Electrically-powered heated softshell vests are coming from Mountain Hardwear. The Women’s Enyo and Men’s Sveda Vests are the company’s next generation of heated winter wear that employ an Ardica battery and heating system embedded in the fabric. To be released in the fall, the vests are prewired garments that can interface with Ardica’s Moshi Power system. (The Ardica system and connector kit is sold separately.) The vests will pump out heat for more than eight hours, the company touts. Bonus: a power plug in the vest pocket can be used to recharge handheld electronics such as GPS units, cell phones and MP3 players.
In handwear news, Mountain Hardwear is pimping its gloves as the “best gloves on the market with OutDry laminate.” That reference to OutDry is a nod at a waterproof/breathable membrane technology that is, er, grabbing hold in the glove world. The treatment, bonded directly to the shell of the glove, is said to breathe and block wind and water. Better fit and dexterity are other plusses Outdry advocates cite. Mountain Hardwear’s Pistolero Glove, one example, is made of goatskin for a close fit and good grip on a ski pole or ice ax.
The Rockridge shoe from Montrail, new for this spring, is a low-profile, neutral shoe with “outstanding cushioning perfect for dirt, rock and fire road,” the company claims. It has a trail-runner fit (medium volume, roomy toe box) and an outsole with “deflecting lugs” for cushioning as well as perimeter lugs for traction going up and down hills.
New infant and toddler collections — made for “the Littlest Explorers” — come from The North Face. From the company that dubs itself “the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel,” the new Youth collection includes kid-size outerwear with technical touches. Insulated weather protection, snow bibs, fleeces and down jackets are among the group. A series of bunting snowsuits offer warmth and comfort for the outdoors-infant set. Available in the fall.
Tired of tearing your down puffy while in the woods? The Infinity jacket by Rab is not just another puffy piece. A new face fabric, Pertex Syncro, is said to be light weight, warm and strong. For the Infinity jacket, the rip-stop fabric is filled with “ultra premium” 850-fill down insulation. The result, Rab says, is a super-warm, 18-ounce jacket. It comes in a men’s and a women’s fit. Available in the fall for $280.
Wigwam’s Weather Shield is an “updated and improved” sock that uses phase-changing Outlast fibers to make a hiking sock that is touted to have “perfect” temperature regulation. It keeps feet warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather, Wigwam says. Fibers used in the making of this high-potential hiker include wool, stretch nylon, polypropylene, stretch polyester, Spandex, and Outlast Viscose, a man-made cellulosic fiber that feels as soft as cotton. Cost is $12 when it becomes available in March.
Like the name says, the Nano Puff Hoody adds a hood to Patagonia’s popular PrimaLoft-insulated Nano Puff top. The water-resistant hooded jacket is marketed as warm, lightweight, highly compressible, and multifunction (it can be worn as insulation under a shell jacket or as outerwear alone on not-as-cold days). There are two zippered hand-warmer pockets. An internal pocket doubles as a stuff sack with carabiner clip-in loop, and the whole puffy piece packs down and stuffs inside. Weight is 14 ounces. Available in August for $199.
—See more OR Show gear reports here: https://gearjunkie.com/outdoor-retailer-winter-market-gear-preview
