Products: First Look


As cold as Ice Columbia Sportswear


has shown off a new sweat activated cooling technology to add to its stable of products to make being in the outdoors more comfortable, whether hot or cold. Omni-Freeze Ice is based on a


compound that activates when wet, whether through coming into contact with water or sweat, that instantly cools the body, providing a surface cooling effect equivalent to 5 degrees C, Columbia told SGB Outdoor.


The Omni-Freeze Ice material is made of flat fibres that bring 35 per cent more surface area in contact with the skin than traditional round yarns, helping to absorb and dissipate body heat. These flat fibres are bonded with the compound meaning the temperature of both the garment and the wearer are lowered when it is activated. Because the technology is based on a chemical added to the clothing, it will eventually wash out, although it is understood it should be good for 50 - 70 washes.


Omni-Freeze Ice garments will be available in 2012, but SGB Outdoor was lucky enough to get the opportunity to try the technology at OutDoor and can report that, even with very little movement to generate heat, the cooling sensation was almost instant.


Icebreaker heats up Icebreaker’s spring/summer 2012


range of Merino performance clothing includes Icebreaker GT, which merges its previous multisport and run ranges to create a comprehensive collection for a broad variety of active sports.


For road runners, new Icebreaker GT garments include the Rush Tank and Rush V for women and the Ace Tank for men. The new Quest series of short-sleeve tees, short-sleeve zip tops and long-sleeve zip tops for men and women are ideal for multisport events, and the women’s Dart Short and Stride Short will suit any sport, it says.


Icebreaker has retained GT Bike, its specialist collection of styles for road bikers and mountain bikers. For spring/summer 2012, the collection uses GT150 - Icebreaker’s lightest weight of fabric - to create summer-weight tops that ‘excel in the heat’.


“Icebreaker GT and GT Bike give casual and competitive athletes the ability to get out of the synthetics that dominate the market and into merino technical sportswear, which resists odour, is soft and lightweight, dries fast, and keeps athletes cool and dry,” Icebreaker says.


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GnL enters the third dimension Swiss footwear firm GnL


has unveiled a new 3D cushioning system that it hopes will attract interest from a cross-section of users.


GnL 360 shoes feature multidirectional lugs on the sole that allow for cushioning of both up and down forces, and vertical pressures.


GnL says conventional


shoes only offer vertical cushioning for up and down forces although most of the stress imposed on the joints and tendons comes from horizontal impact during the landing phase. The Glide 'n Lock system in its shoes provides vertical and horizontal compression through a 3D cushioning system. The shearing motion, which GnL says has until now has never been addressed, is absorbed by the technology. In addition, 30 per cent more cushioning than a regular shoe yields a smooth landing and accelerates regeneration after any activity, GnL says. The firm is now looking to take the technology to a wider European market having signed up an agent and retail partners in Switzerland.


Lifeventure gets lighter Lifeventure’s new range of Ultralite travel solutions is its lightest range


of products to date, and has half the weight of most comparable products on the market, it claims.


The Ultralite range is made from 30D siliconised Cordura fabric, and the range offers a selection of options to suit the needs of the modern traveller.


This ranges from: packable day sacks, which is suitable for carrying up to 30kg yet can be reduced down to fit into its own stuff sacks; a tote bag, which offers similar functionality to the day sacks; packing cubes, with a capacity up to 12l; and a shirt folder, which includes a folding board and


instructions with room for five shirts. The range also extends to other products, such as


lightweight wallets, document holders, wash cases and


wash holdalls.


www.sgboutdoor.co.uk


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