There’s new Intense bunnets as well, the beanie on the left found favour on my napper, but the skipped version on the right is for younger and less weather beaten outdoor activist than myself…
The samples of the new shoes hadn’t arrived, but they look good in the workbook.
There are a couple of new models, and the X-Hale is a new low-cut trail shoe with assymetric lacing (which I’ve used a few times on the likes of Garmont and Keen and I rather like) and most importantly, it comes in UK half sizes, a first for Haglöfs.
There’s also the new Grym boot, a totally sci-fi lightweight all-season boot in some cutting edge materials including “Superfabric” which looks like it belongs on a bullet proof vest. They’ll take the lightweight styles of crampons I’ve been using lately, and I’ll have me feet in these at some point.
Everything comes with a Sole footbed, which I’ve been using in current Haglöfs test footwear (reviews incoming) and I’ll also be covering other Sole gear soon. I think it’s a brave move ditching the cardboard insole and putting in a bit of quality gear instead.
The pack range has had some tweaks and some new models. The Roc series are alpine packs, stripped down and clean lined. There’s a plain Roc and there’s also Hard, Ice and Speed flavours. The Speed below is a 25L fast movers pack with neat wee ice axe loops that are much easier to use than the current vesion common on packs, and jammily for Haglöfs; exclusive.
The range reminds me of the Karrimor Hot series of the 90’s, tough, usable mountain packs with a range of capacities and features to suit different needs and none of the extraneous nonsense that creeps onto gear to carch the punters eye.
Below is the 32L Vapour, another departure as it has an air-gap back. It has the hip fins from the LIM series (still in the range 35 and 45, unchanged) which I know are super comfy, so it should be a decent overnight camp-kit lugger.
The Intense packs all remain and have the Oxy Blue makeover, as seen below on the Ace, with its budgie green bungee still waving the flag for those of us that might miss it whe it’s gone.
I’ve got an Ace L , the 20L version, on test just now and I’ll be reviewing that soon.
Gonna need some napper/bunnet shots.
That Speed Roc 25 looks like fried gold. I’ll take one please, barkeep. Can’t have too many packs.
Aye, nice low profile harness too.
It really is a Hot Ice for the kids of today.
Nae bunnet shots, there’s a limit to how daft even I’ll let myself look :o)
“Superfabric” for boots,eh? It could well be good. I’ve got some of that on my Lowe Alpine Extreme Attack 20+20, the limited edition pack they brought out a couple of years ago for their 40th anniversary. (A nice pack btw, not light but massively comfortable, and genuinely 20 litres or 40 litres depending how you use it, but I digress…. :)
I’ve never really considered whether it was breathable though – I guess it might be?!!
( http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article.asp?sp=332943698664332972544&v=1&uan=4795 )
The Grym’s GTX lined as well, so I’m assuming it’ll all work like a regular outer fabric.
Cordura boots are fine they just don’t have the inner coating that cordura does on pack to make it waterproof, so it might be along those lines.
I’ve had Kevlar as well, mind you I think those old Karrimor Kelvlar boots weighed about 4kg, so at 1400g a pair the Gryms look better for winter.
That Speed Roc looks the biz, you’re right about bits and pieces added on to too many packs. It does look pretty much like a modern version of my Hot Earth.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2413/2450548158_574da2616c.jpg
Have they definately dropped the LIM 55? reason I ask is that I’ve just bought one. Went for the 55 on the basis that if it was too big I could easily get a 45, didn’t want to piss about and then not be able to get a 55 if the 45 was too small.
That’s the colours we want to see!
Aye, the 55 got canned two seasons ago, so you were lucky getting a hold of one. Haglofs have none anywhere, it’s just what’s left in the shops.
I haven’t used my 45 in a while, so it’ll be getting an outing shortly.
The ice axe loops are exactely the same as use on Aarn packs from what I can see, if we are talking about the upper ones, and not the regualr lower fabric ones.
It’s the upper ones, I haven’t ever seen these ones before and is the books as an exclusive. It’s a hook-come-cordlock affair?
Whatever, I want them in the shops so I can swap my other loops on my other packs :o)
What do you need the hooks for? POD have used a really simple but effective system based only on shockcord and a cordlock for years. I’m not sure I’d entirely trust something that could potentially snag and unhook….
Yeah Aarn use them on their marathon magic packs, they are hidden under a flap on that pack to stop snagging, brilliant design.
Here’s a slightly blurry close-up. If Aarn have them, I might be able to find them somewhere :o)
Matt, I like the look of them, but only use would tell.
There’s another buckle in there. pointry affair that pushes snow out as you insert it into the other half.
The Ladybird Book of Injection Molding!
Aye, it looks cunning enough, but maybe over-designed…. I see it also relies on cord channels created by those hexagonal rivety things – they were what failed on my original LIM 45 :(
They’d work fine attached to the webbing on my Villain :o)
Yeah they look almost identical to the Aarn ones, loop of elastic snapped into a groove.
http://iloapp.didnothingfatal.co.uk/data/_gallery/public/0/1244218531_resized.jpg
http://iloapp.didnothingfatal.co.uk/data/_gallery/public/0/1244218819_resized.jpg
Not the greatest photos but you get the idea
I see what you mean.
Neither version is coming up on the regular manufacturers catalogues, so they both must be specials.
The Haglofs one looks better used cord-wise, I’d suppose need to try it with gloves on before I get too excited :o)
I saw the Aarn packs at a do last year and I’ve never seen opinion divided so much on a bit of gear, including Akto v Comp and Paramo v the World.
They’re not exactly like the ones on my Gregory Z55 but it’s a similar idea, the Gregory ones are marked MCH
http://www.gregorypacks.com/us/?option=com_gregorypacks&act=product&task=features&cid=26
I actually went to look for the z35 to see what the clips were like, but it’s on top of Holly’s wardrobe, she’s sleeping and I ain’t risking it ’til the morning.
Berghaus has a big two-part thing like a ski-boot buckle a few years back, bloody awful it was!
Very wise :-)
You can see them better in this shot, the cordlock bit has a webbing tab attached I suppose to make it easier to get hold of.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bkMKHBJBuwg/ShMavuKzH0I/AAAAAAAAApM/bSC3Ujh9pSo/s1600/P1010396.jpg
Hmm, that link does odd stuff, but it may just be me ?!?
Probably Blogger, try this, 3rd pic from the bottom.
http://maceachain.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-gear-reviewed-gregory-z55.html
Ach aye, I’m sure they’re the same as the z35’s.
I’ve had a couple of comms from Gregory recently, it seems like there’s a bunch of newness for 2010, hopefully I’ll get a wee swatch at it.
I was sceptical on the Aarn but it is a fantastic pack to run with and mountain biking is very good, The flex and long length really come to the fore when you need to move about. The X your heart bra chest strap system is really secure too. Until I modify the Endurance I’m sticking with it.
Oh yeah and the 10l is more like 15+ in my opinion, way bigger than the Endurance’s 11l
That harness was indeed the talking point.
The Endurance does seem tiny, but bobinson goes on overnighters with. I don’t know how the hell he manages it!
Me, running and biking only.
The wee ice axe cord lock is an exclusive to us for 2010 from our supplier Duraflex. It’s not a patented design as you can see! The elastic locks into the groove so there shouldn’t be any snagging problems.
If people have a fault then please get the item back to us for repair/replacement rather than just put up with it! We do have really good quality but there are always going to be some faults that slip through the net.
Cheers,
Gus