Over the past few years, we've been particularly impressed with
The North Face's
lightweight, fast-moving kit and equipment, from their hydration packs
through to lightweight windproofs, waterproofs and soft shells, so we
were interested to see what's new for Autumn 2009 in their
Winter Endurance
range.
The brand says that Winter Endurance stuff is designed to be
'lightweight, durable and breathable for high-paced, cold weather
aerobic activities', so think cross country skiing, fell and trail
running or biking in cool conditions.
Impulse Zip
Designed
to work either as a base-layer or mid-layer top, the Impulse Zip is
uses TNF's performance fit and features monkey thumb cuffs, a zip-neck
- you probably guessed that one - and a drop tail. The top uses
body-mapped fabrics to increase comfort and improve temperature
regulation with bamboo carbon inserts - the dark bits below - upping
airflow, wicking and reducing odour as well as giving UPF 30 sun
protection. There's a Napoleon pocket for essentials and reflective
heat transfer for nocturnal safety.
Swift Hybrid Jacket
As you've probably guessed from the name, the Swift
combines different fabrics, a windproof body material is teamed with
stretch bamboo carbon fibre back and underarm panels for better
temperature regulation. There are continuous underarm gussets for
freedom of movement and a DWR treatment means it should shrug off
showers.
Men's Windstopper Hybrid
Vest
Vests are ideal for those days when you're moving fast,
but still need some core protection - exposed arms lose excess heat
quickly in the cold, but your trunk is still covered. The Windstopper
Hybrid uses a combination of Gore's windproof Windstopper fabric with
bamboo carbon knit back and underarm panels for temperature management,
stretch and odour control.
Rucky Chucky GTX XCR
We've been using the weirdly-named spring 08 Rucky Chucky
mountain-running shoe with good results and it's followed by this
winter version which is essentially the same shoe, but with a Gore-Tex
XCR membrane to keep the water out. The rest of the shoe blends good
grip with decent support and stability and is well worth a look.
Details of the current The North Face range at
www.thenorthface.com
An innovative tent and a cunning reversible jacket land prizes for The North Face.
