to the reincarnation of the new-in-2007 Pro Rush Mid walking boots.
The other update to the footwear range is a slight alteration in the Optistud grip system, which was new this year, and which is designed to keep you upright on slippy ground by acting a bit like the tread on a tractor's wheel. Two smaller grips sit behind each of the main studs, designed to drive your foot further into the ground as you put more weight on it, but this year the the two subsidiary grips have been turned around so they point inwards instead of outwards.
Will the second-generation opti-stud be more stable than its predecessor? We'll let you know once we've given it a go. In the meantime, here's the new system to have a look at, on the right, alongside Optistud 2007, on the left.
Clothing - Feeling Trendy?
The most interesting feature of the 2008 clothing range is a cousin of the Paclite jacket, except that this time it's made out of Berghaus's own Aquafoil fabric. It's 30g heavier than the original but it now costs £80 instead of £140, and at 355g you won't exactly have to bust a gut to carry it. There's a Berghaus Aquafoil Light pant on offer as well, and both items have a women's equivalent.
Finally, Berghaus are turning streetwise now that they're officially a 'superbrand' and they've just come out with a new Lifestyle range for those days when hitting the hills isn't on the itinerary. Not only that, but they're feeling green into the bargain. For lifestyle packs made from recycled bottles, shoes made from vegetable tan, and 100% organic cotton tees, keep your eyes peeled in the shops next spring.
That's it from the Berghaus stand in Friedrichshafen. More soon from Icebreaker, Osprey, Mountain Equipment, Rab, and a whole host of other manufacturers ...
Peter Clinch
