They're the biggest outdoor glove company you've never heard of
and, to be honest, we'd never heard of them either.
That changed when outdoordesigns marketing bloke Jim Evans
came bounding up to us like an eager puppy at the recent Gore
Windstopper launch and thrust a pair of gloves into our, er,
mitts.
|
|
New design uses Windstopper and
has a pile-
lined back for added warmth without compromising
dexterity, whoever she is
|
The Derbyshire-based outfit recently acquired glove brands Ami
Chaud and Fives making them the biggest UK-based glove manufacturers
bar none. More interestingly for walkers and climbers, the company is
an unsung innovator in the outdoor accessories market and have been
working with Gore to utilise the latest versions of Winsdtopper
membrane in their handwear.
The gloves pictured are a classic example. They use Windstopper
for a windproof and highly water-resistant shell, but a lot more
thinking has gone into them. The palms use a sticky silicone print
for grip, but for once it extends over the finger tip area, which in
our experience is the site of maximum wear. Very neat.
Similarly cunning is the way that they've overcome the classic
problem of thick fleece-type windproof gloves - lack of sensitivity
in the palm. These ones use a thick pile bonded to the liner at the
back of the hand for warmth, but the front of the palm and fingers
are just a single layer of a Windstopper fabric for maximum
sensitivity.
If you've ever struggled to manipulate climbign gear or just to
get a good grip on a trekking pole handle thanks to an over-padded
palm, you'll welcome these with open hands. The cut is excellent and
close fitting with a stretchy Velcro-fastened cuff.
We like and are looking forward to getting some serious use out of
them in the Alps this summer. Watch this space for the verdict.
More information about outdoordesigns by e-mail.
