Outdoor Retailer Show Sneak Peek: Mountain Equipment 2015 gear
Mountain Equipment has fast become one of our favourite brands here at Backcountry Skiing Canada. The British manufacturer should not be confused with the iconic Canadian Mountain Equipment Co-op, they are very different companies in all respects. Mountain Equipment has been around since 1961 and has been a part of more than 175 Everest summit bids and has been worn on expeditions to both poles, these guys make serious gear! To date we have reviewed a full top layer system starting with the Mountain Equipment Eclipse Hooded Zip T base layer, the award winning Mountain Equipment Bastion Jacket which is an insulating mid layer that uses Gore Windstopper fabric and Primaloft insulation (and also won our coveted Gear of the Year Award). And finally the Mountain Equipment Arclight Jacket which is a hardshell that uses the super stretchy Polartec Neoshell fabric. Give a click to learn more about any of those great products or read on about what Mountain Equipment has in store (literally) for next spring.
At the Summer Outdoor Retailer (OR) Show we met with Woody, the Mountain Equipment guru who ran us through a few of spring 2015’s highlight as well as a few innovative products that are available right now.
Mountain Equipment Matrix Sleeping Bag (Lime Green)
Rated to 32°F or 0°C, this sleeping bag uses a hybrid of Teflon treated water-resistant down and Primaloft ‘Synergy’ which is body mapped for the best possible warmth to weight ration and of course water resistance. This sleeping bag is available right now on REI.com
New – Mountain Equipment Aurora Sleeping Bag
The new Aurora Sleeping Bag Line up has a sleeping bag for everyone, available in three temperature ranges – at 0°C, -7°C and -15°C. Mountain Equipment worked with the University of Leeds to discover what the best warmth to weight ratio in a synthetic sleeping bag is. Turns out its a combination of Climashield Apex and Prizm. Mountain Equipment built the Aurora to be a bag that ski mountaineers and alpinists could use in the wettest environments imaginable, without extra bulk or weight.
Mountain Equipment Micron Jacket
We here at Backcountry Skiing Canada HQ are currently running the Micron jacket through our field testing process so expect a full review at some point this fall. The Micron jacket is an ultra-lightweight, packable 2.5l shell jacket. Weighing a minuscule 200 grams it offers up 20k/20k waterproof/breathable performance and is also available on Backcountry.com right now.
New – Mountain Equipment Kinesis Jacket
The new Kinesis jacket is a Hybrid grid fleece/Polartec Alpha 60g insulation combination. The calendered nylon shell is lightweight, windproof and exceptionally breathable. The helmet compatible hood is ideal for climbing and the entire jacket stuffs into the hand pocket for convenience. At just 330g total weight it’s the perfect piece for mild to cold weather activities that require an active insulation layer, that is to say an insulation piece that still breaths and allows heat to escape while you exert yourself ski touring or climbing.
Price: $250 US
Mountain Equipment Squall Hooded Jacket
The Squall Hooded Jacket is a lightweight double woven softshell Jacket designed for that committed alpine rock missions. It has a tailored active fit which allows for freedom of movement needed while climbing or ski touring. The offset zipper on the jacket matches the zipper profile on the Eclipse Hooded Zip T which we have reviewed over here.
Price: $150 US