Climbers Shop Official Store Blog

How to Clean & Waterproof Outdoor Gear

24/08/2010 12:54:45

How to wash a waterproof jacket or reproof a pair of boots is one of the most common topics we get asked about at The Climbers Shop. “Should I wash my waterproof jacket?”, “Does washing waterproof jackets damage them?”, “What do I wash waterproof clothing in?”, “How do you re-waterproof a jacket to bring back the water repellency?”, all these questions and more have been posed to us.

What we will try to do here is to clear up some of the confusion over washing and waterproofing your gore-tex jackets and other outdoor clothing, as well as how to clean and care for your boots. If you do it right, you will get the best out of them and hopefully prolong the life of them (thus saving you money!).

Should I wash my waterproof jacket?

Yes, yes, and yes again. Just because it is a waterproof jacket, or a softshell etc, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need washing. When you wash an item of clothing normally, you are not only removing any stains, you are also extracting and oils and dirt that can build up in the fibres. These natural oils are what the smell producing bacteria set to work on and is why a t-shirt can start to smell once you’ve worn it for a few days (quicker for some!). This is exactly the same with your waterproof clothing and other outdoor gear as well.

With waterproof clothing, the removal of those oils and dirts has an even more important function, the improvement of the garments breathability and waterproofing. If you keep them clean then both of these functions will work a lot better – we’ll go into more detail later.

For footwear the answer is the same – make sure you wash them. If you have got your boots dirty then make sure you give them a good wash with warm water. If you leave the dirt to get ingrained in the boot upper then it will deteriorate a lot quicker. What surprises people is that you should also clean the inside of the boot as well, especially if they have a Gore-tex or eVent membrane. Again, we’ll go into more detail later.

Does washing waterproof jackets damage them?

No, not unless you decide to use a washboard on the banks of a river! Outdoor gear is very robust, and there is little you can do when washing it to damage it.

What do I wash waterproof clothing in?

This probably the most confusing question, as there are so many products on the market. Whatever you do, do not use detergents on your outdoor gear as can clog the breathability and actually attract water. It is probably easiest to go through the types of garments to make it clear. We deal with Nikwax washing and waterproofing products, which is a long running and successful and is a water based product so tends to be better for the environment than some other brands. We will therefore list the relevant Nikwax cleaning product for each clothing type;

Washing Base Layers & Fleeces:

These can basically be treated like normal clothing, washing them in standard washing powder. If you want to get the absolute best out of your base and midlayer clothing (even cotton garments) then you can also wash them in Nikwax Techwash which not only cleans the garment but would also maintain the water repellent finish (DWR) that most modern fabrics are treated with.

Washing Softshells:

Most softshells fall into one of two categories; windproof membrane and non-membrane items. If the garment does not have a membrane in it to make it windproof then, just like the fleeces and base layers above, you can probably get away with washing them on a normal wash. If it has a membrane then it probably falls into the category below.

Washing Windproof and Waterproof Garments:

With few exceptions, these items all have membranes or some sort of micropore technology in them which keeps the rain and wind at bay. When you don’t wash your waterproofs, it is these tiny pores that can get blocked up with microscopic dirt and grime and stop the item working effectively. You normally get two issues when an item gets dirty; firstly the breathability of it decreases. This means that you start to feel more clammy and sticky when wearing it (this obviously means that you sweat more and clog the pores up even quicker!). The second issue is that the oils can upset the inherent hydrophobic (water repelling) properties of the fabric and in some cases it can actually start to attract water not repel it.
Washing waterproof or windproof garments in a pure soap, such as Nikwax Techwash, can therefore not only clean the dirt off, but in some cases it can actually restore the water repellency and breathability to the garment. The easiest way to do this is to pop the item into the washing machine with some Techwash, but you can hand wash it if you would prefer.

 

Washing Down:

Although it hardly ever actually needs it, washing down jackets and sleeping is probably the hardest type of garment care you can tackle. The difficulty with washing down is that, if you do not dry it correctly, you can actually cause the down to clump worse than it was prior to washing. It is therefore essential that you use the correct non-detergent soap, such as Nikwax’s Down Wash, that will remove the dirt yet leave the water repellency intact.
After washing your down garment, you should spin dry it 3 times on a slow spin before tumble drying it on a low setting. In order to rid the down of ‘clumps’ it is quite advantageous to add some tennis balls to the tumble dryer which constantly bash into the garment and pummel the clumps out. You should also remove it regularly and manually tease and pat the clumps out before putting it back in.
If all of this sounds a bit too complicated then there are various companies who you can employ to wash your jacket or sleeping bag for you. Being professionals, these guys will almost be guaranteed to wash it correctly, thus removing the stress of the job.

Cleaning Leather Boots:

With few exceptions, cleaning leather boots is best done with water and hard work. As leather is a natural material, most cleaning products will lead to an alteration of the leather, usually drying it out, which can lead to unwanted cracking. The best way to clean leather boots is to do it regularly and use warm water and a sponge to remove the dirt and mud off of them. After cleaning your walking boots, you should then allow them to dry naturally. The worst thing you can do with leather (apart from using a solvent based cleaning solution, which dries them out loads!) is to dry them on a radiator/heater/next to the fire etc. This may be very tempting as a pair of soggy walking boots around the house is not pleasant, but if you over dry them then you will suck too much moisture out of them and dry the leather out.
The most effective way of drying walking boots is to push newspaper into them and leave them in a warm, non centrally heated area. Check them regularly and change the paper as many times as it takes for them to dry completely.

Cleaning Synthetic Boots:

To clean synthetic walking boots, much of the above applies here as well. The difference with synthetic footwear is that you can use cleaning products, as the man made fabrics and rubbers will happily tolerate the solvents etc. You can purchase various cleaning products that will help to remove stains and marks from your synthetic boots and shoes, such as Nikwax’s Footwear Cleaning Gel.

Cleaning Inside Boots:

For the inside of your footwear, you should use more warm water and a long handled brush (washing up brush) to get in to all parts of the inner. You can even fill up the inside of a Gore-tex boot or shoe in order to soak some of the dirt out. This will offer the added bonus of showing any leaks up, any water that starts to appear on the outside of the boot will indicate that you have a puncture in the Gore-tex membrane.

How do you re-waterproof a jacket to bring back the water repellency?

As previously mentioned, if your garment is starting to ‘wet out’ (soaking up water instead of repelling it) then you may just need to wash it. If however, after washing a waterproof jacket, it still doesn’t seem to have a water repellent finish then it is probably because abrasion has worn that layer of DWR off. In this situation, you will need to apply a product that will reapply a thin layer of water repellent DWR finish – or ‘Reproof’ it.

Reproofing Clothing

Waterproofing outdoor clothing such as Gore-tex jackets or softshells is actually very simple. Once you have washed it in the correct Nikwax product, and whilst it is still damp, you can then simply spray on some Nikwax TX Direct to the outside of the garment. TX Direct is a wax based material that naturally repels the water and therefore allows the rain to bead off the surface, like water off a ducks back!
You can apply a TX Direct wash in version, which does work very well as it is very thorough, however it has the drawback of adding a DWR finish to the inside of garment. This means that any moisture that you produce actually gets repelled back at you instead of being absorbed through the fabric and allowed to evaporate.
A far better way to re-proof your waterproof items is to use a spray on re-proofer and, if needs be, a sponge to spread the liquid evenly over the surface. When adding a waterproof finish to your clothes you should pay close attention to areas of high wear like the cuffs, and areas where your rucksack sits, as these will be the areas where the DWR finish has been rubbed off the most.
Nikwax TX Direct can be used on a wide variety of clothing types, from a technical t-shirt up to a fully featured Goretex jacket. There are specific waterproofing products available for other types of garments however;

Reproofing Softshells:

Much like using TX Direct, Nikwax also produce a Softshell Proof for softshells that have a wicking liner, which should be applied after washing in Techwash, either in a wash in or spray on form. You can also get Nikwax Polar Proof for more thermal pieces such as Polartec, and Primaloft.

Reproofing Down:

After (carefully) washing your down jacket or sleeping bag, a wash in a dose of Down Proof from Nikwax will restore the water repellent finish and also improve breathability. Just like washing down initially, this needs to be done carefully and dried well before use. If your sleeping bag has a waterproof outer shell then you can use a spray on version of Nikwax TX Direct instead.

Reproofing Boots:

Having cleaned your boots, you will want to restore the water repellent finish that you had when they were new. If you have a leather based boot or shoe, then the product you use to reproof your boots should be a wax based one that has no solvents in it. if you use a solvent then the leather out and could lead to cracks. A wax based reproofing agent, like Nikwax’s Waterproofing Wax, will restore the leathers natural oils that make leather such a waterproof material. If you find that the leather has dried out a little, then do not despair, a treatment of Nikwax Conditioner for Leather should treat and reproof your boots.
You can also obtain specific products for Fabric & Leather boots as well as Nubuck & Suede. These will restore the water repellent finish whilst maintaining the balance of the materials in the boot.

 

Although this Guide to Cleaning and Waterproof Outdoor Gear is quite long, it has hopefully covered the questions that you may have had about how to wash waterproof clothing and how to reproof your clothes and boots. If you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us, either via email or by calling us on 015394 30121.

What is Barefoot Running?

17/08/2010 15:28:24

Quite simply, Barefoot Running is running with bare feet! However, the Barefoot Running Movement is a little more complicated than that. Once the preserve of hippies, surfers and tribal folk, going barefoot has attracted the attention of more technologically minded modern runners.

Barefoot Running Explained

As a runner, it can quite often seem that, in picking running as your exercise of choice, you commit yourself to a life of (hopefully minor) injuries and niggles. When you chat to fellow runners the topic of conversation can often drift onto what injuries you have had and how much time out off you had to take. Where most of us just accept it as an occupational hazard, some runners, championed by Barefoot Ken Bob, have decided to try a radical solution – ditching the shoes (or at least, the normal running shoes)

The idea is that, even though there has been millions of pounds and dollars invested across the globe into footwear research, the regularity of injuries incurred by runners does not seem to reduce. In contrast to the money spent on research, natural selection has had almost 5 million years to produce an effective bipedal (walking on two feet) human foot, which should be more than enough time to create a design that works without constantly injuring the owner!

The Theory of Barefoot Running:

When you run with cushioned shoes on, the natural tendency is to plant your heel first, roll forward and push off your toe. This puts a lot of stress on your heel which has little natural spring in it and therefore can transfer the pressure to higher joints like the knee and the hips. When someone runs without shoes on, they are more likely to use the balls and the fore of the foot which then offers a natural cushioning and springing action through the length of the foot. This dampens the impact and can produce less stress injuries.

Although this all sounds very logical, and you just need to look at some of the tribes across the world for examples of people that can happily run around in rough terrain without shoes, modern humans have developed very soft feet. Most of us (unless we grew up in a hippy commune) will have worn shoes for the bulk of our life. As a consequence, the soles of our feet are soft and not resistant to the impact of multi terrain - you just have to watch a holiday maker leave a beach bare foot for an example of this; you get a few seconds of ‘hmm, this is ok, I can tolerate this’, followed by the realisation that the stones are quite sharp, before the inevitable stop, look around and search for either softer ground or somewhere to sit and put shoes on!

Minimal Shoes:

This is where the idea of ‘Minimal Shoes’ or ‘Racing Flats’ can come in to its own. These are shoes that have very little cushioning and allow your feet to feel the terrain that they are running on as well as flex and bend how they need to in order to cushion your ride. If you look at many of the major fell running shoes like Inov-8’s you will notice that they do not have much cushioning, this reduces the likeliness of a twisted ankle as it lowers the foot’s centre of gravity in increases your responsiveness. Minimal footwear is a step further (excuse the pun) however, with a very thin layer of rubber between you and the ground. This has the advantage of allowing your foot to function like it is barefoot, whilst being protected from the inevitable sharp stones and dangerous objects that can litter our trails and paths.

Mens and Womens Vibram Five Finger Sprint’s

Barefoot Running Products:

The latest proponent of this style of footwear is the outsole specialist ‘Vibram’ who have made the Five Fingers. A range of shoes that not only lack cushioning but also have a toed forefoot, the innovative Five Fingers range allows you to use the natural stabilisers that we are all born with – our toes. In order to cope with different terrains and uses, the Five Finger range features different tread patterns (similar to that of a car!). There is a lot of controversy about the idea, especially it’s scientific grounding, but it seems that for some people it is definitely an improvement. Time will tell whether it is a fad or whether it is the look of things to come, the only real way is to test them out.

Kendal Outdoor Retail Show - Report

12/08/2010 16:17:42

The Climbers Shop website team paid a visit to the Kendal Outdoor Retail Show (KORS) yesterday to see what was new and exciting in the world of outdoor gear for 2011.

This is the second year of this trade show being held in Kendal and this year it brought in big names such as DMM, 5.10, Scarpa, Rab, Terra Nova and Zamberlan, amongst many others.  The show had definitely evolved and grown from its embryonic beginnings last year.  There were now more stands, more representatives and lots more cool new gear to see.

The theme for much of the new gear at the show was ‘ultra lightweight’;  there was a very obvious trend for making gear as light as physically possible.  One of the stand out super light products was a tent from Terra Nova which weighs in at a ridiculous sub 500g, all in.  The Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1 looks like no tent you’ll have seen before as the fabric used is insanely light, but its also virtually transparent.

 

Luckily the inner tent isn’t, so you can still protect your modesty inside the tent.  Although it was undoubtedly exceptionally light, we felt it was a very specialist tent that wouldn’t necessarily appeal to a wide range of people, or be particularly robust.  Considering there were other single person tents at around the 800g mark that weren’t transparent and were going to be less expensive, then its not likely to be a tent that the Climbers Shop will be stocking.  It was a very interesting taste of where tent technology is going nonetheless.

Products we are likely to be stocking is a new rucksack range from POD rucksacks.  The Lux range of packs are very much lighter than their previous products and they will appeal to a number of users, from alpine climbers to UK hill walkers.  Although they use modern ultralight fabrics the renowned bombproof construction that you’d expect from POD is still very clear to see.  keep your eye out or these babies landing on o ur shelves in Spring 2010.

Another product which is a little left field are the Vibram Fivefingers.  These are less like conventional shoes or sandals, more like gloves for your feet.

 

We have already introduced some of these innovative ‘shoes’ into our footwear range, with the mens and womens Fivefingers Sprint available now.  At KORS however we had the chance to see some of the new 2011 styles and models, some of which will no doubt be available from us in the new year. 

The Fivefingers would work fantastically with the Injinji Toesocks that we already have in stock and are very popular.

There’s lots of other fresh kit coming out for 2011, far too much to mention really and some that we are sworn to secrecy with, as you’d expect.  However we can tell you there is some very interesting new footwear coming from La Sportiva, along with some very cool, very light technical clothing from Rab too.  Some of the new products we saw will actually be available from us in Winter 2010, most however won’t be on the market until the Spring of 2011.  Keep an eye on our website as any autumn/winter season stock will start arriving from September and likewise our summer range starts to come in around March time.

Montane gear at low, low prices

11/08/2010 10:56:46

I know its the middle of summer and a down jacket is the last thing on your mind right now, but we have an amazing deal on the Montane Anti Freeze jackets; we’ve got them for just £80’.

Now is the time to get one of these stylish and super warm duvet jackets in time for the autumn and winter.  They normally retail for £160, so they are now half price.  We have stock of three colours, Black, Red and Blue.  They won’t be around long at this price so grab a bargain while stocks last.

We’ve also got the Montane Women’s Angel Jacket made with 3 layer eVent fabric that is waterproof and exceptionally breathable too.  These are half retail price too at £120 (RRP £240).  Great value for such a technical mountain shell.

The Climbers Shop Video Review Competition

30/07/2010 12:24:06

 

Our latest competition is going to be a little different.  We want you to produce a video review of your favourite bit of outdoor kit (preferably something bought from us at the Climbers Shop). How the review is presented is only limited by your imagination and what you review is about is totally your choice.

It could be a Star Wars themed rucksack review perhaps, or a Cabaret styled video about your favourite walking boots, the possibilities are endless!

Its very simple to enter too,

Obviously a camera that can shoot video is required (either a dedicated video camera or digital stills camera with a movie function)

Direct, produce and star in your own ‘outdoor gear’ movie

Upload your completed video to YouTube www.youtube.com

Then email us at info@climbers-shop.com with the YouTube link for your video.

We will then select the ‘top ten’ best  videos and then show them on our website.  People will then be able to vote for their favourite entry.  The Video with the most votes wins…simple.

The prize for the winning entry is a brand new Golite Eden 2 lightweight two person backpacking tent worth £300 (RRP)

The closing date for entries will be September 10th 2010 and the winning video will then be announced on October 10th.

For competition details and Terms & Conditions go to our Video review competition page.  In the meantime get shooting those vids.  We are accepting entries right now so if you have a video review ready please send us your YouTube link - info@climbers-shop.com

Montane Lakeland 100

26/07/2010 15:52:54

This weekend saw the annual Montane Lakeland 100/50 Ultra Tour of the Lake District meander it’s way around the Cumbrian fells once more. The 100 mile route starts and finishes in Coniston and loops around Wasdale, Buttermere, Skiddaw, Dockray, Longsleddale, Ambleside and Langdale amongst others. It surely is one of the most scenic races in the country. The difference for us this year was that we had some staff competing in Ultra Half Marathon, the Lakeland 50 (still a remarkable feat, I’m sure you’ll agree).

Below is an account from Nick, our Deputy Manager:

“…From the Friday night registration and kit checks to the briefing on Saturday morning there was a real air of anticipation amongst all of the competitors. The long bus ride from Coniston to Dalemain house, near Ullswater, provided time for some last minute food and drink. I was pleased to note that I felt very relaxed, as this was my first event of this distance, and a complete unknown.

The race began at midday with a four mile loop through the grounds of the Dalemain Estate, which allowed the field to thin out a bit before we came through Pooley Bridge. Even here there was some good support from holiday makers and locals in the village, encouraging even with over 40 miles to go.

Howtown checkpoint came and went (good cake!), and then as the rain began, so did the long climb up and over Wether Hill, before descending to Haweswater reservoir. The trail alongside the lake made for lovely running all the way to Mardale Head for the next checkpoint. Up to this point, I had been going quite slowly but on the stiff climb up Gatesgarth Pass I picked my speed up and began to start catching people. The rain was steady all the way along Longsleddale but soon came the Montane run checkpoint at Kentmere which had a really good atmosphere, plenty of food and even fruit smoothies! I decided not to linger at the checkpoints from here on in, just a quick drink and keep moving.

The Garburn pass (left) marked a rough 30 mile mark, the furthest I had ever run in training, and so the next 20 miles would be a step into the unknown. After a hard descent on the legs, I came through Troutbeck and into the Lakes Runner checkpoint. Again the positive buzz continued, with some fantastic support from people all through Ambleside, spurring you on. Tempting as it was to call in at my house here, I shuffled my way into the darkness of the approaching night while the route took me towards Langdale along some easier tracks of the Cumbria Way. A quick visit to Langdale School checkpoint was followed by a steady climb up the side of the Langdale valley to Blea Tarn. A little local knowledge and experience of the route really started to pay off from here on in, with some less confident navigators tagging along in the dark. As I descended from Blea Tarn towards Little Langdale the running was quite tricky in the wet and dark but I soon hit good ground on the rise over to Tilberthwaite Quarry where I arrived at the last checkpoint.

The final climb out of Tilberthwaite was hard (although the stone steps were a welcome relief at mile 47!), as was the steep ascent in the fog and rain gloom. It was however, inevitably followed by the very slow descent to Coppermines Valley and the home straight to Coniston School for the finish. After 14 hours and 2 minutes of shuffling and trotting around a soggy Lake District, I felt relieved, elated and very proud of what I had just achieved. There was a great welcome for all finishers from the organisers and the other competitors, a welcome massage for tired legs from the guys from St Helens (thanks!) and some well earned hot food.

After my first Ultramarathon, I can honestly say that the Lakeland 50/100 is a great event, and the organisers, sponsors, volunteers and support were all fantastic from beginning to end…”

Nick is already planning next years race followed by a possible entry to the CCC out at Mont Blanc!

The Lakeland 100 was won by Stuart Mills in a staggering time of 24 hours and 10 minutes. Out of the original 123 competitors, just 70 finished the course. The ‘50 was won by Andrew James in an even more impressive 7 hours and 46 minutes.

Bryan came in in 11 hours and 48 minutes, 12 minutes faster than his target time of 12 hours and unfortunately Shaun had to retire from the event, but congratulations goes to Nick, Bryan and Shaun for their impressive achievement.

Rich

(Postscript: Congratulations also goes to Kate Simpson who completed the Bob Graham this weekend in 23 hours 11 minutes. Well done Kate)

Tickets Now On Sale for Montane Guest Lecture

23/07/2010 10:18:54

As part of the Ambleside Outdoor Festival 2010, The Climbers Shop and Montane are hosting a special talk/lecture from three guest speakers on Saturday 18th September. Sponsored by Montane, one the country’s leading outdoor clothing brands, the evening will be composed of three thrilling and truly inspiring talks from sterling outdoor athletes who have more than a few tales to tell!

Marc Laithwaite, organiser of the Montane Lakeland 100, Marc Laithwaite is a Sports scientist as the Endurance Coach, a seasoned Triathlete, and writer for numerous UK publications. Marc will share stories of what such an endurance challenge it is both for the participants and the organisers!  
(Image 3 above)

Ian Almond, active local Alpinist (and ex-Climbers Shop employee), Ian will recount his 4 week expedition to Patagonia, climbing on Ag Guillaumet, Ag Poincenot, Ag Mermoz and Fitzroy.

Paul Errington will recount tales from the three toughest Mountain Bike races in the World, the Yak Attack, the highest mountain bike race on earth in Nepal. 400km, over 9000m of ascent reaching as high as 5146m, the Simpson Desert Race, a 590km race in the heart of Australia affectionately named ‘Satan’s Velodrome’, and The Arrowhead, a 135 mile winter ultra marathon where temperatures drop as low as -29 C.

Tickets are now on sale at The Climbers Shop, in Ambleside, and on our website here
Also take a look at our full line up or head to the Ambleside Outdoor Festival website for more info on other events.

Beware, Beware, there’s Ticks out there!

17/07/2010 17:24:00

I’m sure that, if you love being in the outdoors like we do, then you will have had one of these little critters attached to you at one time or another.  They’re generally harmless and, if removed correctly, are no more than a unwelcome irritation.  However it is important to be aware that some of these little blighters might be a more serious risk to your health.

Ticks can be carriers of a very nasty condition called Lymes disease.  It is estimated than only about 30% of the UK tick population have the bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) that causes Lymes disease. Even if a tick latches onto you and is carrying the bacteria it doesn’t necessarily mean that you automatically contract Lymes.  As diseases go in this country, Lymes disease is relatively rare with only about 300 cases per year being recorded, but there are a number of tell tale signs that you should look for if bitten by a tick.

• The most obvious sign of Lymes is a red, ring like rash around the site of the bite.  Known as the ‘bullseye’ rash, this will appear 2 – 40 days from the bite.  If you find this polo mint shaped rash after removing a tick then see your GP.
• Other symptoms are various and include, Headaches, Nausea, Rashes, A Stiff neck etc etc.  For a comprehensive list of symptoms visit www.canlyme.com
• It is understandable that with such a raft of potential symptoms Lymes is very often misdiagnosed and attributed to flu or a similar ailment.  If you know you’ve had a Tick attached and you feel unwell afterwards then you must mention it to your doctor, so he can provide prophylactic treatment.

Don’t panic though, as we mentioned at the start, Lyme’s is incredibly rare and most people have been bitten by ticks with absolutely no ill affects at all.

Happy walking  … and don’t have nightmaaares!

Our Top 5 climbing helmets

14/07/2010 16:34:48

 

There’s a bewildering array of climbing helmets available these days and choosing the right one can be a bit of a minefield.  Here’s a brief run down of the ‘lids’ we have on offer with a short explanation of what each one is best suited for.

	Petzl Elios   Our price £48.50 This is a very light and well ventilated helmet that’s suitable for all sorts of mountaineering and climbing.  The vents make this a popular choice for summer cragging and Via ferrata.  Its available in a wide range of colours too.
	Edelrid Targa  Our Price £44 Another lightweight lid that uses expanded foam with an ABS shell to keep the weight down without compromising safety. A very popular choice for alpinists and mountaineers.
	Petzl Vertex Vent  Our Price £65 This is a real tough customer, designed for serious use.  More durable than the lighter helmets here so a good choice for rescue teams and outdoor professionals.  Also excellent for winter climbing due to its hardwearing design.
	Wild Country Women’s 360  Our Price £46 This is the new women’s version of the popular 360 helmet from Wild Country.  Simply one of the safest helmets on the market and a great all rounder.
	Wild Country Rocklite  Our Price £60 Super light and very well vented.  A good choice for sports climbers looking for protection with minimal weight.  Its not as durable as the other ‘half shell’ helmets here, but it can be beefed up with the Wild Country Alpine Shell.

 

Helmets are an important safety consideration when climbing and will protect your head from falling rocks, ice or other debris.  Also in the unfortunate event of a fall, you are far less likely to suffer head injuries if wearing a helmet.  Helmets are essential in high mountain areas due to the frequency of rock falls, but even on low lying crags in the UK falling rocks are an ever present danger. Modern lightweight helmets made with an expanded foam inner and a very thin outer shell (such as the Wild Country Rocklite) are by far the lightest climbing helmets on the market.  They are ideal for single pitch cragging and sports routes. However they don’t offer the same durability and long term protection that a traditional ‘Hard shell’ helmet will. These use a much thicker ABS plastic shell with a fabric cradle for your head and are excellent for resisting sustained use and abuse (the Vertex Vent is a good example). Most general purpose helmets now use a hybrid construction, that uses the expanded foam inner, from the super lightweight helmets, combined with an ABS plastic shell that’s thinner and lighter than a old school hard shell.  These type of helmets are often referred to as ‘half shell’ or ‘hybrid’ helmets and are the most versatile type of helmet and suit a wide range of users.

Summer Sale at The Climbers Shop

12/07/2010 11:14:56

The Summer holidays are almost upon us and so we have selected a few key products to discount for your summer holiday break – in particular, we have slashed some of the prices on our top brand footwear.

	Salomon Womens XA Pro 3D Ultra – a perennial classic trail running shoe from Salomon, the XA Pro is so comfortable that half our staff wear them on a day to day basis! A low profile running shoe, the XA Pro combines a stable and agile 3D advanced chassis with a good level of cushioning for protection on hard pack surfaces.  £90 £60
	Salomon Elios 2 Mid GTX – a good looking waterproof mid ankle boot that blends the comfort and styling of an approach shoe with the greater ankle support that you get from a pair of boots - for not a lot of extra weight.  Great for fast and light hill walking. £115 £75
	Scarpa Vapour Rock Shoes - a high performance, quality rock shoe which gives you excellent precision and power through the asymmetric and down turned shape but also allows for greater sensitivity and instant comfort. With this shoe, anything’s possible (well, nearly!) £95 £72
	Red Chili Spirit Lady VCR Rock Shoes – a sporty and technical rock shoe that also looks good! With a womens specific fit, it feels and holds far better than unisex shoes and therefore allows you to perform better, throughout the grades. £80 £60

We’ve also hit the prices of some of our clothing stock, such as the Montane lifestyle ranges, and the technical X-Bionic base layers.