The spring/summer 2008 Icebreaker range is set to be as woolly and odour-less as ever, but with more ultra-light layers thrown in, a new shoulder-grip baselayer, and, erm, lots more pants. Yes, really ...
Icebreaker 140 - Girlie Style
Icebreaker 140s were new to the range for summer 2007 - where the '140' denotes grams per squre metre - and they're noticeably lighter and softer than the previous lightest garments, the Icebreaker 200s. Plenty of other walkers obviously thought so too, as Icebreaker are expanding the 140 range for next summer.
The new line includes the Flight T Lite, a variant on the Tech T Lite which has been on the shelves all year in both men's and women's versions, but this time around there'll be a new women's look with a lower neckline and slightly puffier sleeves. The changes come more in the name of appearance than performance, but the fabric remains as anti-pong, hypoallergenic and moisture-managing as ever, so it's still a good option for a day out on the hill.
Other new items in the women's range - again, with leisure-use in mind - include the first Icebreaker V-neck tops and a Cross Cami, which builds on the existing vest tops. Something to wear on our next bouldering session maybe ...
Icebreaker GT - non-slip shoulders
The Icebreaker GT 190 has been around for a while and it features eyelet fabric on the arms and under the back, which is 23% more air-permeable than the 190 fabric elsewhere on the garment, say Icebreaker. The updated GT 190 features a smattering of grippy protrusions on the shoulders - see picture - where the layer comes into the contact with your pack. That's not so helpful if you're wearing it as part of a layering system, so this is more of a summer baselayer to be worn on its own. It also includes an iPod pocket and loop for your iPod.
The GT is also set to mutate into a 140 weight version, which won't feature the new shoulder grip system, but comes complete with eyelet fabric under the arms, as in the original.
Merino underwear
Icebreaker have been making pants for a while, but now they're adding some girlie briefs to the range complete with nature prints - see below. They retail at £14.95, and the printed vests retail at £24.95, but Icebreaker may just have a promotion coming up to help you steer away the moisture-trap of cotton underwear underneath all your high-tech outer layers next season. Details later, just don't tell anyone we told you ...
Sustainable Living - Plant a T-Shirt
Icebreaker chimed in with the general theme of sustainability and eco-friendly living that was floating in the air - or the organic cotton - of the Friedrichshafen outdoor show. They took care to emphasise that they manufacture all natural products and to drive home the message they've brought out some new t-shirts with eco-messages printed on them which we photographed, below. There are several more styles on offer, but this one gives you a feel of the general theme, so you can make up your own minds on that one.
That's all from the Icebreaker stand at Friedrichshafen but you can find full details of the current Icebreaker range on their website, and look out for new products in the shops next spring.
martin barry
