The Great Outdoors – July 2019

First

Look

Columbia

Outdry Extreme

£180 225g

columbiasportswear.co.uk

OutDry turns the design of rainwear inside out, with the

waterproof layer and the taped seams on the outside. This

gives garments a distinctive and rather plastic and shiny

look that may not appeal to everyone. More importantly

it means there’s no need for a DWR treatment and

therefore no need to ever reproof the outer.

The Featherweight is the lightest OutDry Extreme

jacket and it lives up to its name, the Large size weighing

225 grams. It has a watertight front zip backed by a stiff

flap, two large mesh pockets with watertight zips, an

adjustable hood with a bonded visor, adjustable cuffs, and

an extended back.

I took the Featherweight Shell on this year’s TGO

Challenge. For the first week, it stayed in the pack as the

weather was dry and sunny. The second week was wet,

sometimes very wet, and I wore the jacket a great deal.

No rain came in and breathability was good, even on a day

when I was in steady rain and mist from dawn to dusk.

The Featherweight has an unusual hood. This has a

slightly stiffened visor with light elastication either side

and a rear drawcord. I found that unless I tightened the

drawcord enough to pull the hood back a little I couldn’t

get it to stay put in wind or to prevent rain entering at

the sides. The cuffs have Velcro adjustments but are so

narrow anyway that these don’t make much difference.

I do like the big pockets. These are cut off by a hipbelt

but are so roomy that I could still get a map in and out.

This is a good very light jacket made from an

unconventional fabric. I’ll be wearing it more to assess the

durability but so far I’m impressed.

Chris Townsend

THE UK’S

MOST

EXPERIENCED

GEAR

TESTING

TEAM

TGO’s gear reviewers

Chris Townsend

Height 5’8” Boot size 9

Clothing size Medium

(with short legs)

Chris Townsend has written 20 books on

the outdoors, including the award-winning

The Backpacker’s Handbook. Among his

walking achievements, he was the first

person to complete a continuous round

of all the Munros and Tops and the first to

walk the 1600-mile length of the Canadian

Rockies. Chris has been reviewing gear

for The Great Outdoors since 1991.

Judy Armstrong

Height 5’2” Boot size 3.5/4

Clothing size 12/Women’s medium

Judy Armstrong has been

testing gear for The Great Outdoors

since 2005 but has been hillwalking and

mountaineering for 30

years. Originally from

New Zealand, Judy

lives in the North York

Moors National Park

and also has a base

in the French Alps.

Alex Roddie

Height 5’ 7” Boot size 10.5

Clothing size Large

Alex Roddie is The Great

Outdoors magazine’s Online Editor and

a regular feature writer. A reformed

climber with a background in Scottish

winter and alpinism, he loves nothing

better than long-distance lightweight

backpacking in wild mountain

landscapes, particularly the Scottish

Highlands and Swiss Alps. Read his

reviews online at tgomagazine.co.uk.

Robens

Hawk Stool

£30.99

The Hawk offers a

strong, steel frame for

a sturdy, durable seat.

This basecamp chair is

quick to assemble and

incorporates mesh panels

for enhanced breathability

and comfort, plus a side

attachment for a bottle holder. The

backrest can be folded down to

create a small 12cm x 75cm packed

size yet the 2,385g chair measures

55cm x 60cm x 77cm when open.

robens.de

Terra Nova

Laser and Zephyros compact versions

From £180

These new ultra-lightweight tents from Terra Nova are the ultimate

space-savers. The brand has extended its range of short pack-size tents by

introducing compact versions of its popular Terra Nova Laser Competition

and Wild Country Zephyros one- and two-person shelters. The new models

all have a packed length of 30cm or less, and weigh between around 1kg and

1.5kg. This development is a response to increased interest in bikepacking

and a trend towards products that pack down to a smaller size.

terra-nova.co.uk