Just back from a very refreshing couple of days with Berghaus in
the Lakes, I say refreshing, not because there were lots of
refreshments - though there were - but because there was a distinct
sense that the brand's moving in some interesting directions.
The kit we were looking at is due out in autumn / winter 2007,
which means it'll be in the shops in late summer, so it's not really
worth going into excruciating detail, but here are a few things we
noticed....
Hello Hannibal...
The top-end Berghaus Extrem kit seems to be headed back in the
right direction again after the fussy, over-complicated cul-de-sac
that was Big Wall. The kit we saw still had lots of features, but at
least some of them look useful.
The most obvious example is Berghaus's new hood, called 'Raptor'.
It's designed specifically to work with a helmet, not just to go over
one, but to fit right over it so the peak of the hood is just above
the rim of the helmet where it might actually do some good.
The super-duper top of the range Attrition Jacket also features a
scary vented face mask that should go down well with fava beans and a
nice chianti, an interesting asymmetrical zip design in the chin area
to reduce bulk and an adaptation of the fundamentally useless 'Gasket
Cuffs' first seen in the Big Wall range.
The next few models down don't get the face mask, but do have that
massive hood. The interesting bit is that not only does it work with
a helmet, based on a few hours using one, it also seems pretty
effective on a bare head, albeit big.
Good news for the girls as well - at last Berghaus will be
producing a women's-specific Extrem range.
Pack Rethink
Again they're still more than six months off, but Berghaus has
also revamped its Extrem packs, most notably by looking again at
waterproofing its packs. That means complicated welded and taped
seams are being replaced by a tailor-made, rugged waterproof liner
that clips directly into the pack and has a roll-over closure to keep
the water at bay.
There's also a simple new back system which uses a similar
principle to the old Karrimor Fformat with a malleable tubular frame
sandwiched between two layers of foam. You can jetison various bits
of the pack as well, so the 1700-gramme Sentinel 45 can tip the
scales at a svelte 820 grammes if needed.
Footwear Revolution
Berghaus has been quietly revamping its footwear range for a while
now, but what's really impressive is the amount of research and
thought that's going into the new designs like the Pro
Rush Mid we've just reviewed. They're even being tested by
the Royal Marines...
Everything's been meticulously thought through, so there's a new,
more sophisiticated last that gives more forefoot space. Then there's
the reinforced 'Opstistud' design which is optimised to give better
grip on soft ground - where conventional fell-shoe type studs just
fold over, the buttressed Optistud resists and just digs in.
We used a pair of Pro Rush Mids for a four-hour Lake District
stroll and they were excellent in terms of grip and comfort and
fitted our feet better than previous Berghaus offerings. We think
they're a fantastic compromise betweeen lightness and protection and
well worth a look by anyone looking for something between a trail
shoe and a more conventional boot.
Some of the designs due out later this year look plain bonkers,
but the thought that's gone into the range is impressive and we
reckon the brand has the potential to really kick butt in the
lightweight footwear arena.
Ator Too
Last but not least, the Ator range looks cleaner and neater than
it did when we first saw it last year and some of the fabrics are
just lovely - you can stand there stroking them for hours.
Outdoorsy kit with a boardy sort of flavour that you can wear
around town without looking like a refugee from the North Ridge of
Everest just about sums it up.
Right, time for tea :-)
Smeg
