PMCI December 2015 | Page 25

REDUCING THE BURDEN If you’re at all interested in performance clothing and gear then you’ll probably be no stranger to the Carinthia brand; at shows I always make a point of stopping at their stand to check out their latest offerings and I’m rarely disappointed! Thanks to SPEC-SE Carinthia products are now going to be a whole lot more available in the UK so let’s have a look at some specific models that will be amongst the first brought in. First up some of the key clothing models; The G-LOFT MIG (Medium Insulation Garment) Jacket features: • fixed lined hood with elastic draw-cords, adjustable in two directions • two way front zipper • all outside zippers are water-repellent • elastic cuffs • two spacious lined insulated front pockets and one inner pocket • two pockets on the upper sleeves with a velcro fastener for insignia • one pocket on the lower sleeve • arm pit zips for ventilation • elastic draw-cord on the waist line • comes with compression bag • machine-washable This jacket is a cracker; it’s multifunctional but not overly bulky (650g in size M). The outer shell fabric is the excellent Gore Windstopper, with the G-LOFT insulation inside which maintains 85% of its warmth even when wet! It’s available in Olive, sand, and Black. Next up are the G-LOFT LIG (Light Insulation Garment) Jacket and Vest; both of these benefit from light weight and small pack size so they’re ideal to have tucked away in your kit as a “just in case”! Features shared by both jacket and vest are: • two way front zipper • all outside zippers are water-repellent • two large front pockets and one inner pocket • elastic cuffs • elastic draw-cord on the waist line • comes with compression bag • machine-washable These are both very tough, very versatile garments with a great warmth to weight ratio, and the jacket can even be stowed away into its own pocket! GETTING YOUR HEAD DOWN In addition to some great clothing Carinthia are also extremely well known and respected for their sleeping systems, offering a wide range of sleeping and Bivi bags. SPEC-SE will be bringing in one of their most popular models, the ultra versatile “Tropen”. The Tropen is a light-weight sleeping bag with an extremely small pack size and minimum weight. Its remarkable feature is its vapour permeability which is very important for hot and humid tropical nights. The Shelltrans shell fits loosely over the inner structure (again with a G-LOFT fill) and provides an extra layer of insulation with no cold spots. This construction ensures reserve warmth for cool, damp nights. In warmer weather the bottom part of the two-way zipper can be opened for ventilation. The hood is equipped with a mosquito net which can be folded out of the flap if required (it is in the front part of the bag and stored behind the flap with press studs.) The net can easily be attached around AR Carinthia thermal insulation products offer unbeatable performance in 3 decisive areas: • Highest thermal insulation • at a low pack size (compressibility of the filling) • and low weight Furthermore, the key criteria of durability and comfort that they provide are essential to professional users of their sleeping bags and high-insulation garments. pmcimagazine.com