P14-15 OUTDOOR MARCH:SGBGolf_NEW_template 26/2/10 09:30 Page 14
SGB Columbia
Omni-Heat
Columbia’s new insulation technology Omni-Heat got a lot of attention
at the recent ispo show in Munich – and for good reason: It’s
excellent. We caught up with Country Manager Dan Trapp to find out
more about it…
I
t’s been a while since there was a really, like down, but it’s a multi-denier SGB: Is Omni-Heat just going to be on top-
really big story in insulation, but it seems construction. It’s very durable, and end product?
Columbia has it with Omni-Heat. it’s also 50 per cent recycled. DT: Most new technologies
Lightweight, breathable, and most The second part is a lining launched in the outdoor
importantly, very, very good at keeping one story, where we have applied industry tend to be in the
pleasantly warm in cold conditions. a reflective lining detailing top-of-the-mountain
SGB Outdoor had the opportunity to try out to products which boosts product, but this is used
Omni-Heat in Columbia’s cold room at ispo, and heat retention by at least from £15 hats to £300
the results were impressive. The jacket kept me 20 per cent. In itself, boots, it’s got such a
just warm enough, not overbearingly so, at a that’s a great advantage broad range of use. It’s
comfortable temperature; the gloves were great and it takes that 100g in jackets, trousers,
too. Unfortunately, I was not wearing Omni-Heat Clo rating up to 3.5 and fleeces, gloves, hats,
trousers in the (-20!) room, so my legs were takes us to over 50 per even in bags. Everything
freezing, but that helped highlight the quality of cent better than our that’s relevant to a really
the jacket and gloves. Even better, I left the jacket nearest competitor. The broad range of consumers
on for several minutes after leaving the room, great thing is though, – from those wanting to
and my temperature remained fine even with an it’s still breathable climb Everest to simply
insulated jacket zipped right up in the middle of because the aluminium walking the dog this winter. It
ispo. Sound too good to be true? I’ll let Dan lining is applied in dot sits beautifully in both our
Trapp do the talking then… form; it’s hundreds of small dots applied evenly categories, Ski and Outdoor.
through the lining. Moisture can still escape, but
SGB: What’s Omni-Heat all about? you still have the warmth. It also works as a SGB: How do you sell this new technology to
Dan Trapp: It’s the first real innovation in conductor, so when you get too hot it can work customers?
insulation since the mid 80s. The great thing heat away from the body; it effectively acts as a DT: We used the cold room at ispo to
about Omni Heat is that it comes in three very regulator. It also dramatically reduces static build- demonstrate this to customers; we’ve got cold
clear areas; the first is the insulation itself. It looks up. rooms in two of our showrooms as well. We get
very much like a traditional synthetic insulation From a commercial and marketing point of customers in and give them a short presentation
but it has tremendous performance benefits. First, view this is great because the lining is actually about the brand and products for the winter,
100 grams of Omni-Heat has a Clo rating of 2.9 visible, the consumer can see it and it really adds
[Clo is how all to the appeal and interest in the product.
synthetic Finally, there is Omni-Heat thermal electric,
insulations are which is only used in footwear at the moment. In
measured for future seasons, it will come into other categories
effectiveness]; this too. This uses state-of-the-art battery technology
means it is 30 per cent which is built into the product itself and is
better than our nearest attached to a carbon-based heating element. You
competitor, so we get three different temperature ratings for the
have a great warmth boot itself, a high, medium or low heat. You can
to heat ratio. It also have as much heat as you need, as you need it.
means we can drop Because it’s carbon based, if it gets wet or
30 per cent of whatever it still works. It’s very durable
weight and still and in third-party testing, it went
provide as much off the scale, at -273 degrees
warmth as our on high heat, so it’s more than
nearest competitor. It’s good enough for anywhere on
got a soft, durable handle, a little earth!
14 SGB OUTDOOR MARCH 2010
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44