Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide #1

#ONE

Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide is an imprint of Ripcord 

Adventure Journal 

Copyright © November 2016 by World Explorers Bureau & 

Redpoint Resolutions. All articles and images Copyright © 

2016 of the respective Authors and photographers. 

Cover image Courtesy of Ben Maxwell. 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be 

reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any 

means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic 

or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission 

of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations 

embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial 

uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, 

general enquiries or sponsorship opportunities, contact the 

publisher: 

Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide: 

guide@ripcordadventurejournal.com 

Editor in Chief 

Tim Lavery 

Gear Guide Editor 

Sophie Ibbotson

Letter from the Editor 

I’m writing the introduction for the first RAJ Gear Guide lying on 

my back in the jungle on an uninhabited island in the middle of 

Lake Malawi, the slosh-sloshing of waves hitting the beach in the 

background, and an occasional bulbul squawking in the trees above 

my tent. If you’re green-eyed with envy, it’s quite understandable, 

but somebody has to do it. How else will you know which 

mosquito nets best keep the bugs at bay, which solar lanterns can 

also charge smartphones, and which rucksacks on the market are 

genuinely monkey-proof? 

When we first conceived the RAJ Gear Guide way back in spring 

2015, we wanted to create a reference guide for adventurers. The kit 

and clothing you choose when you’re exploring, frequently makes 

the difference between success and failure in the challenge you have 

set yourself, and certainly dictates whether or not you will be 

comfortable and safe as you do it. There is a wealth of information 

online about what to wear, pack and carry for every imaginable 

scenario, but it is poorly curated (if at all), disorganised, and often 

biased or limited in its detail. For something so vital, that’s just not 

good enough. 

In the RAJ Gear Guide, you’ll find articles by explorers and 

adventurers who have been there, seen it and done it. They write 

from personal experience, and are brutally honest. If something isn’t 

up to scratch, however pretty it looks, they say so. We’re not going 

to pull any punches. 

There is no point ‘testing’ something in an office or the local park: it 

has to be done in real world conditions by people who know what 

they’re talking about. Rather than let Max Lovell-Hoare review his 

cold weather gear at home in his admittedly drafty English 

farmhouse, we exiled him to Siberia in winter. Bryn Kewley spent 

two years on the road motor biking from London to Singapore 

before putting his findings in print, and ultra-athlete Carlton 

Rowlands ran, cycled, swam and skied on three different continents 

before providing us with his interview and Nuala Moore, openwater 

swimmer, bravely plunged into the Bering Strait to give us 

feedback on Mullion’s Aquafloat Superior Jacket and Trousers. Do 

you start to get the picture?

The RAJ Gear Guide is divided into three sections. In the first part 

of the guide you’ll find our big feature stories, incredible adventures 

and feats of endurance with inspirational photo spreads. This is the 

place to get ideas, to learn about innovative materials and 

approaches, and to delve in detail into what’s required to succeed in 

different activities and thrive in diverse environments. We’ll be 

inviting some of the most famous names in exploration and 

adventure sports to contribute their expertise, establishing an 

encyclopaedia of knowledge which spans from pole to pole. 

Part two is our individual product reviews. Every item received by 

the RAJ is field tested by a World Explorer, and we don’t charge 

companies for featuring their products. You can’t buy a good RAJ 

Gear Guide review: it has to be earned. Reviewers rate what they’re 

testing in each of five categories - Aesthetics; Comfort; Durability; 

Functionality; and Value for Money - and products scoring 4.5 or 

above overall are awarded with a RAJ Gold Star so you can see at a 

glance what stands out from the crowd. 

The final section of our Guide is our Gear Guide Listings which 

includes details of where to buy, our ratings of all items reviewed (c. 

100 so far) and the RRP. The Listings section is to be found only on 

our Website, will be continually updated and is perfect as an online 

reference. 

Sophie Ibbotson 

RAJ Gear Guide Editor, November 3rd, 2016 

Above: Sophie Ibbotson and Cover image: Ben Maxwell © Maximum Exposure 

Productions

"What saves a man is to take a step. 

Then another step. It is always the 

same step, but you have to take it." 

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

Wind, Sand and Stars

RIPCORD 

GEAR 

GUIDE 

Editor 


Featuring 

Max Lovell-Hoare 

Bryn Kewley 

Carlton Rowlands 

M. Skowronska 

Nuala Moore 

Ben Maxfield 

#ONE 

Editor in Chief 

Tim Lavery 

An imprint of 

Ripcord Adventure 

Journal 

Publishers 

World Explorers 

Bureau & Redpoint 

Resolutions 

www.ripcordadventurejournal.com

Contents 

Part One 

Pack for it: London to Singapore by Motorbike 3 

Bryn Kewley, Geographer & Biker 

I Can't Live Without.. 17 

Carlton Rowlands, Ultra Athlete 

Inside Out: Where the Rubber Meets the Road 25 

Game Changer: OEX 31 

Cutting Edge: DO-RA, Tellum Mobile and the Wicron Webot 45 

Flashback: Mountaineering Boots 53 

On Location: Siberian Field Test 63 

Part Two 

In Full: Mullion Aquafloat Superior Jacket & Trousers 79 

Nuala Moore, Extreme Swimmer 

Best of Base Layers 87 

Best of Insulated Jackets 93 

Best of Hiking Boots 100 

Image opposite from: London to Singapore by Motorbike © Bryn Kewley

1 

Part ONE 

Image: Leatherman Surge. Courtesy of Bryn Kewley

2

3 

Bryn Kewley 

Image: Bryn Kewley © Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide

Pack for it: 

London to Singapore 

by Motorbike 

4

5 

Pack for it: London to Singapore by Motorbike 

Bryn Kewley 

Bryn Kewley, geographer, biker and explorer, spent two years riding 

his Honda Transalp 650V from the UK to Singapore via Turkey, 

Iran and the Indian sub-continent. His route was diverse and 

demanding, and he had to carry on the bike everything he needed 

for the journey. We quizzed him about the trip, his gear and 

clothing, the highs and the lows. Here’s what he had to say. 

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Where did you go and when? 

It was a little late in the year when I got started, mid-September, 

which meant Europe was a bit of a dash in case the snows came to 

Iran. From Calais I rode south and over the the Alps, east across 

Italy, then Slovenia, the length of the Croatian coastal road, 

Montenegro, Albania, and into Greece. I had a small incident which 

found me living in a workshop for a week at a sailing resort. It was 

then onto Istanbul, across to Lake Van and through the Kurdish 

area of Turkey to the much more friendly southern entrance to Iran. 

I rode through Iran during October and November, every day 

meeting the most incredibly hospitable people I'd met anywhere in

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Bryn Kewley 

the world and wishing I could stay longer. I crossed the dodgy, 

Taliban controlled part of southwest Pakistan in late November 

(thought I'm fairly sure they paid for my breakfast in Quetta). 

From then until mid-January, I was adventuring through Pakistan, 

including up the Karakoram Highway into the mountains and back. 

After this I spent three months in India, including leaving the bike 

for some time, taking the train to Goa and living in a shack on the 

beach for February. I took the chance to explore the limits of my 

senses with bafflingly bright colours and incredible smells from 

there up the coast, and also to Rishikesh for some peace. 

When I first arrived in India, it was clear to me that I'd soon run out 

of money. So having stashed the motorbike with a lovely Sikh guy, 

April saw me fly out to South Korea where I lived on the 11th floor 

of a high-rise in Masan, taught English, made friends and rock 

climbed until my fingers bled and my cheeks ached from the 

smiling. The trouble is the bike could only be in India for six 

months, or 12 with an extension, and the Indians love their rules. 

At the end of December I therefore flew back to India, and raced 

the bike back to Amritsar where I had first entered from Pakistan 

and where the rules said I had to go to get the extension. Much 

circumnavigation of the notorious Indian bureaucracy later, I 

crossed some unexpectedly treacherous and snowy Himalayan 

roads to Nepal. 

Until Aung San Suu Kyi is able to re-establish peace and unity in 

Myanmar, it's unlikely tourists will be able to enter by land on the 

western border: a good friend of mine, hitchhiking from England, 

tried repeatedly but was turned back, and eventually hitched a flight 

over. Hemmed in by China to the north which also doesn't 

generally like tourists with their own vehicles (yet), southeast Asia 

is only reachable from the Indian subcontinent by air freight. After 

a stretch wandering in tiger country, drinking chai in Kathmandu 

and having my universe twisted about its fulcrum by vipassana 

silent meditation, I packed my bike into a crate and flew with it to 

Bangkok. 

From April I drove about southeast Asia. First I went east through 

Image opposite © Bryn Kewley

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Bryn Kewley 

Cambodia to Vietnam for a month (the only country in which I 

paid a bribe), then to Cambodia for another month before 

continuing to Laos, where I briefly owned a boat, then back across 

into Thailand. 

Singapore is pretty much the furthest connected landmass from 

Europe. Having passed quickly through Malaysia in August I 

reached what I named the bench at the end of the universe (or so it 

seemed) at the southern tip of Singapore. Amusingly this southern 

tip contains a theme park, all plastic and contrived, an omen of what 

my return to the west would feel like. Anchored off shore are 

hundreds of tankers bearing the names of their far off ports. To 

swim out to one and climb the anchor chain seemed like a 

particularly good idea. Returning to Kuala Lumpur I boarded a 

flight for Europe two years to the day after leaving home. 



Why did you choose the Transalp, how did it perform, and would 

you recommend it to others? 

You need the right sort of bike to ride across the world. Through 

significantly more down to luck than judgement, I chose the Honda 

Transalp 650V which, as luck would have it, is a wonderful machine. 

The Transalp is not too heavy and has long suspension, good 

ground clearance, a hard seat, smooth power delivery even on 

questionable fuel, and a mechanically simple engine. Being only 

vaguely au fait with engines, the last one was critical as it meant 

your average BENM (back end of nowhere mechanic) could get his 

head around it quickly. The bike did get a little farty high up on the 

Karakoram Highway, but once I'd taken the air filter out and given 

it a proper clean, it was much better. 

For serious debate on this topic and all things overlanding, look up 

Chris Rose's The Adventure Motorcycling Handbook and 

Horizonsunlimited.com. I also recommend Vagabonding by Rolf 

Potts. 

You had made your panniers custom made for the trip. Why was 

this? 

Panniers can be prohibitively expensive and vary greatly in quality. 

Images Opposite © Bryn Kewley

8

9 

The Outdoor 

Research 

Transcendent 

Jacket and 

Ferrosi Hoody 

The Transcendent Jacket is fantastic for a motorbike trip: it's lovely 

to have something so warm. It’s really efficient as it packs down so 

small: you can literally squeeze it into a tiny part of your bag, and yet 

when you get it out, it quickly warms you up. I’m always a little 

worried about getting down wet, but in all dryish conditions it's the 

perfect soft shell. 

At first I was unconvinced by the Ferrosi Hoody as the material felt 

strange. I hadn’t come across it before and wasn’t sure what to 

expect, yet the more that I have worn it, it has grown on me. It is 

surprisingly durable and much more hardwearing than I'd expected. 

It's well designed with pockets in useful places and I'm a fan of 

bright colours. Sold! It's earned its place in my bag for my next big 

trip. 

Image: Bryn Kewley © Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide

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Bryn Kewley 

At the time a friend of mine was working at an aviation parts 

manufacturer. Having bought racks that would fit and found some 

drawings online, he bent and hammered sheets of 2mm aluminium 

into two fantastically sturdy boxes. Those boxes got beaten to hell 

and back with crashes on black ice, getting driven into by other 

vehicles in Iran, and being covered in thick clay and sitting for days 

and nights in intense heat or relentless rain. Even after this, there 

was barely a scratch on them, for which I am forever grateful. 

What were the three best things you took with you? 

Leatherman Surge: Some tools can give out without consequence:

11 


Bryn Kewley 

if your toothbrush snaps, you can just use the end bit, and other 

things like a scuffed visor just cause vague annoyance. But some 

tools are vital. When my throttle cable gave out deep in the 

Nepalese Himalaya, knowing my Leatherman was up to the job of 

extracting the mangled end was more than just a comfort. Just like 

with engine oil, there are times to avoid the bottom of the range. 

Buff: The humble tube of fabric, to which the name Buff has 

become eponymous, is constantly useful and something I 

permanently carry on my wrist when out in the world. From 

protecting your nose and mouth from dust or bitter wind, to 

covering your watch in a busy marketplace, blocking out the light 

for an hours extra kip, to washing your face with it before leaving it 

wet over your head for a hot evening, a Buff does absolutely 

everything. Once in a tight spot it even served to filter Afghan dust 

from water poured into an engine. Marvellous. 



Good maps: Perhaps it's the geographer in me, but you can't beat a 

good map. I keep one up on the wall for weeks before a trip to keep 

me dreaming whilst wading through logistics and visas, and then it 

provides physical reassurance and accurate detail when I’m on the 

ground. Good maps are hard to come by and it's worth getting used 

to a type, detail and colouring that you find distinctive and easy to 

read. Always buy your maps before you go. 

Were there any things you'd leave behind if you did the trip 

again? 

The less experience you have, the more you find yourself carrying. 

When I left home and wobbled up the road (the wrong way), I was 

horrified at the fully-laden weight of the bike. This was partly 

because having passed my bike test just two months before leaving, 

I'd filled the left pannier to the brim with metal tools and parts (just 

in case). This included a 1 kg impact driver and my old chain, both 

of which travelled at least 25,000 km and were never used. 

Having not bothered with travel guides for Europe, I nonetheless 

carried all the guidebooks for the countries between Turkey and 

southeast Asia. As I later discovered, no matter how remote the 

Opposite: The Honda Transalp 650V 

Image © Bryn Kewley

12

13 


Bryn Kewley 

place where you end up, there is always a travel guide to be found. 

My own copies were therefore dead weight. 

Preconceptions are often worth challenging. I took an old and 

bulky Vango sleeping bag, a heavy Coleman multi-fuel stove and 

some bits of foam as a roll mat. As fine as this was, and it saved me 

money upfront, there are inexpensive modern alternatives which 

would have been worth the investment. 



Are there any additional things you'd take with you? 

I’d definitely take a better camera from the start. I had an old Canon 

IXUS with a small sensor, which took frankly appalling photos in 

poor light. I was opposed to a DSLR for the love of keeping a 

camera in the top pocket of my riding jacket for all those moments 

you catch on the road. Eventually I did change out for a Canon 

Powershot with 17x zoom. This was small enough to deploy whilst 

riding, but with a bigger sensor and enough zoom to catch facial 

expressions across the street. The right camera for you is worth 

serious consideration: make the choice early enough and it may not 

cost you a year's worth of sunsets. 

Did anything get lost or stolen? 

I lost my passport in Baluchistan, Pakistan. Two weeks later, the 

day before I was to buy a new one, I had a phone call from my 

parents. The person who had found it had rung the emergency 

contact number in the back. Unfortunately they were not willing to 

post the passport to me unless we paid them a considerable amount 

of money. This was bartered down and they posted the passport to 

Gilgit, but I have the nagging sensation I've in some way financed 

terrorism. 

Did you have to make any kit/clothing repairs en route? 

Yes. Not everything was as sturdy as those panniers, and en route I 

had to mend all manner of things, including my soul on more than 

one occasion. Relentless use of my Black Zero riding boots led to 

me needing to source a thick needle and stitch them painstakingly 

Opposite: Re-welding the rack 

Image © Bryn Kewley

14 


Bryn Kewley 

back together. Everything needed re-waterproofing at some point, 

including the tent. My flip flops were zip-tied, my trousers ducttaped, 

and the bike tires glued. 



The one fix I didn't make but definitely should have before I left 

was a bracing bar for the the pannier rack. Strong as the boxes were, 

the Givi rack I bought just wasn't up to the job, though that’s 

probably because of the weight of all the tools I was carrying. The 

panniers would flap limply on off-road sections as if the back of the 

bike wished to take flight, and re-welding the rack in each country 

became almost a tradition. What it really needed was a bracing bar 

between the boxes, but there are always too many waterfalls to visit, 

people to meet, sunsets to watch and other such excuses. 

What would be your three golden rules for packing for a long 

distance motorbike trip? 

The golden rule of travelling light is to start with a small bag. When 

riding long distance by motorbike, however, this can be stretched as 

it's not your muscles that do the carrying and much of the time you 

only have to lug your bag a short distance. My substitute golden 

rule would be to make sure it's all waterproof, as you can't just 

duck out the weather every time dark clouds are looming. 

Look up the lists. Hundreds of people have written up kit lists of 

what they took on their motorbike trip, and most of them will have 

one or two fab ideas or hacks that can make life a little easier. Do 

your research, then tailor it for where you're going and who you 

are. 

Eventually, just leave, because you can spend weeks reading these 

endless lists just because some idiot told you to. All the online sites 

and books out there are worth a scan, and it is useful to read up, but 

you'll never cater for all the world will throw at you. That's not 

only part of the fun, but getting into situations you're not ready for 

is a vital part of adventure.

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Bryn Kewley 

What would be your three golden 

rules for packing for a long distance 

motorbike trip? 

The golden rule of travelling light is to start with a small 

bag. When riding long distance by motorbike, however, this 

can be stretched as it's not your muscles that do the 

carrying and much of the time you only have to lug your 

bag a short distance. My substitute golden rule would be to 

make sure it's all waterproof, as you can't just duck out the 

weather every time dark clouds are looming. 

Look up the lists. Hundreds of people have written up kit 

lists of what they took on their motorbike trip, and most of 

them will have one or two fab ideas or hacks that can 

make life a little easier. Do your research, then tailor it for 

where you're going and who you are. 

Eventually, just leave, because you can spend weeks 

reading these endless lists just because some idiot told 

you to. All the online sites and books out there are worth a 

scan, and it is useful to read up, but you'll never cater for 

all the world will throw at you. That's not only part of the 

fun, but getting into situations you're not ready for is a vital 

part of adventure.

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Bryn Kewley 

BRYN'S PACKING LIST 

Clothing 

Buffalo Endurance Motorbike 

Jacket 

Buffalo Special 6 Shirt 

Buffalo Traveller Trousers 

Helly Hansen Long Sleeve Base 

Layers 

Jack Wolfskin Merino Long 

Sleeve Shirt 

Jeans 

North Face Fleece 

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hoody 

Outdoor Research Transcendent 

Jacket 

Seal Skin Socks 

T-Shirts 

Footwear 

Merrell Trail Shoes 

Black Zero Waterproof Motorcycle 

Racing Boots 

Accessories 

Bike Gloves with Seal Skin Liners 

Buff 

Cotton Scarf 

Nolan Helmet 

Gear 

Aladdin Thermal Mug 

CamelBak Hydration System 

Coleman 553 Stove 

Duct Tape 

Givi Bike Rack 

Glue 

Guidebooks 

Leatherman Surge 

Life Saver Water Purification Bottle 

Lloyd’s First Aid Kit 

Maps and Map Case 

OverBoard Waterproof Duffel Bag 

(100 Litres) 

PackTowl Travel Towel 

Panniers (Custom-Made) 

Pots, Pans and Sporks 

Ratchet Straps 

Sewing Kit 

Tool Kit 

Vango 2-Season Sleeping Bag 

Vango Inflatable Sleeping Mat 

Waterproofing Spray 

Zip Ties

17 

I Can't 

Live 

Without... 


Images courtesy of Carlton Rowlands

18 

I Can’t Live Without… 


Carlton Rowlands is a pro runner with Team Vibram, and a ski 

mountaineering (skimo) competitor with an appetite for extreme 

conditions. As a director of Evergreen Endurance, he hosted his first 

international iron-distance triathlon in September 2015, and in the 

past year he has trained and raced everywhere from Morocco to Isle 

de la Reunion in the Pacific Ocean. We briefly interrupted his 

preparations for the 168km Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and the 

infamous Marathon des Sables to quiz him on his training and the 

kit and clothing he relies on to perform at the top of his game. 

Describe your training regime. 

My training regime differs depending on the time of year. In 

summer, I tend to be at home in Chamonix. From Monday to 

Thursday I usually focus on speed (long and short lactate threshold 

intervals); power work (hill climbing or plyometrics); and have a 

rest day or recovery run. I will also do two functional stability 

sessions, which include physio. Weekends are a little different, 

because then my focus is on endurance. I’ll train for up to 10 hours, 

and this might include race replication (endurance with bursts), 

staying at or below lactate threshold throughout. 

This is, of course, when I’m not competing! The last of the races 

take place in the autumn, and then I need my recovery time, and 

possibly a holiday. I might do some general alpinism, skiing and 

climbing for fun. 

The skimo season starts in the winter. There is some similarity with 

the training programme above, but generally it is big days out 

focusing on endurance and race replication efforts on the weekend. 

Winter often lingers on the trails, meaning that in order to get into 

solid running form, a training camp can be a great way to kickstart 

the season in spring. It has to be somewhere hot and hilly: last year I 

went to Spain, and this year it was Morocco. At some point during 

the winter I will also be on a training camp with my team, the trail 

running Team Vibram.

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What is the single most important piece of clothing or kit you 

use when training? 

Undoubtedly it is the Garmin Fenix 3 GPS watch. It keeps me 

training in zones, stops me getting lost, and helps me to record loads 

of valuable training data. 

What is the greatest training challenge you face? 

Balancing between my other jobs as an osteopath and triathlon race 

director, whilst competing against other professionals who only run. 

What one technological innovation would make your training 

easier? 

A huge step forward would be a solid form of nutrition so that I 

don’t get stomach cramps in hot weather. I am currently forced to 

use only liquid nutrition, and gels become very sickly after 15 hours 

or more!

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Which items of clothing and kit do you use when you are 

competing? 

Clothing: Shorts, tights, vests and waterproofs from Crazy Idea 

(with Polartec fabric) 

Compression wear: BVSports 

Tech: Garmin Fenix 3 

Lighting: Petzl Nao 

Shoes: The North Face MT Ultra (for long sessions and races) and 

TRII (for short sessions/races), both with Vibram soles 

Nutrition: Ultimum 

Eyeware: Julbo 

Bag: Ultraspire Alpha

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How much does what you wear and/or 

carry impact on your performance? 

Some things have more of an impact than 

others. You have got to be mentally in the 

right place with this kind of competition, and 

so knowing that all your equipment is optimal 

makes life so much easier. 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

AAAAAAA 

When you are maximally fatigued, it is 

amazing how little things become annoying, 

and how a small innovation can really make a 

difference. A good example of this might be 

when running in the dark. A good headlight 

might allow you to see ahead, but a great one 

allows you to run just as fast as you would in 

daylight, even on technical terrain. That is 

why I love my Petzl Nao with reactive 

lighting: it is like a car headlight in its 

brightness, illuminating everything up ahead, 

but the battery lasts forever as the sensor 

detects ambient light. It knows how much 

energy to put out, and adjusts the brightness 

accordingly. 

What was the single most difficult event you 

have ever competed in? 

They all have their special moments! All races 

are difficult in different ways, but fighting and 

hurting for the front positions is fun. 

The Courmayeur Champex Chamonix (CCC) 

2015 (101 km with more than 6,400m in height 

gain) takes the award for being the most hard 

in terms of disappointment. It was fast and 

aggressive, and I had ambitious goals: I 

wanted a podium placing. I got horrendous 

stomach cramps from km 10 to km 70,

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however, which meant I was entirely unable to eat for about 40 km. 

Without fuel going in, my pace diminished. I battled on and finished 

in a disappointing 40th place overall, so since then I’ve gone back to 

the drawing board with my pacing and race nutrition. 

It is always hard when your expectations don't meet your results, 

but it is all part of the journey and an endurance sport is all about 

understanding yourself and gaining experience. There really is no 

such thing as a bad race, just lessons learned for the future. 



What are your competition goals for the coming year? 

First off, I want a top 15th placing in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 

(UTMB), my hometown race in the Alps. Other than that, I’d like 

to strike a better work/training balance so that I continue to enjoy 

the journey. 

What clothing and equipment should people just getting into 

skimo and/or ultra triathlons think about buying? 

With skimo, it is all about minimalism: the less you can carry on 

your feet, the better. For the winter racing season I’d love a pair of 

lighter ski boots, and something like the Scarpa Alien 1.0 would be 

ideal. They are super light, yet have just about enough stiffness left 

in them to ski on technical terrain, steep and hard underfoot. As 

skimo is more a training method for me rather than the focus of my 

training, I have always made do with non top of the range 

equipment. As I get better results in this field, the marginal gains of 

better and lighter technology start making all the difference. 

With trail running, make sure you get some shoes with good grip 

and stability. I love the New Vibram MegaGrip soles, which are 

fitted to a number of products, but notably on the The North Face 

MT Ultra. It gives you a huge amount of confidence to be able to 

descend fast on technical and wet terrain. 

The other piece of equipment that is very important is a bag. It’s 

very personal and depends what length of course and how you like 

to arrange your equipment, but choosing something well designed

24 



and comfortable is vital. My Ultraspire Alpha, which has a few 

personal modifications, is now a race ready tool and it puts all my 

equipment easily at hand whilst I’m in the zone! It is super 

comfortable, so I don't even know I'm wearing it. 

You can follow Carlton’s progress with Team Vibram at http:// 

eu.vibram.com/athletes/trail-running. 

Carlton's Five Essential 

Items for Endurance Running 

and Skimo 

#1 Scarpa Alien 1.0 Ski Boots 

#2 Petzl Nao Head Torch 

#3 The North Face MT Ultra Shoes 

#4 Garmin Fenix 3 GPS Watch 

#5 Ultraspire Alpha Rucksack

25 

Image Courtesy Salewa MICHELIN Technical Soles

Inside Out: 

Where the Rubber 

Meets the Road 

26

27 

Inside Out: 

Where the Rubber Meets the Road 

Start from the bottom up when considering 

outdoor footwear 

What would it be like to hike in a pair of slippers? Comfortable, 

for sure, until you tried to scale rocky terrain. 

How about running a marathon in a pair of ski boots? Don’t laugh: 

in April 2016, a UK man, 36, ran all 26.2 miles of the London 

Marathon in a pair of 15 year-old, vintage Salomon boots. He 

finished in 8 hrs. 1 min. His boots undoubtedly provided lots of 

ankle support, but little in the way of comfort or traction. 

When buying outdoor footwear, you need to carefully consider 

your planned activity. The decision of which mountain training, 

trail running, snowboard boot, or mountain biking shoe to buy 

should begin from the bottom up where the rubber meets the road, 

or in this case, the trail, slope or any unpaved surface. 

Footwear is divided into two basic components: the uppers and the 

lowers. The uppers include Boa closure systems, waterproof/ 

breathable laminates – think Gore-Tex – or additional performance 

features such as mesh panels for breathability, an EVA Super Skin 

plate for protection, translucent rip-stop fabric, and other bells and 

whistles. 

When it comes to performance, however, it’s the lower portion of 

footwear, called the outsole, that should be your first consideration. 

Outsoles found on today’s footwear from companies such as Aku, 

Garmont, Hi-Tec, Northwave, Quiksilver, Ride, Salewa, Shimano, 

and Under Armour, to name just a few, offer a range of features 

based upon their intended use. 

Not all outsoles are alike, of course, the best tend to offer advanced 

rubber compounds and computer-aided design to provide the 

specific performance you need for a range of adventure pursuits.

28 

Inside Out: 


From Tires to Soles 

International automobile and bicycle tire companies have 

increasingly entered the outdoor footwear market to provide 

outsoles with specific performance characteristics. Ripcord 

Adventure Gear Guide caught up with Trond Sonnergren, Head of 

Design & Product Development at JVI for MICHELIN Technical 

Soles, based in Verona, Italy, and asked him what connects car tyres 

and adventure technical soles. 

“Tires and shoes share the same vocabulary: footprint, sole, tread, 

rolling, stability, and rubber,” says Sonnergren. “We design outsoles 

for better contact with the ground, outsoles that work perfectly with 

the uppers to offer high performance under various natural outdoor 

conditions.” 

Sonnergren continues, “The sole of a shoe has so much in common 

with a tire that the development process of each often follows the 

same model. Both need detailed studies, functional analysis, 

simulations, design, compound preparation, laboratory testing, 

prototype development, machine and then field testing.” 

Sonnergren adds, “Each sole is unique. MICHELIN’s R & D 

department works closely with the design and technical requirements 

of the footwear manufacturer to obtain greater performance in terms 

of durability, strength, traction and self-cleaning in the outdoor 

environment.” 

Next time you shop for outdoor footwear, match the tread design 

with your intended outdoor activity and you’ll be less likely to 

gripe about your grip.

29 

Inside Out: 


5 Features To Look For When 

Checking Outsoles: 

#1 Outsoles custom-designed for specific outdoor 

activities, or a range of activities, might have sawshaped 

siping (slits) to improve traction, control 

and lateral hold on soft, wet or muddy ground. 

Continuous siping on the heel can offer optimal 

grip during heel placement and walking downhill; 

while the heel area of the sole can be molded 

softer for excellent shock absorption. 

#2 Check to ensure the outsole has channels for 

self-cleaning and can shed accumulated mud and 

debris rapidly and efficiently. Tread blocks are

30 

Inside Out: 


spaced where debris accumulates, a handy feature 

that removes water and mud so that the sole is 

clear for the next step. Well-designed outsoles can 

also offer high flexibility, traction, adherence (grip) 

and control while traversing slopes. 

#3 A robust sculpture (lugs) at the mid-foot of 

some biking shoes can provide optimal and 

constant adherence, while reinforced tread blocks 

on some models function like claws offering 

controlled braking even on steep slopes. 

#4 Outsoles can be made with a combination of 

rubber compounds, often in the same pair of 

shoes. One mixture for excellent grip, high stability 

and strength, and another for abrasion resistance 

in the area where foot pressure is greatest. For 

example, heat-resistant rubber compounds can 

help withstand that 135-mile Badwater run through 

Death Valley. 

#5 Snowboarding your preferred activity? Watch 

out for snowboard boots with rubber compounds 

that insulate against the cold and remain soft even 

in intensely frigid conditions (to minus 40° F. which 

is the same as minus 40 degrees C.), while still 

maintaining strong adherence and traction to 

surfaces. 

Image Opposite Courtesy UnderArmour MICHELIN Technical Soles

31 

Game 

Changer

32 

Images courtesy OEX except where indicated

33 

Game Changer: OEX 

In one slow motion second, the motorbike accident could have 

ended it all. Ben Maxfield, keen climber, skier and Mountaineer, was 

doing his best to travel to every corner of the world from the Alps 

to Alaska. If there were mountains, the chances are, sooner or later, 

you’d find him there. But the same thrill seeking on and off piste 

also reared its head on the road, and the consequences of a poorly 

made decision there are just as severe. Overtaking another vehicle at 

70mph, Ben realised at the very last moment that he didn’t have the 

space to make it, and he jumped out of the way to avoid what surely 

would have been a fatal collision. There wasn’t much left of the 

bike, and his knee was severely smashed up too. High altitude 

mountain guiding was no longer a realistic dream. 

Stuck in the UK to recover and reconsider his future, Ben retrained 

as a Head of Year in a school. He wanted to share his passion for the 

great outdoors, to impart it to a new generation, but quickly found 

that the Duke of Edinburgh’s award and other similar initiatives 

were becoming increasingly commercialised. An excessive fear of 

potential risk was stifling adventure: schools were becoming 

restricted in DofE programmes due to a lack of qualified staff, and 

those that did continue offering them were forced to partner with 

costly outside companies. Ben believed that the losers in all of this, 

were the kids. 

With his mountain leading qualifications, Ben was in a unique 

position: he was teaching and had the requisite paperwork to take 

under 18s on trips. He reached out to schools in Swindon, offering 

them a DofE expedition, and split the cost between the number of 

children. As long as the expedition covered its costs, that was fine. 

No profit was needed. 

And so BXM Expeditions was born. The hobby grew rapidly. 

Within two years Ben had left teaching and taken on two 

apprentices to run the company on a day to day basis. BXM now 

works with thousands of young people each year. All of BXM’s 

leaders have outdoor qualifications, something that rarely can a 

school provide in house, and what had begun as a local project has 

now spread from Sheffield to Portsmouth, Bristol to London and 

beyond. 

Opposite: Ben Maxwell

34

35 

Having found a solution to provide low-cost expeditions, Ben’s next 

challenge was to source equipment that his teenagers could afford to 

buy and that was up to the rigours demanded by the DofE Gold 

level expeditions, the longest and most challenging that the award 

requires. Even in the UK, weather in the Brecon Beacons and the 

Lake District can be severe, so there’s a need for quality kit. Many 

of the products on the market were either too expensive, or just not 

up to scratch. 

Ben found himself in a Go Outdoors superstore looking at what 

was on offer. He’d made copious notes, and taken photographs of 

the stock to incorporate into short videos to tell expedition 

participants what they’d need to pack. Such seemingly suspicious 

behaviour caught the attention of the staff, but rather than hauling 

him before security, they were curious: what on earth was he doing? 

His project captured their imagination, and he was invited up to 

head office to share his ideas. Go Outdoors hired Ben as a 

consultant, and 18 months ago he was asked to work on a new 

exciting OEX project.

36 

Unless you’ve ventured into a Go Outdoors store, or were at the 

Telegraph Travel and Outdoor Show in London, you probably 

haven’t yet come across the OEX name. What you might have seen, 

tromping across a mountainside or desert, however, is a bright red 

tent glowing in the distance. They tend to catch the eye. 

OEX is currently exclusive to Go Outdoors stores. The 

development team have come up with new initiatives and their 

mission is to create high quality, appropriately priced outdoor 

products with advanced features, and to give their overpriced 

competitors in the group sales market a serious run for their money. 

Four really important things set OEX’s products apart. Firstly, 

they're designed by people who intimately understand the needs of 

their customers and at the same time are trying to teach them good 

habits. The tents have big doors and easy clips (necessary for cold 

hands fumbling with something unfamiliar) and the inners and 

outers come in their own dry bags so that one won't make the other 

wet. The tent can therefore also be split easily between two people, 

or between three if the third takes the poles and pegs.

37 


The products are all thoroughly field tested on real expeditions, not 

just in a development lab environment. During testing, tents were 

erected in 70mph winds and left up in the open for four weeks to 

see how they fared. The only damage was gradual fading in colour. 

The third strength is the quality of manufacturing. Last but 

certainly not least, OEX sells individual replacement parts. If you 

lose or break something, you don’t have to buy a complete new 

product. This is a major selling point for schools in particular, as 

they can’t afford to replace a complete set of tents every time poles 

go missing or someone tears a fly sheet. 



It’s not just all about tents, however, the OEX range also includes 

sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses and rucksacks. The Coyote III 

three-man tent sold out completely in a matter of months of its 

introduction in 2015; and the Vallo rucksack, which has straps for 

climbers, a side opening, a map pocket, simple, adjustable straps, 

and is designed to hold the tent poles and sleeping mat on its 

outside, keeps selling out too. However many Vallo rucksacks that 

OEX manufactures, they keep on flying off the shelves, and when 

he describes it, Ben is understandably proud. 

Demand is such, in fact, that during 2016 OEX is expanding its 

range to over 50 products, including items of clothing and stoves. In 

addition to the initial, DofE focused range, they’re also launching 

OEX Evolution, a range of more sophisticated products for 

specialist activities. These include light-weight mountaineering 

tents, and a 4-season sleeping bag, all of which will be high spec and 

well made, but very competitively priced. 

It all sounds good: encourage kids to get active and explore by 

providing them with affordable expedition opportunities and high 

quality equipment, hopefully encouraging the competition to up 

their game at the same time. But how good actually are OEX’s 

products? That, not price alone, will surely be the deciding factor in 

determining the brand’s long-term prospects. 

For this very first Game Changer, the Ripcord Adventure Gear 

Guide sent World Explorer Max Lovell-Hoare to the Terelj 

Opposite: Max Lovell-Hoare in Mongolia 

© Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide

38 


National Park in Mongolia with three of OEX’s best-selling 

products: The Coyote III tent, the Roam 300 sleeping bag, and the 

2.5cm self-inflating mat. Here’s what he had to say: 

I took the kit to Mongolia in March 2015, so although it was bright 

and it was warm in the sun during the day, there was still a 

smattering of snow on the ground and the earth was pretty much 

solid. There’s a great deal of flat land in Terelj, believe it or not, and 

there’s no tree cover at all, so you don’t have the option to get out of 

the wind. My first priority was therefore to get the Coyote III tent 

up.

39 


I laid out the tent on my own with no difficulty. The inner and outer 

are in separate bags, clearly marked, and the assembly instructions 

are sewn onto the main bag so you can’t possibly lose it. If you’ve got 

a lot of kit and aren’t terribly careful with it (which is frequently the 

case when I’m travelling), this is a smart move, though to be honest 

once you’ve erected the Coyote III two or three times you probably 

wouldn’t need to refer back to them. 

There are two types of poles for the Coyote III, one of which has a 

silver section in the middle to differentiate it from the others. I didn’t 

spot this at first, so wasn’t entirely sure which pole was which, but 

once I’d found it, the instructions made much more sense. The poles 

are sturdy but light and go together quickly. 

Image: Max Lovell-Hoare with Mongolian horseman 

© Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide

40 


Up until this point in the process, I’d been erecting the tent quite 

happily on my own, thinking that there was no one in the vicinity. I 

was wrong: a horseman had come to inspect what I was doing, and 

was most eager to help. We didn’t share a word in common, he 

couldn’t read the instruction, and I’m pretty sure the only tent he’d 

put up before in his life was a yurt. Still, I didn’t want to thwart his 

enthusiasm, and we communicated through charades. Remarkably, 

and it’s a credit to OEX’s product development team, my nomad 

and I had no difficulty getting the poles in and the inner and outer 

pegged. The ground was hard, but my new friend had plenty of 

brute strength, and the pegs didn’t buckle despite the force being 

deployed. The whole process really was pretty intuitive, and within 

10 minutes or so we were able to stand back and admire our 

handiwork. The horse looked quite impressed too.

41 


The horseman and his horse bid me farewell, and rode off into the 

distance. I was left alone, which was the preferable scenario given I 

had only one sleeping bag. The 2.5cm self-inflating mat comes in a 

small, reasonably strong case to keep the dirt off it and stop it 

becoming snagged on anything sharp, and I rolled it out in the tent. 

It was just about long enough (I’m 5’10”), and sufficiently wide that 

none of me hung over the side when I lay down. A nice touch is the 

non-slip panels on the underside of the mat, which should in theory 

at least reduce the likelihood of you sliding in the night if you’ve 

pitched the tent on a slope. I was on the flat, so this wasn’t a concern, 

but I noted it nonetheless. 


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

The third of the items I tested was the Roam 300 sleeping bag. To be 

honest, I’m picky about sleeping bags and have used the same Big 

Agnes bag since 2008, eschewing all others. I often get too hot at 

night, even in cooler climates, and hate it when the sleeping bag gets 

sweaty. 

At night, the temperature in the park dipped well below zero, and I 

could see my breath in the air. I therefore retreated into the tent 

early, pretty much as soon as it fell dark, and clambered into the 

Roam 300, holding my torch in my teeth. My first impressions were 

positive. There’s plenty of wriggle room, even if you’re wearing 

several extra layers. You can reach the pull cords around the hood 

easily enough and the toggles are placed in such a way that they’re 

not going to inadvertently dig you in the face if you roll over in the 

night. That’s certainly a plus point. 

Initially I was warm, but as the night went on and my body 

temperature dropped, the sleeping bag wasn’t quite as cosy as I’d 

have liked. This isn’t the fault of OEX - it’s not a 4-season bag - and 

it would have had ample insulation if the mercury had stayed above 

zero, or even a few degrees below freezing. When OEX do a 4- 

season comes out, I’d be happy to give that a go. 

When I did the field test in Mongolia, I hadn’t been told what the 

products cost. Based on what I’ve paid for my personal expedition kit 

previously, I’d mentally pegged the Coyote III at around the £300 

mark, and estimated the Roam 300 would have set me back £120 or 

so. I’d have been happy with £70 for the sleeping mat, though would

probably have opted for the 4cm version and paid a little more. It 

was only when I got back to the UK afterwards that I saw the 

products’ RRPs. Put simply, I was really, really surprised and 

impressed that they’re able to hit those price points. I’d willingly 

have paid somewhat more, and would still have thought I had got a 

good deal. I’ve added this OEX troika to my expeditions stash, and 

will definitely be using them again. 

42

43 


OEX: Best-Selling Products 

#1 Coyote III 3-Person Tent (RRP £200) 

#2 Bandicoot II 2-Person Tent (RRP £140) 

#3 Vallo 70+10 Rucksack (RRP £85) 

#4 Cougar II 2-Person Tent (RRP £170) 

#5 Roam 300 Sleeping Bag (RRP £65) 

#1 

#2 

#5 

#3 

#4 

Image Opposite © Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide

44

45 

Cutting Edge: 

DO-RA, Tellum Mobile 

& the Wicron Webot 

Image Courtesy of Tellum Mobile

46

47 

Cutting Edge: DO-RA, Tellum Mobile & the Wicron Webot 

It can take years for a great idea to make it from the drawing board 

into the marketplace, but at the RAJ Gear Guide we like to know 

what’s on the horizon. In Cutting Edge we are heading into the labs 

and studios of start-ups and well-established companies alike to find 

out the latest innovations with a potential bearing on the expeditions 

and adventures of the future. Read on for the first three of our 

exciting discoveries. 



DO-RA 

http://intersofteurasia.ru/eng/ 

DO-RA is the abbreviation for dosimeter-radiometer, as well as a 

catchy product name. This new device, patented and now available 

for pre-order, measures background radiation (and human exposure 

to it). 

Whereas a traditional Geiger counter and similar technologies 

simply give the user a reading, DO-RA also has smartphone 

capacity. Results are automatically uploaded to the Intersoft Eurasia 

website to create an up-to-date radiation map of the world, enabling 

scientists, geographers, disaster response teams and other interested 

parties to compare and contrast levels geographically and over time. 

So why is this of interest to explorers? Well, first of all many of us 

venture into parts of the world where the background radiation

48 




levels (natural as well as man-made) might be of concern if you’re 

exposed for any length of time. Although the dangers of sites such 

as Chernobyl are already well-documented, publicly available data 

on other areas — notably fall-out zones from the Polygon and Lop 

Nur test sites, in Kazakhstan and China, is woefully inadequate. 

DO-RA can provide the accurate information required to keep field 

researchers safe but also, as importantly, that same information can 

be accessed remotely by human geographers, conservationists etc. 

exploring the impact of long-term exposure on local populations, 

flora and fauna. 

Google and Samsung are already taking an interest in DO-RA for 

their modular smartphones, so we can rapidly expect to see it 

integrated into mainstream technology as well as the current standalone 

devices. 

Tellum Mobile LTE Stations 

http://www.ranberry.net 

Ranberry was founded in 2010 by a small group of fellows from the 

Russian Academy of Sciences who were frustrated by the 

limitations of existing communications infrastructure, especially in 

remote locations. In 2012 the company was awarded a grant from 

the Skolkovo Foundation to develop advanced, self-organised LTE 

small cell technology. 

The first product, the Ranberry B1000 4G/LTE Network-In-A- 

Box, has just come to market, and they’re working on a variety of 

integrated options to deliver an optimised satellite backhaul 

alternative for remote areas. 

In layman’s terms, the B1000 lets you set up broadband 

communications and mobile CCTV anywhere in the world. The 

box is lightweight and small enough to fit into cabin baggage, and 

from opening the case to being up and running takes less than five 

minutes. 

Airbus Group is one of the early phase partners, no doubt having 

identified the potential of the product in a market worth $2 billion,

49 


but the product is also relevant for first responders and disaster 

relief missions. Advanced RAN sharing support enables CAPEX 

and OPEX reduction in multi-operator deployments, and when 

demand for bandwidth is high, you can boost the signal and reduce 

interference with additional LTE small cells. 

Image Above Courtesy of Tellum Mobile

50 




Wicron Webot 

http://www.wicron.com 

Teleporting is a popular fantasy for adventurers sick to death of 

hanging around in airports. Until it becomes a reality, the ability to 

see and interact with a remote environment in real time may just be 

the next best thing. 

Want to attend a Mongolian wedding when you’re sat in your flat in 

London? How about survey three archaeological digs on three 

different continents, all in an afternoon? Check out the Wicron 

Webot. 

The Webot is a telepresence robot. You log-on to the Wicron 

website from anywhere in the world, and control it over the web. 

You see what it sees, and hear what it hears, enabling you to move 

around, look about and engage in conversations almost as if you 

were there in person. The cameras and microphone are set on a 

Image Below, Courtesy of Wicron

51 


turret, enabling you to have a regular view our your environment, 

you can rotate the ‘head’, and the robot moves at the speed of a 

man. 

The Webots had their first major public outing at CeBIT in 

Hannover, enabling users to check out the expo remotely. They’re 

currently deployed at the Central House of Artists in Moscow, so 

you can enjoy exhibitions and have a chat with the artists and 

curators too. Possessing your own exploration Webot (or army of 

Webots) is already within reach: small numbers are under 

construction with a lead-time of one month. You can also get them 

on trial. 

Image below: Dmitry Suvorov, Co-founder,Wicron. Courtesy of Wicron.

52 

"The world is moving so fast these 

days that the man who says it can't 

be done is generally interrupted by 

someone doing it." 

Elbert Hubbard

53 

Flashback: 

Mountaineering Boots 

The development of high-altitude 

expedition boots 

Malgosia Skowronska 

Image Courtesy of ASOLO

54 

Flashback: Mountaineering Boots 

The Development of High-Altitude Expedition Boots 



It has been more than 90 years since the first attempts to set foot on 

Everest. The 1920s brought several expeditions, including Mallory 

and Irvine’s 1924 endeavour, to climb the third pole of earth, as 

Everest is also known, but it wasn’t until 1953 when the mountain 

was finally conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. 

As the dream to climb the Goddess of Earth (or Sagarmatha, 

according to its Nepali name) grew in the imaginations of 

mountaineers from across the globe and across generations, so too the 

gear required has developed from a simple leather boots to state of 

the art expedition footwear. 

The Leather Fetish 

For a long time, leather was the material of choice for boot makers. 

Climbers tried to conquer the highest mountains in boots made 

from goat, deer or opossum leather. Those boots had more in 

common with today’s trekking boots than with high altitude 

mountaineering footwear, but at the time when they were made, 

they were the best option available to climbers. 

The Early 1920s 

Members of the 1924 British Everest Expedition approached 

specialists in their respective disciplines: manufacturers, tailors and 

boot-makers such as Benjamin Edgington, James S. Carter, and 

Silver and Co. Sporting Outfitters. The design for their boots drew 

heavily on George Finch’s extensive polar knowledge. Calfskin was 

used over a thick wool felt boot with a 10mm felt mid sole. Next to 

this was a 3mm leather sole with built-in nails that were attached 

only as deep as the felt mid sole. This design stopped heat from 

being conducted from the feet by the metal. 

There really was very little to these earliest boots: what mattered to 

them was not the technology or special features but the weight of 

the summit assault boots: each pair weighed just 1.6 kg. For 

comparison, the modern-day Millet Everest boots weight in at 2.8 

kg. Even the 1953 British Everest expedition boot weighted 1.9 kg 

in total. As it was pointed out by Harold Raeburn, who was 

responsible for the equipment during the 1921 British Everest

55 



Expedition, and a year before attempted to climb Kangchenjunga, 

“As regards weight, it is often not realised what a handicap heavy 

footgear is. A calculation shows that, given a difference of two 

pounds between the boots of two climbers, A and B, making the 

ascent of Nevis from Fort William, the heavier shod drags off the 

ground more than nine tons more than the lighter. ” 

Mallory and Irvine’s boots were simply the lightest piece of 

footwear ever to be used on Everest. As Mallory pointed out 

himself, “My intention is to carry as little as possible, move fast and 

catch the summit by surprise.” But he wasn’t the only one who 

opted for lightweight boots for the summit push. In 1950, Herzog 

and Lachenal, two French climbers known for the first ever ascent 

of an 8,000m peak, Annapurna (8,091m), also used thin leather 

boots to minimise the weight. That decision resulted in severe 

frostbite and the subsequent amputation of the climber’s toes. 



Everest 1953 

Despite the tragic fate of Mallory and Irvine during their 1924 

attempt on Everest, many expeditions remained determined to 

tackle the highest peak on earth. The 1930s saw several British 

Everest expeditions, and for their footwear technology they relied 

on the knowledge and skills of Robert Lawrie. The leading 

shoemaker of the interwar period, and enthusiastic climber and 

mountaineer in his own right, Lawrie came up with a new design for 

general climbing boots, the total weight of which was 1.7 kg. 

Lawrie was tasked with supplying boots for the 1933 expedition, 

and he was then commissioned to deliver general climbing footwear 

for John Hunt’s 1953 Everest expedition. Lined with opossum fur, 

sandwiched between two layers of leather and with a woollen felt 

inner sole (similar to the one used in 1924), but with a very thin 

rubber sole, the boots proved to work well for the conditions at the 

lower elevations. Small issues did appear, however, as expedition 

member Charles Wylie observed, “This thin vibram sole proved 

rather too thin and started coming away at the toes.” The matter was 

quickly resolved by another team member, Wilfrid Noyce, who had 

spent three days with Lawrie training in shoe repair before setting

56 



off for the expedition. 



The summit boots were a totally different game, however. The 

challenge was to create footwear that would balance weight and 

durability. The 1953 Everest team believed that high altitude boots 

did not have to be that durable, as they would be needed only for 

the few weeks during which the summit push was made. At the 

same time, though, they did have to be strong enough to take 

crampons and to kick in steps in the snow, and warm enough to get 

to the end of the expedition without suffering from frostbite. 

Furthermore, a good level of waterproofness was desirable to 

prevent the boots from getting wet and consequently freezing up. 

So, with this simple and straightforward idea in mind, the 

expedition members approached SATRA, a technology centre based 

in Kettering, and left them with the task of creating boots that 

would take the 1953 British team to the top of Sagarmatha. 

SATRA’s Director of Research, Harry Bradley, had to come up with 

a revolutionary design far removed from the thigh-length, bulky 

deerskin cocoons commonly used at that time by climbers. He was 

tasked with preparing four pairs of prototype boots less than a year 

before the expedition, and so his team got to work pretty quickly. A 

lightweight, flexible leather with a good level of water repellency 

was desirable for the uppers, and glacé kid was chosen for the task. 

Once sprayed with latex (an added twist), the uppers would give 

good protection when trudging through wet snow. 

Right next to the uppers (which were deliberately designed to be a 

bit wider to accommodate insulation), was a thick layer of 

insulation made of kapok fibres. Kapok, also known as silk cotton 

or Java cotton, refers to a tropical tree and to the fibre it produces. 

With its resistance to clumping and a cellular structure which does a 

great job in trapping air, it is proven to be a perfect insulating 

material. Originally used for stuffing toys, life jackets and WW2 

flying suits, kapok gradually lost its battle in favour of polyester 

stuffing. 

The inner lining of the 1953 boots was a rubberised fabric. When 

combined with the rubberised leather insole, all the seams of which

57 



were sealed with latex, it created a kind of inner boot, which 

worked as vapour barrier. This innovation prevented the insulation 

being dampened by sweaty feet, which could have adversely 

affected its efficacy. Wet feet would not be a problem so long as they 

were kept warm, and so the climbers’ feet were further protected 

against the cold by adding a 10mm high-grade felt under sole and an 

outsole of the same thickness. The outsole was made from a microcellular 

resin rubber with hand-cut lugs. 



To offer additional protection against the snow, the boots supplied 

with removable rubberised stockinettes. However, they weren’t 

strong enough for the task. As expedition member Charles Wylie 

wrote, “The thin outer covers proved too weak over this period, and 

developed tears and holes through which snow entered and wet the 

boot. The Swiss system of a detachable gaiter, as worn by Tenzing… 

would be better”. Nevertheless, both the climbing and the highaltitude 

boots were designed with a low cut, as this would make it 

easier to slip your foot into a frozen boot. Even the lacing holes 

were eliminated in favour of ‘D’ rings, as it would make the 

tightening of laces easier with frozen fingers. 

The boot tests were conducted in the Swiss Alps during December 

1952. With a total weight of 1.9 kg, they were a kilo lighter than the 

boots used by the Swiss on earlier expeditions. The innovative 

design of the SATRA boots not only helped the mountaineers to 

conquer Everest, but also saved them from getting frostbite. 

Conquering K2 in Deer Fur 

A year later, in 1954, the mountaineering world was a witness to yet 

another incredible achievement: the ascent of K2 by an Italian team. 

The summiteers, Compagnoni and Lacedelli, wore Dolomite kneelength, 

high-altitude boots that were made from deer fur with 

opossum liners. Equipped with Vibram soles, the boots gave them a 

better grip on icy and mixed state surfaces. 

Just as the history of mountaineering is full of fascinating stories, so 

too is the development of the gear which aided climbers in their 

pursuit of the world’s mountain summits. And the development of

58 

the Vibram sole is one such story. 



Italian mountaineer Vitale Bramani lost six of his friends in a 

climbing accident in 1935. This horrific accident was partly due to 

the climbers’ unsuitable footwear, and so Bramani set himself the 

goal of improving the grip of climbing boots. 

It took two years of research and close cooperation with the Pirelli 

automobile tyre company before the first Vibram sole was born. 

Like the tyres, the sole used vulcanised rubber technology. 

Designed to provide good grip in all conditions by preventing the 

snow from sticking, the sole featured cross-pattern lugs and had a 

thick base over a thinner bearing surface. Bramani’s determination 

led him to create soles that nowadays are used in almost any high 

performance boots designed for extreme environments and are 

recognised by a yellow, lozenge-shaped logo. 

The Fantastic Plastics 

It took nearly 25 years to change the design of mountaineering 

footwear. Leather boots gradually gave a way to new boot 

technology: plastic mountaineering boots. In the early 1970s, ski 

boot makers started to experiment with plastic boots for high 

altitude use, but it wasn’t until 1978 when Koflach of Austria 

created plastic shelled mountain boots. Ed Viesturs, an American 

climber who used Koflach boots on all of his 8,000m peaks, wrote 

in his bestselling book No Shortcuts to the Top that, “The old 

leather boots that climbers favored for more than a century are 

vastly inferior to plastics, because leather absorbs moisture, which 

then freezes. It’s a natural recipe for frostbite.” 

A British climber, Andy Parkin, also used both leather and plastics. 

In an email conversation he pointed out that, “My first big boots 

were in leather, so heavy and they could get wet. In 1982 I went to 

the Karakorum and had plastic Koflach boots and they were much 

better, though not so warm. In 1983 I used them on Broad Peak and 

on summit day cold feet were a problem. The same year on K2 I 

climbed to 8,000 meters on a new route and they were okay.”

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Known also as double boots, they were built of a plastic outer shell 

and had an insulated inner boot. They were first produced with felt 

liners which were later swapped for closed cell foam inners. These 

were named after the sole itself, Alveolit. Having a removable inner 

boot allowed for its replacement when it had been used and abused 

after years of climbing, and the stiff plastic shell was tough enough 

for kicking steps in the snow. 

Climbing Everest in ‘Wedges’ 

While plastics were gaining popularity in Western Europe, climbers 

from Poland came up with yet another footwear design. During the 

first ever winter ascent of Everest in the 1980, Polish mountaineers 

Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki used boots with a 5cm cork 

outsole. Cork seemed to be a perfect insulation from the cold, but it 

made climbers feel like they were walking on wedges. The boots 

were the brainchild of expedition team leader Andrzej Zawada, and 

nowadays can be admired in the Museum of Sport and Tourism in 

Warsaw. 

State-of-the-Art High-Altitude Boots 

Technological progress over the last few decades has led to creation 

of the warmest mountaineering boots currently available on the 

market. Known as the ‘triple’ boot or ‘single boot system’, they 

have been designed from scratch for expedition use, which should 

be read as plodding in the snow rather than technical ice climbing. 

As Andy Parkin told me, “The thing is the boots used now are 

specially built for the cold with better materials. The problem with 

them is that some are not so rigid for hard climbing.” 

There are a number of companies specialising in the production of 

triple boots, including Asolo, Millet, Scarpa, La Sportiva, and Lowa. 

Their all-in-one boots tend to have similar designs, with an 

overboot extending to a built-in, knee-length gaiter and a removable 

inner boot.

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Asolo Manaslu GV 

For the last 30 years, Asolo has been developing footwear solutions 

for various types of mountain boots. The Asolo Manaslu GV has 

been created to aid mountaineers in their pursuit of climbing the 

highest peaks in the most extreme conditions. 

The sole system is built of a Vibram Mulaz outsole, which provides 

excellent durability and better traction, whereas the dual-density, 

microporous rubber midsole has PU inserts (front and back) to fit 

crampons. Rigid carbon and fibreglass lasting board, and 400g of 

Primaloft insulation located under the footbed (designed to stop the 

cold from getting in through the sole), together with Manaslu felt 

and cambrelle (a synthetic fabric that absorbs perspiration), creates a 

sole system which gives a solid base for the foot. 

The outer shell provides the first point of protection from the 

elements. Its upper part, a gaiter which runs up to knee height, is 

constructed from a highly abrasive-resistant Cordura. The gaiter is 

further reinforced with additional Cordura and Kevlar laminates. 

The inner lining of the gaiter is composed of a Gore-Tex Extended 

Comfort Footwear membrane, Gore-Tex being the best waterproof 

material currently available on the market. The shell below the 

gaiter is also built of Cordura, with 2mm of felt. This is then lined 

with 4mm polyester, with an added aluminium layer plus velveteen. 

Additional protection from crampons is also possible thanks to the 

rubber rands running around each boot. 

The climber’s feet are additionally protected by an inner boot made 

from breathable polyester and microfibres. 200g of Primaloft 

insulation provides a powerful barrier against the cold. The textured 

outsole of the inner boot gives better grip on the outer boot and 

when inner boots are used alone on a quick pop outside the tent. 

Overall, the boots’ design makes them easier to put them on and 

take off, especially with big mittens on. Instead of laces, the outer 

shell has a zip covered with a Velcro strap which runs through the 

entire length of the boot on its side. The inner and outer boot 

double lacing system has been simplified for an ideal fit.

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With a total weight of 3kg, the Asolo boots are a great match for 

high alpine pursuits and were used by doctors and scientists on the 

Xtreme Everest 2007 expedition, when they reached the summit to 

carry out medical experiments on hypoxia. 

Looking back, we might well think that boots from the early 1920s 

were not suitable for high-altitude climbing, as no modern-day 

mountaineer would survive in such basic footwear. When examining 

the development of high-altitude boots over the last century, 

however, it is easy to get carried away with our criticism of the early 

Everest expeditions. Indeed, many climbers have expressed their 

disbelief at Mallory and Irvine’s possible achievement. In 1980, an 

Italian climber, Reinhold Messner, who that year soloed Everest and 

two years earlier was the first to climb Everest without 

supplemental oxygen (together with Habeler), expressed his doubts 

that Mallory could have ever reach the top with such a poor 

equipment. Conrad Anker, a well-known American mountaineer, 

who in 1999 found Mallory’s body and, later, set out to conquer 

Everest dressed in replicas of the 1920s gear, concluded that, "It’s 

phenomenal that they were able to get to 28,000 feet [8,530 metres] 

in what I would basically call clothing you’d wear to walk through 

the forest.” 

As the design, fabrics and technology for making high-altitude 

boots have improved over the decades, the one thing that remains 

unchanged is our desire to achieve the almost impossible, to climb 

the highest mountains. And if anyone is wondering why that might 

be the case, Mallory’s words sum it up well: “Because it’s there.” 

Ascent Boots: The Asolo Ascender GV Women 

While mountaineering boots are specifically designed to perform well 

at high altitudes, the footwear required for an expedition approach 

trek is of a rather simpler build. The Asolo Ascender is a perfect 

match for such a trek as its lightness (770g per boot), makes them 

comfortable in warm temperatures, whilst the rigid design gives a 

good grip on rocks and difficult approach paths.

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Featuring the new Vibram sole with Dual Integrated System (DIS) 

technology, these boots absorb impact better than earlier models and 

hold well while braking on rough terrain. The sole system is 

reinforced with a dual-density, microporous rubber midsole which 

include DIS PU inserts so you can use semi-automatic or automatic 

crampons if you need to trek across a glacier or difficult snowy parts. 

I really like the rubber rands around the boot, which protects the 

leather from crampon cuts or being damaged by sharp rocks. 

The uppers of the boots are made from high-resistance polyamide 

fabric (an innovative textile used to minimise the weight), and 1.6– 

1.8mm of suede. The tongue expands out, so it’s not necessary to 

loosen the laces all of the way down. This makes the boots very easy 

to put boots on and take it off. 

Once tightened, the slightly higher uppers give solid ankle support 

and force the heel to stay in the same place, preventing it from lifting 

up when trekking. With Gore-Tex Performance Comfort Footwear, 

inner lining offers superb waterproofness and breathability, a crucial 

feature of any trekking boot. Although that they look and feel stiffer 

than any other hiking boots, the fact that they are so light makes 

them the right shoes to use for Via Ferrate in Italy, or winter climbing 

in Scotland (albeit with extra socks). 

The Ascender has a rather narrow cut, which is perfect for my petit 

feet. However, even when I tried them on with a heavy 

mountaineering socks, there was still enough room at the front. This 

is especially important when hiking on a terrain with a lot of elevation 

gain. Going downhill can be rather painful for your toes, as the foot 

tends to slide towards the front of the boot, pushing on the toes. I 

didn’t have this issue with the Ascender. 

And the most important piece of the design, these are women’s boots 

and yet they are purple! No more pink!

63 

On Location: 

Siberian Field Test

Sophie Ibbotson & Max Lovell Hoare 

Images © Maximum Exposure Productions 

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What We 

Tested 


Height: 5’5 

Build: Small 

Base Layers: 

SmartWool Mid 250 Crew (S); 

Odlo Revolution Underwear 

Jackets: 

Fjall Raven Sarek Winter (XS); 

Odlo Cocoon X Jacket (S) 

Trousers: 

Fjällräven Winter Pro (29”); 

Jack Wolfskin Rainfall Pants (38) 

Socks: 

Rohan Climate - Cool & Cold (UK 

6-8); 

Baffin Merino (M) 

Boots: 

Baffin Sno Goose (US 9); 

Bogs WS Tacoma Tall (US 9) 

Gloves: 

Baffin Gauntlet (S); 

Gushlow and Cole Full Palm Mitt 

(One size) 

Accessories: 

Icebreaker Merino Flexi Chute (One 

size); 

Max Lovell-Hoare 

Height: 5’10 

Build: Medium 

Base Layers: 

Baffin Base Layer (M); 

Mountain Warehouse Asgard (M); 

Rohan Merino 150 Leggings (M) 

Jackets: 

Baffin Polar Parka (M) 

Trousers: 

Baffin Polar Pants (M) 

All-in-one: 

Canada Goose Riggers Coverall (M) 

Socks: 

Keela 300 Series (UK 9.5-12) 

Boots: 

Baffin Ice Breaker (US 12); 

Bogs Classic Mid (US 12) 

Gloves: 

Baffin Polar Mitt (M) 

Accessories: 

Outdoor Research Sonic Balaclava 

(One size); 

Snowline Chainsen Pro Ice Spikes (L)

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On Location: Siberian Field Test 





There is inhospitable weather in inhospitable places, and then there 

is winter in Siberia. If you are going to trial extreme weather gear, 

from boots and socks to base layers and insulated jackets, there can 

be no better - nor more beautiful - part of the world to go to. The 

polar regions may score lower readings on the thermometer, but no 

one actually has to live there. In Siberia, it’s an entirely different 

story. There is a human population - more than 6 million people - 

with a desire to live, work and play outdoors as well as inside, and 

in order to do so safely and comfortably, they need to be properly 

equipped. If a product can stand up to the climatic challenges here, 

it will stand you in good stead anywhere warmer in the world. 

For the first On Location field test we picked Lake Baikal, the 

world’s largest lake by volume of water. Just to the east of Irkutsk in 

south-central Siberia, the upper portion of the lake freezes 

completely solid for six months of the year, when it becomes a 

winter sports hub. There are ski resorts overlooking the lake; the 

Irkutsk Ski Marathon takes place here each March; and in between 

you can try your hand at ice driving, husky racing, snow moiling 

and ice fishing. A few crazy souls even have a go at ice cycling. 

There is therefore ample opportunity to test out clothing in all 

manner of different, real-world scenarios, really putting it through 

its paces. 

The field test took place in mid March 2015, the tail end of the 

Siberian winter, though the lake is still well frozen. Our 

thermometer registered a balmy -27 Celsius in the early morning, 

and there was a clear sky and bright sunshine for much of the time. 

Uncovered fingers burned with the wind chill, as did the ends of 

our noses, but at the same time it was possible to get quite warm 

inside all the layers once you were running around. We were 

therefore looking to establish which items could keep the cold at 

bay, whilst not overheating the body parts inside. 

The Boots 

Between us we tested four pairs of thermal boots, the Baffin Ice

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Breaker Baffin and Snow Goose, and the Bogs WS Tacoma Tall 

and the Bogs Classic Mid. Loosely speaking, the Baffin boots are 

serious work boots, designed for polar expeditions and mining 

camps in the back end of Alaska, and Bogs cater to the more fashion 

conscious end of the market: these are boots you could wear out 

and about at home, as well as in the wild. That said, the Bogs Classic 

Mid are still temperature rated down to -40 Celsius, so our field test 

was well within their capacity. 

The Baffin Ice Breaker are designed for men and they are bulky: 

packing them into your luggage would leave little space for 

anything else, so I [Max] wore mine on the flight out from London 

to Moscow, and on my domestic flight too. Inside and in ordinary 

temperatures, my feet were certainly rather too warm, though to 

give them their due, the boots did breathe. What surprised me most, 

however, is that in spite of their size, these boots are remarkably 

light. They don’t feel heavy when you are wearing them: the weight 

is no greater than that of a regular pair of hiking boots. 

The Baffin Ice Breaker has a thick, rubber sole that gives grip and 

also a substantial degree of insulation against the cold of the ice. The 

grip on these boots was superior to that on the other three pairs we 

tested. The upper part of the boot is a mixture of leather and 

synthetic panels. The Ice Breaker is wide across the arch of your 

foot and on the calf, so it’d certainly be possible to wear multiple 

pairs of socks or padded trousers with them, though in my view the 

boots are warm enough already without these additional layers of 

insulation. The lacing at the front at first looks to be cosmetic (you 

don’t need to undo it to get the boots on) but in fact means that you 

can tighten or loosen the top part of the boot to accommodation 

thick trousers or to keep a draft at bay. 

The closest women’s option to the Ice Breaker is the Baffin Sno 

Goose. These boots are a little smaller and lighter, but still good 

down to -70 Celsius, so you’ll have no complaints on that front. I 

[Sophie] perpetually suffer from cold feet, and so the thought of 

being stood out on the ice for days on end filled me with dread. I 

needn’t have worried. Not once did I feel the cold in the Sno Goose, 

and I’ve gone on to wear them about the house too! 

Image Opposite: Fjall Raven Sarek Winter and Fjall Raven Winter Pro

69 



The lining of both the Baffin Sno Goose and the Ice Breaker has 

two interesting features worthy of note. It looks like a honeycomb, 

trapping physical pockets of air, and there are also layers of silver 

foil, reflecting the heat back it. You can take out the linings to clean 

or replace them (Baffin sells the replacement liners) but it would 

take a great deal of wear for this to become a necessity: they seem 

pretty indestructible, and providing you wear them with socks, 

shouldn’t start to smell too bad. 

The Bogs WS Tacoma Tall (image opposite, bottom) is a good 

looking boot, especially in red, and although it is modelled on a 

wellington boot, it is far more fitted to the shape of the calf. The 

rubber outer skin makes it completely waterproof, but inside that 

there is a layer of thermal insulation, ensuring you remain warm as 

well as dry. Recognising the challenges of pulling on boots whilst 

wearing gloves, Bogs have included a handle on the side of the boots 

so that you can get a grip. It’s a simple but smart design feature that 

really helps numb hands. 

The rubber sole on these was not as thick as on the Sno Goose, but 

it gave ample grip on snow and where there was a snow coating on 

top of the ice. Slippage only occurred on sheet ice, which is fair 

enough. The combination of the Bogs WS Tacoma Tall with the 

Baffin Merino socks worked particularly well: the socks didn’t slip 

down inside, and my toes stayed toasty warm. 

The Bogs Classic Mid (image opposite, top) are a shorter, stockier 

boot that would work as well on the dairy farm as out in the snow. 

They come in two versions, mid-calf length and knee-high, and in 

this instance we tested the former. Again, they have the side handle 

for ease of getting them on and off, but there is one notable 

difference between these and the Bogs WS Tacoma. In the Bogs 

Classic, only the bottom part of the boot is made from rubber. This 

includes the sole, and the section up to ankle height. Above this, the 

boot is made from very thick neoprene. This means that it is a lot 

more flexible than a rubber boot, whilst still having sufficient 

structure to hold its own. It is still waterproof, though you would 

be a little concerned about scratching or tearing it if you were 

tromping through spiky undergrowth.

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Having fallen several times on the more slippery patches of ice, I 

[Max] did also try the Snowline Chainsen Ice Spikes. These metal 

spikes, which come in a plastic case small enough to fit in your 

pocket, can be stretched across the soles of any boots. They were a 

better fit with the Bogs Classic Mid than the bulkier Baffin Ice 

Breaker, but in both cases did certainly give me additional, welcome 

grip. The ice was very solid, meaning that I needed to stomp rather 

than step in order to scratch into its surface enough, but on thinner 

ice, or a mixture of ice and snow, this would not have been 

necessary. 

Outer Layers 

Canada Goose has devised the ultimate onesie: the Canada Goose 

Riggers Coverall (image opposite). If you are a self-respecting adult 

male, but still see the appeal of a baby grow, this is the outfit for 

you. You can step outside wearing a down sleeping bag with a furry 

hood, and no one will think any the worse of you for it. This 

Canada Goose is cool. 

Aesthetically, the Canada Goose Riggers Coverall is pretty pleasing. 

It’s not too bulky, at a distance it looks like you’re wearing a 

matching jacket and trousers, and the colour is sensible: not 

everyone wants to look like a colour blind snow boarder. The 

Canada Goose logo on the pocket is large enough to tell everyone 

around you that this is the real deal, but not so huge that it screams 

“brand” at them from a distance. It’s a strip of real fur on the hood, 

which although not to everyone’s taste, at least doesn’t sweat and 

itch, unlike its synthetic equivalent. 

The drawback to the Riggers Coverall is getting it on or off. I [Max] 

found that it was too hot to wear with anything other than base 

layers underneath, and so when I wanted to put it on, I had to strip 

down to almost nothing. This was ok the first time when I did it 

inside, but changing outside on the ice later on in the day meant that 

I was temporarily absolutely freezing, with drafts in all the wrong 

places. You also have to remove your boots to get your feet in, and 

the legs of the trousers were too snug to go over the outside of the 

boots, but too bulky to fit inside. An elasticated panel down the

73 



side, or some other way of adjusting the width of the trouser leg, 

would help in this regard. 

The men’s alternative to the Riggers Coverall was the Baffin Polar 

Parka and Pants. Designed primarily for polar expeditions, as the 

name suggests, it’d be fair to say that you could sleep out under the 

stars in this get up, at least for several hours, and still not feel the 

cold. The jacket and pants are bulky (they took up almost an entire 

Eagle Creek duffle bag on their own) but they are not heavy: most 

of it seems to be fluff. You can pull the hood as tightly around your 

face as you like (on occasions it is tempting only to have your eyes 

showing), and there are ample pockets with zips. Another zip and 

poppers on the side of the trousers legs means that you don’t have 

to take off the trousers to get your boots on, which is an advantage 

over the Canada Goose offering. 



The only downsides of the Baffin Polar Parka and Pants are the way 

that they make you look. It’s not a pretty sight (image opposite)! 

Even a moderately sized person is going to look like the Michelin 

man, and the products only come in orange (marketed as gold). It is 

not an outfit for the vain, but if warmth is your only priority, it will 

certainly meet expectation. 

Neither of the above outer layer options are available for women 

(you’d have to buy the Small size and puff up your chest), so I 

[Sophie] opted for the Fjall Raven Sarek Winter Jacket and Fjall 

Raven Winter Pro Trousers, which are made from the same rustcoloured, 

slightly canvasy fabric. The jacket is padded and with a 

faux-fur trim, but there’s no insulation in the trousers, so I also 

chose the Jack Wolfskin Rainfall Pants as an interim layer between 

the Winter Pro and my base layers. 

This outfit has style. The jacket and trousers are both well cut, with 

sufficient room to accommodate the layers beneath, but not so 

much that you end up looking misshapen. The fabric is water and 

wind resistant and there are a good number of well-situated pockets, 

which is not always the case with women’s clothing. There’s a 

substantial-sized zip pull on the main zip, which is advantageous as 

it means you can do the jacket up (or undo it) without having to

74 



take off your gloves or fiddle too hard with cold, numb fingers. 

In the bright sun of midday, the Sarek Winter Jacket was warm 

enough: I’d estimate it’d good to around -20 Celsius. Later in the 

day when it was more overcast and the wind picked up, however, it 

wasn’t quite as warm as I’d have liked. I therefore added the Odlo 

Cocoon X Jacket as a mid layer, and this seemed to be the ideal 

combination. The visor from the latter does look a little odd, though 

it can be folded back under the hood. The Odlo Cocoon X packs 

away to almost nothing, so would easily fit into the pocket of the 

Sarek Winter Jacket if the day became fine and you no longer 

needed the extra insulation. 

Base Layers 

For comparison purposes, we both tested two sets of base layers. 

For men, the Baffin Base Layer comprises two parts, top and pants, 

and they have a stream-lined look akin to cycling or rowing lycras. 

The fabric is synthetic and fits close to the skin, but surprisingly it 

doesn’t sweat. It’s available in a women’s version too. There was a

75 



brief period around mid day when the air temperature was warm 

enough to strip off my jacket, and then I [Max] could just about get 

away (for a few minutes at least) with wearing the top on its own. 

The Mountain Warehouse Asgard, a zip neck top, doesn’t have an 

equivalent long-john part, so I twinned it with the Rohan Merino 

150 Leggings. Both these products contain a component of merino 

wool, making them gloriously soft. They’re noticeably thicker than 

the Baffin Base Layer, but you feel cosy, and I’d certainly consider 

wearing the Asgard as a top in its own right in slightly warmer 

climes. 



The two women’s options were the SmartWool Mid 250 Crew; and 

the Odlo Revolution Underwear. In terms of warmth, the 

SmartWool slightly has the edge, but as I only had the top half, not 

the leggings, that might only be 50% of the story. The Odlo 

Revolution Underwear comes in several variations: I had the longsleeved, 

crew neck t-shirt and the leggings, both in bright pink (the 

other option being mid grey). The cut of these is unusually 

flattering for base layers, and the top would work as a t-shirt, 

though it was too cold on this occasion to try that. The fabric 

certainly kept me warm, and was comfortable all day long, but it did 

develop slight sweat patches, which didn’t seem to be an issue with 

the SmartWool. 

Accessories 

We had two criteria for gloves in Siberia: they had to keep your 

fingers and hands warm; and they had to enable you to carry out 

basic tasks, including doing up zips, opening bags etc. There’s little 

point in having gloves on if you lose the use of your hands. Between 

us, we tried three pairs of gloves and mitts: the Baffin Gauntlet, the 

Baffin Polar Mitt and the Gushlow and Cole Full Palm Mitt. 

There are two major contrasts between these products: the target 

market; and the materials. Baffin is an extreme weather brand, and 

the Gauntlet (gloves) and Polar Mitt are purposefully designed for 

expedition wear. They are padded, made from synthetic materials, 

and have rubberised sections to give you added grip. Far removed 

Image Opposite: Sophie wearing an Odlo Cocoon X Jacket

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Image: Baffin Polar Mitt 

from this is Guslow and Cole, a women’s fashion firm working 

predominantly with sheepskin and shearling. The Full Palm Mitt 

has a thick sheepskin exterior, lined and trimmed with a longer fur. 

So how did they stand up in our test? 

From a warmth perspective, all three products did very well indeed. 

The Baffin items are much bulkier, and possibly had the edge in 

terms of toasty finger tips, but it was a fine line indeed. The 

Gushlow and Cole Full Palm Mitt felt cosier, and you could always 

scrunch your fingers satisfactorily against the furry lining. 

The challenge came in terms of dexterity. Both pairs of mitts were 

immediately out: you had to take them off in order to be able to 

anything other than lifting an object or hanging on to the handle of 

a dog sled or skidoo. That only left the Baffin Gauntlet, of which we 

had one pair between the two of us. The smallest size these come in 

is a Small, which was just about ok for Max (usually a size Medium) 

but too large for me [Sophie]. Even in these, there was no chance of 

doing up a button or anything similarly fiddly. We concluded that 

the best option would have been one of the pairs of mittens but with 

a thinner pair of gloves inside so that your hands still had some 

protection once the outer layer was removed. 

The final two items in the trial were the Icebreaker Merino Flexi 

Chute and the Outdoor Research Sonic Balaclava. The 

functionality of these two items is the same - they keep your neck

78 



warm by excluding drafts - but the shape is a little different. The 

Flexi Chute rolls down into multiple layers around your neck 

(though could probably be pulled up at the back to cover your 

head) and the Sonic Balaclava is designed to fully cover your head 

and sides of your face, as well as your neck. Being made of merino 

wool, the Flexi Chute is nicer to the touch and more breathable, but 

if you didn’t have the jacket hood up, it tended to ride down and 

leave you with an inch or two of vulnerable neck just below the 

hairline. There was no such problem with the Sonic Balaclava on 

account of its shape. 

Conclusion 

If we could only walk away from this field test with one item each, 

we’d choose the Baffin Sno Goose and Baffin Ice Breaker boots. 

They were, quite simply, superb. They performed exactly as we 

needed them to, they were exceptionally comfortable, and they 

didn’t sweat. What is more, both styles are incredible value for 

money: specialist kit typically comes with a hefty price tag, but 

these cost no more than a good pair of hiking boots. If you’re 

planning an arctic expedition, a solo trek across Siberia, or simply 

want to sit indefinitely on a glacier, watching the view but without 

losing your toes to frostbite, these are the boots to buy. 

With the clothing, proper layering was key. None of the items we 

tested are designed to stand alone, and you shouldn’t expect them 

to. The natural fibre base layers feel best against your skin, and also 

seem to be better at wicking away sweat quickly. Using the Odlo 

Cocoon X, the light, insulated jacket, as a mid layer worked well, 

and when combined with the Fjall Raven Sarek Winter jacket and 

Vidda Pro trousers, the complete outfit was ideal for the climate. 

On a future occasion we’d also be inclined to try the men’s version - 

the slightly heavier weight Fjall Raven Kyl Parka - as this would 

seem to be a good (and possibly slightly more flexible) alternative to 

the Canada Goose Riggers Coverall. 

For individual item reviews, which include our star ratings, prices 

and where to buy them, see the Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide 

Listings.

79 

Nuala Moore 

Image: Nuala Moore (left) and Anne-Marie Ward (right). 

Courtesy of Nuala Moore.

In Full: 

Mullion Aquafloat Superior 

Jacket & Trousers 

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In Full: Mullion Aquafloat Superior Jacket & Trousers 

Nuala Moore 

Every review in the RAJ Gear Guide is written by a World Explorer 

after extensive field testing. But the ratings you read in the listings 

only reflect a tiny proportion of this work. Why did they give the 

product the ratings they did? How good does something have to be 

to earn five stars? What expertise and experience does the tester they 

have that makes them a credible reviewer? 

In Full is designed to give you all the details, and in this first issue 

we’ve asked extreme swimmer Nuala Moore to give us the lowdown 

on her Mullion Aquafloat Superior Jacket and Trousers. 



So, who is Nuala Moore? 

I am an ice swimmer and extreme swimmer, but I also spend a lot of 

time in Zodiacs and exposed to all the elements of nature. I swim in 

temperatures of zero degrees Celsius, swimming multiple times in 

one day and I also swim for as long as 23 minutes in ice. I’m one of 

very few swimmers in the world to have competed 1000m at Zero 

degrees, twice. I have swum in ice in Siberia-Eastern Russia when 

the air temperature was 40 below; and I swam from Russia to USA 

across the Bering Strait in relay, and also off the southern tip of 

Argentina. 

My safety and survival depends on my body's ability to maintain its 

body heat and also to recover between swims. Clothing is 

everything. For many adventurers, they wrap up when it comes to 

air temperatures this low. I have to remove all my clothing and 

expose my body to life threatening temperatures, and then recover. 

I have worn the Sioen range since 2006, starting with the Immersion 

Flotation suit (which is a one-piece) and then moving onto the twopiece 

Mullion Aquafloat Superior Jacket and Trousers which I 

review below: 

Mullion Aquafloat Superior Jacket and Trousers 

Aesthetics: 4/5 

The jacket and the trousers both give the appearance of bulk and 

masculinity, but the moment you put them on, they look so 

appropriate (and the material is so soft) that they do not seem bulky 

Image Opposite Top: Bering Straits. Courtesy of Nuala Moore. 

Image Opposite Middle and Bottom Courtesy of Mullion.

82 


AAAAA 

at all. The colours are excellent, and the design 

really gives them a sense of purpose. The pockets 

are perfect and they really fit into the extreme 

environment. 

Functionality: 5/5 

This equipment is amazing. My priorities are 

protection from the elements, and also the ability 

to reheat my body and to protect it from 

hypothermia. The ability of the jacket and 

trousers to withstand the highest levels of 

moisture and wind is colossal. I was sitting 

exposed in 80-knot winds in the middle of the 

night in the Bering Strait on a Zodiac and I was 

100% comfortable. 

In Siberia, I stood in -33 degrees Celsius for hours 

without ever feeling cold. The material does not 

allow the external elements in and the thermal 

properties keep the body temperature optimal. 

You don’t overheat at all. 

You can wear the jacket and trousers indoors also

83

84 

In Full: Mullion Aquafloat Superior Jacket & Trousers 

In Full: Mullion Aquasport Superior Jacket & Trousers 

Nuala Moore 

Nuala Moore 

without getting too hot. In my sport of ice swimming, maintaining 

body temperature as I stand around before my swims, and then 

reheating my body immediately afterwards, is integral to my safety 

as much as it is to my success. Clothing must be able to withstand 

the body moisture as it reheats, and it is possible to pull the trousers 

on immediately for recovery without the insides becoming too 

damp. I would never leave home for my ice swims with anything 

else. 

The pockets in the jacket and trousers are brilliant. They are fleecelined 

for your hands. The ankles and sleeves also have closures to 

prevent draughts. My favourite aspect is that they come equipped 

with reflectors, which allows me to be visible at night. The hood is 

bright yellow and reflective. 

Durability: 5/5 

I have travelled around the world with my immersion suits and my 

jackets on multiple expeditions in extreme conditions. The material 

has never torn, frayed, or even shown signs of abuse. I lie on 

concrete and I sit on the wet floors of boats and still the material 

does not show signs of wear. My fleece and my immersion suits are 

eight years old and still my favourite suits. I roll and bundle the 

material, but it bounces back to perfection. 

Comfort: 5/5 

I would sleep in it. I was once in an extreme casualty situation after 

swimming for 40 minutes in 3 degrees Celsius water at altitude. The 

weather took a turn for the worse and the team bundled me into my 

immersion suit. When the rescue services arrived, the winch 

operator stated to the medics that “her core temperature was 

preserved by her survival suit”. Resting in this suit is perfect. 

Value for money: 5/5 

I have paid much more money for much less value. The jacket is 

marketed for £149 and the trousers for £99, and their durability 

makes them a supreme investment for any person engaged in an 

outdoor life connected with extreme weather. 

Total Score: 4.8/5 (RAJ Gear Guide Gold Star) 

Give it the gold star! 

Image Opposite: Nuala Moore in the zone! Courtesy of Nuala Moore.

85 

Part TWO

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87 

Best of...Base Layers 

Ben Maxfield 

Best of... 

Base Layers 

So base layers are the garment closest to your skin. They can range 

in price from £4.99 to £49.99, so what’s the difference? What makes 

base layers so special? 

Well, the first thing I always hear people say when they are giving 

advice on base layers is don’t wear cotton. But why? What is so bad 

about the material we wear most as a nation? Firstly, let’s look at 

what a base layer is supposed to do: it should wick the moisture 

away from your body and dry quickly when wet. 

The clothing on your skin should also act an an insulator when the 

air temperature is lower than your body temperature. With cotton, 

moisture collects in the fabric holes and stays wet. As a result, it will 

become heavy and make you cold. Despite this, some polar 

explorers used to swear by it, but ensuring it didn’t get wet. I guess 

they didn’t sweat much. 

Wool also fails to wick moisture away and traps sweat, but it is the 

only fabric which will still insulate when wet. Be warned though: it 

can retain over 35% of its dry weight in water! Merino wool, which 

is like regular sheep’s wool but without the itchiness, has come a 

long way though, and it is definitely my preference now. 

Silk is often used for base layers. It is obviously very comfortable, 

dries quickly, and is very thin. Silk base layers don’t always last that 

long and, to be honest, they can start to smell quite quickly. Before I 

dared talk to anyone about it, in my teenage years, I used to think I 

was allergic to it because it made me smell so bad. I thought I was 

different… It turns out I’m odd for different reasons! 

Ben Maxfield

88 

Jack Wolfskin Passion 

Trail Seamless LS 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 5 

Functionality: 5 

Value for Money: 4 

Total Score: 4.6 (RAJ Gold Star) 

There is no doubt about it, Jack Wolfskin 

have really done something special here. I 

tested this over a period of tough climbing 

days and the seamless design is incredibly 

comfortable. It doesn’t suffer from the 

odour problems that many base layers do, 

and it always seems to feel dry. If you’re into 

comfort, this could be the base layer for 

you. 

Smartwool Next to Skin (NTS) 

150 Crew 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 



Total Score: 4.4 

Smartwool is a brand name many people 

won’t yet have heard of, but they have 

produced a very snug fitting base layer that 

we tested in Russia. The base layer not only 

has 100% Merino wool, but also a UPF50+, 

which reduces the amount of UV rays the 

top will absorb. On top of this, they have 

added shoulder panels for extra comfort. 

Everything seems to be covered in this 

design. 

Image Courtesy of SmartWool.

89 


Ben Maxfield 

Paramo Grid Technic and Long Janes 

Aesthetics: 3 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 

Functionality: 4.5 



It’s obvious that Paramo has gone all out to produce a top of the 

range pair of garments. The top and leggings allow fantastic freedom 

of movement, and are very warm with great wicking abilities. The 

zip (which allows extra ventilation) is covered by material to stop 

the cold metal from hitting and irritating your chin. The thumb 

holes are great for anyone serious about layering. The top has a 

generous lower back length, which is ideal for snow sports. It 

doesn’t seem to matter what build you are, these base layers fit 

really well. 

Odlo Revolution Underwear 

Aesthetics: 4.5 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 




Odlo’s Revolution Underwear is a good example of silk polyester 

material and is really soft to touch as a result. They fit slim people 

particularly well. In our test they were warm all day in an area of 

snow and ice, and the reviewer didn’t overheat or sweat. 

Interestingly, these base layers must have breathed well as we got 

away with wearing them for several days straight without needing 

to wash them in between. The downside is the care you need to take 

washing them: it has to be a cold wash. 

Image Opposite: Courtesy of Odlo.


Ben Maxfield 

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91 


Ben Maxfield 

Ice Peak Bianka 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 



Total Score: 4 

Base layers aren’t just for walking, so we tested these the Ice Peak 

Bianka whilst riding across the countryside. They worked well in 

the layering system and there was no rubbing on the seams despite 

six hours in the saddle each day. Overall, these base layers were 

lightweight and comfortable, very warm, and were quick drying 

too. Whilst there is a limit to how attractive thermal underwear can 

be, this set is actually quite stylish. Please note, though, that these 

are made from polyester, so the top could not be worn for more 

than one day at a time without developing a distinct aroma! 

North Ridge Merino Convect 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 5 




North Ridge has really stepped things up this year with garments 

such as this base layer entering the market with a reasonable price 

tag and great performance. The North Ridge base layer was tested 

in Iceland by a team of mountaineers who all rated both the tops 

and bottoms highly, using them for the duration of the expedition 

and choosing not to change into anything else. The fit under the 

arms is comfortable and the sizing is forgiving. For its price, I 

would recommend this base layer for sure.

92 


Ben Maxfield 

Baffin Base Layers 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 




With seamless sides for comfort, this set of base layers looks 

particularly stylish. We found this base layer performed well in the 

sun as a long sleeved top, and were impressed with the body 

mapping system. Just be careful you don’t snag the top. 

Ice peak Beni 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 5 




This is the cheapest set we tested. The garments have short arms and 

legs, but these layers do work really well in cold conditions. The 

stitching in the pelvic area is uncomfortable for some, but over all it 

would work well for the day walker. Note that you will have to 

wash these layers after each day of use. 

Interesting fact… Merino wool fibres are about 1/7 the thickness of 

human hair! 

If you want a warm base layer then my advice would be go for 

Merino wool. But the best advice I can give you you is remember 

that a good layering system is the most important thing when it 

comes to performance.

93 

Best of...Insulated Jackets 

Ben Maxfield 

Best of... 

Insulated Jackets 

So what do we look for with an insulated jacket? What is an 

insulated jacket even for? Why are there so many different types? 

Well, an insulated jacket can be a down jacket (a jacket filled with 

duck or goose feathers), or it can be a synthetic alternative. 

Historically, down jackets have always been warmer and the 

preferred outer layer for serious mountaineers in Alpine conditions. 

They pack down small, they’re lightweight, they will keep you 

extremely warm, and they’ve come on a lot in the last few years, so 

they aren’t even all that bulky. 

However, synthetic jackets are particularly popular in the UK 

where the cold winters are damp. If your down jacket gets damp 

then it can collapse and won’t be as warm. A synthetic jacket can 

withstand the moisture, and if it gets wet it will still perform. 

Although they are typically heavier than their down equivalents, 

they are a little more versatile with layering systems, and can go 

over or under your waterproof shell. Never forget that an insulated 

jacket of any kind should never be a replacement for a waterproof 

shell. 

We are seeing more and more people using these types of jackets for 

every day use, and even wearing them to work on cold winter days. 

So what is best for you? Put simply it’s this: 

Dry and cold days: A down jacket will keep you warmer and more 

snug. 

Damp or wet cold days: Wear a synthetic jacket. 

Ben Maxfield

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Ben Maxfield 

Odlo Cocoon X 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 3 




Odlo is a serious outdoor brand, but with the Cocoon X they 

straddle the worlds of outdoor clothing and fashion: it’s a jacket 

likely to be picked up by image-conscious urbanites as well as those 

wearing it for what it was intended. The down is exceptionally 

light-weight and warm, though the outer fabric does feel a little too 

delicate. The hood has an integral visor, which is a nice touch and 

keeps the glare off your face, though this can be folded back inside 

if it’s getting in the way.

95 


Ben Maxfield 

Jack Wolfskin Argo 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 




This is a high quality 90/10 goose down jacket and it’s key feature is 

it’s lightweight design. At 220g for a size large. Thin material and an 

800 fill power, this is a great jacket for some Alpine hiking or 

perhaps a mid-layer on a damp winter day. Make sure you have a 

good waterproof jacket to go over the top when using in wet 

climates. 

Baffin Polar Parka 

Aesthetics: 3 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 4 




This is a probably a little more like a traditional down jacket at first 

glance, and the word ‘Parka’ in the title gives you some idea of the 

length of the jacket. It is a great 800 down-filled walking jacket or 

for someone who works in the outdoors and has to stand around 

for a while. It was used by one of our testers in Russia and it is fair 

to say slightly longer jackets are often a little more restrictive, it 

does have a good adjustable hood and a decent waterproof two-way 

zip. I think it would be rude not to mention the bright yellow 

colour which really stands out for those wanting to be seen.

96 


Ben Maxfield 

Berghaus Ramche 

Aesthetics: 2 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 3 




This is not only one of the warmest, but also one of the cleverest, 

pieces of gear in the range. With 850 down fill, this jacket is warm, 

and you can see that when looking at it. However, Berghaus have 

tried really hard to make this more water repellent and with a little 

bit of success: it does bead well, but as with any down jacket, you 

need to be cautious of this. This is early technology. Perhaps 

something to focus on is where they have filled the down. They 

have focused on the shape of the human body when it is active, and 

even which parts of your body need more insulation, so with good 

arm movement and focused insulation, this jacket is actually wellsuited 

for some serious mountaineering.

97 


Ben Maxfield 

Quechua Forclaz 700 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 5 



Total Score: 5 (RAJ Gold Star) 

This jacket is pretty sleek and could be confused for a synthetic 

jacket. It is only 700 Down fill but is very affordable. It has a really 

nice stitching pattern. It keeps your neck warm, but this is 

predominantly a second layer which would not be suitable for 

extreme conditions. A nice jacket on a cold winter day. 

Keela Belay and Munro 

Aesthetics: 4.5 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 4.5 



Total Score: 4 

The Belay and Munro are designed to be worn separately or 

together, so you can think of this as a two-part insulated jacket with 

a waterproof skin: that sets it apart from the other, non-waterproof 

jackets in this selection. The black and blue colour combination is 

attractive, and the fabrics used are strong. Both parts are welldesigned 

and versatile. The only downside is that because you need 

to buy two jackets rather than one in order to gain all the benefits, 

the Belay-Munro combo comes in at the more expensive end of the 

range.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

AAAAAAAAAAAAA 

98 


Ben Maxfield 

Ice Peak Eliana 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 




If you are going skiing and want to look good on the slopes, then 

this is the jacket for you. It looks brilliant, although the bright pink 

is possibly a little too garish for some. The panels look sleek and the 

snug cuffs are a thoughtful touch. We really rate this jacket highly, 

and although we wouldn’t recommend it for serious 

mountaineering, it is well-suited for a spot of cold climbing or 

hiking. 

RAB Nebula 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 



This is a great jacket and tested 

by an avid skier who knows 

what the cold is like. The jacket’s 

best features are that it packs into 

its own pocket, and the hood is 

fully adjustable so you can wear a helmet underneath it. The jacket 

is very versatile and, like most RAB down jackets, you can see they 

have spent some time on the styling. It fits well and drops slightly 

lower than most at the back.

99 

Toal 

Top Tip 

In the climbing world, insulated jackets 

are great for putting on and off to belay 

someone between pitches. They are 

durable and will warm you up quickly. 


Ben Maxfield 

Personally, I would add these to my winter 

layering system and make sure I have a 

waterproof shell which can be put on over 

the top. The trick to any layering system is 

to anticipate and predict: you don’t want to 

be caught out with your down jacket on the 

outside of your waterproof. 

For climbers: helmet hoods are your new 

best friend!

100 

Best of...Hiking Boots 

Ben Maxfield 

Best of... 

Hiking Boots 

As a mountaineer who has worked with adults and children, I have 

quite literally seen it all when it comes to boots. I’ve come to the 

conclusion that people don’t always ask the right question when 

they pick their footwear… So here it is, the big question: 

What boot is relevant to the area you will be using them in? 

Yes, comfort is important and we all like to wear something we like 

the look of, but it comes down to where you will be walking and 

what the terrain is like. After this, ask yourself, “What fits well?” 

So from lowland boots to 3- and 4-season boots, what’s the actual 

difference? Well, firstly the mid sole. The mid sole twists, and the 

more it twists, the more flexible the boot is, which is good for 

uneven paths. You also have to take into account the stiffness: 

mountaineering boots are very stiff so they can fit crampons, 

whereas a lot of lowland boots are so light and flexible that they can 

feel like you are wearing trainers. 

I would say that for walking, leather boots will last longer. When I 

get boots fitted, I always look for good grip and check that the 

width is correct. This is really important when walking up and 

down hills. I know which brands make a slimmer boot which fits 

me well. 

Many brands have invested a lot of time and money into making 

boots waterproof yet still breathable. If you can find a waterproof 

boot which doesn’t make you sweat, feels snug when you put it on, 

and is light with every sturdy step, then you have found the perfect 

boot…for you! 

Ben Maxfield

101 


Ben Maxfield 

Berghaus Men's Explorer 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 5 




This is a fantastic pair of boots, designed for maximum comfort, 

especially with the attention to detail in the shaping around the heel. 

Berghaus have started using Opti-Stud outer sole technology, which 

gives great grip on terrain. These 2-3 season boots are fairly flexible 

and good for a walker who may also encounter wet weather.

102 


Ben Maxfield 

Berghaus Women's Fellmaster GTX 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 5 



Total Score: 5 (RAJ Gold Star) 

These have always been a trusted pair of boots and since the 

Berghaus/Brasher merger, they have been upgraded with a softer 

upper. There is no doubt these are comfortable boots with a 

memory foam cuff, a snug tongue and the recognisable toe protector 

to protect against these unsuspecting rocks that weren’t there when 

you last looked. These are lightweight boots that would suit a 

beginner to intermediate hiker in the UK lowland areas.

103 


Ben Maxfield 

Mountain Warehouse Peak 

Extreme IsoGrip 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 4 




Mountain Warehouse describe these as a high-performance boot for 

hiking and challenging treks. This may lead you to believe that they 

are capable of doing slightly more than they are able to withstand. 

They are a comfy day walking boot, lightweight and good for dog 

walking. The grip isn’t great but they do guarantee it won’t wear for 

5,000 miles of walking. 

Mountain Warehouse Etoile 

Women's Waterproof 

Mid Boots 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 3 




These boots are very low on the ankle which works well for some 

people. This is a great boot for someone doing some light hiking or 

rambling. Mountain Warehouse have created a great cushioned feel 

which suits a lot of walkers. If you’re in to light walking and are on 

a budget, then these could be ones to try.

104 


Ben Maxfield 

Quechua Forclaz 500 

Aesthetics: 3 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 4 




Quechua has aimed this boot at mountain walking in the UK. That’s 

OK, but please be aware that these are not mountaineering boots. 

They do, however, give good support and have suitable grip. 

Quechua has focused on making these boots waterproof, which 

seems to have worked. All in all I quite like this boot. 

Columbia Women's Redmond Mid Waterproof 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 3 




These are a very affordable pair of boots. They’re light and 

comfortable, which is perfect for day hikes. Although Waterproof 

and Breathable guaranteed, these are not in the same league as some 

of the others such as the Berghaus boots. The boots do have good 

traction, however, which means these are a good, lightweight day 

walking boot.

105 


Ben Maxfield 

Asolo Ascender 

Aesthetics: 5 

Comfort: 5 

Durability: 5 




These are by far the most technical boots we tested, and as far as 

mountaineering boots go, they are comparable with some of the 

best. Asolo have worked hard to balance tough winter-capable 

boots with comfort, ranging from good tongue movement to the 

molding around the foot. As you’d expect on this type of boot, the 

grip is deep and strong. If you are using crampons then fear not, 

Asolo have ensured your crampons don’t damage the leather when 

in use with a clever little rubber band. 

Arcteryx Bora 2 

Aesthetics: 4 

Comfort: 4 

Durability: 5 




This is a unique-looking technical hiking boot: it’s high, solid and, 

as with all Arcteryx gear, they’ve made it look a little different. 

There are replaceable Gore-Tex liners, which are well-worth the 

faff. There are several similarities with mountaineering boots, 

although it’s worth noting that performance in severely wet 

conditions is yet to be proven.

106 

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Published by World Explorers Bureau & Redpoint Resolutions

Ripcord Adventure Gear Guide #1

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