New From Lowe Alpine

Because we're basically kind, good-hearted people here, we hacked up to Lowe Alpine's Kendal showrooms the other week purely to check out what's new in their range for autumn/winter 2000 and to drink copious amounts of tea.

So what's new? This is the stuff that'll be turning up in the shops come September by the way. Don't expect to see it now.

Legend Pull-On - Actually we have no good excuse for this beyond aesthetics - it's made from Special Edition, the fabric formerly known as Regulator and offers about the same level of warmth as the standard mid-weight Polartec 200-weight fleece, but with reduced pack size and weight. Great fabric. It also looks fantastic and has that 'son of R2' sought-after fluffy look. We really like this one in quite a shallow, acquisitive sort of way. Yes, we are really quite predictable. But there you go.

Old R1 Regulator - now called Special Edition - with Powerstretch Technology We like Powerstretch a lot and we like Regulator too. Except Regulator will be known as Special Edition, we think. Anyway this stuff is approximately the same warmth as standard Powerstretch, but significantly lighter and smaller packing. The top - available in both men's and women's cuts - is known as the Multipro Top and the pant, very originally as the Multipro pant. The light weight should make it a killer super lightweight warm alpine base layer. The thing that marks it out from Powerstretch is the inner surface which uses little pillars of fleece to increase thermal efficiency without upping weight. We reckon it's unequivocally a good thing, a bit like ice cream or chocolate, but more useful. As it has the Powerstretch-type out, it should also be reasonably wind resistant like the standard fabric, the one property which Regulator doesn't really have.

Outer Limits Pull-On - From the guys who brought you the X-Files, er, actually more like the guys who bought you the Belay Jacket. That was a heavy, slightly bulky artificially insulated, erm, belay jacket aimed very specifically at climbers. The Outer Limits is less specialised, lighter beast altogether. Using synthetic insulation, it's also windproof, lightweight and packable, it says here and has full pit-zips for cooling capabiliy. Has articulate elbows and a neck adjuster. Should be far more versatile than the Belay jacket, which is no longer in the range. Price is about £80. For around 20 quid less, you'll be able to get a Revo Pull-On and Jacket, which use the same basic principles, but with with fewer bells and whistles. Also available as a vest.

United Colours Of Lowe Alpine - not many major changes in the shell jacket range. There's a pair of new base-level walking jackets, the Crestone and the Kiowa, both in Triplepoint rather than the more effective Triplepoint Ceramic, but the established Alpine Flash and Alpine Pro jacket are available in exciting new colours. Plus there's a new Alpine Gaiter Pant TPC shell pant which, surprise, surprise, incorporates an integral gaiter as well as full-length side-zips, articulated knee and scuff guards.

Lowe Alpine web site