Keen's footwear flying & Thinglink

We've only been stocking Keen for a couple of months or so and even without an onslaught of sunshine they've been flying out! The Men's Newport H2 & Clearwater ranges have proved to be mightily popular. More than one of the guys in the office has had their eye's on the Newport's, they'd be a great addition to the footwear collection for the Summer. Plus with it's durable protective sole you can wear it out and about in a variety of terrains, so it's ideal for anything from a walk to the shops or relaxing by the stream!

On a completely unrelated note, has anyone else checked out Thinglink.com? Discovered it last week, it's a great site that allows you to create interactive images and make them come to life. You can incorporate links, videos and snippets of information and a whole host of other bits and bobs. We've had a little play with it ourselves here, why not have a look!

April News

We've had a very exciting week here at the OutdoorKit HQ!
First of all, we've had our new courier packs delivered - modelled here by the lovely John;


The vast majority of your orders will now be sent in these brand new bags! Look out for them next week.


Other news is a boot we're heard quite a bit of buzz about; the new Salomon Wings Sky GTX:
Weighing in at an impressive 530grams per boot, the Wings Sky has a Gore-Tex lining to boot. Outdoors Magic have done an excellent review of it, and you can also check out Backpacker magazine's video review.

At OutdoorKit we operate an in-stock only policy on all items; the Salomon Wings Sky GTX Boots are in stock NOW at our price of £161.99.

Review: Asolo Spyre GV Boots

Stef writes:

I'm not normally a fan of walking boots, however, a few days of trekking through a very soggy Yorkshire holiday has given me a dramatic change of heart.

New into the OutdoorKit world is the Asolo Spyre GV. As someone with long, narrow feet, I was fairly dubious about the fit - but was pleasantly surprised, as the laces were easily adjustable and the boot hugged my foot nicely, all the way to the heel.




I'm usually a size 7 1/2, though the UK 7 fitted perfectly - in the absence of adequate walking socks, though. I'd recommend getting your usual UK size, or perhaps half a size up if you have wider than average feet.

A short stroll around the office proved that, as hiking boots go, these are all the support I'd need and more. Stiff in the right places and flexible in the right places, I easily conquered the maze of desks! Definately purchasable if I wanted to use them on much rougher terrain.

An obvious selling point is the Gore-Tex lining - for me, a must when buying specifically for hill walking in the UK. Teamed with a water-resistant suede upper, Asolo have combined man-made and natural materials for keeping feet dry and breathing.

The look? Why, it is most splendid, darling. Size 41 does not a dainty foot make, thus I was very pleased with the overall image - plus I'm sure I'll look good for the obligatory Snowdon ascent next month.

Vango Artemis 500 Tent 2010

Vango have cleverly combined their simple-to-pitch, family-cum-festival tents with the harder wearing, larger family tents. The wonderful thing about the Vango Artemis is the inclusion of steel poles - tougher, stronger and longer-lasting.

Boasting 190cms of head space, the majority of tent users can happily stand up, if they please, with the wider central pole offering more space either side too - for a flysheet-first pitching, the extra space to move inside is more than handy!

The Crystal Clear windows come with internal covers for night, or even if you just fancy a nap, and with front and side doors there's no need to feel as though you're trapped in a rabbit warren. The bedroom is five-person; however, a detachable divider is available to separate the dorm into two decently-sized two person compartments.

With a pitch time of approximately 15 minutes, you're unlikely to be pulling your hair out, and the pack size of 80 x 25 x 28cm will slot comfortably in your boot with all the other accessories you'll need. Pitching instructions are available from Vango's website if you happen to misplace your own.

Customer service manager Craig and OutdoorKit marketing maestro Ryan's recent trip to Glasgow has resulted in a bunch of video tent reviews - grab a look at the Artemis 500 here. If you fancy bigger or smaller, the Artemis comes in a 400 (4-person) or 600 (6-person) style, all in stock and with groundsheets and footprints available separately from Outdoorkit.co.uk.

Let it snow...or just be very, very cold

Oakley Snow Goggles are here! We've got everything from the fog-phobic, persimmon lens O-Frames to the extra-special, high-definition optics of the Oakley Splice. As always, delivery to mainland UK is 1-2 working days when the product is in stock, and as we use Parcelforce for all deliveries we are not affected by the Royal Mail postal strike.



In other news, Montane jackets have been receiving rave reviews recently - such as this one from Outdoors Magic on the Superfly XT.



On to the warmer side of things now - we've added a few new sleeping bags to our Mountain Equipment range, all down, all technical, all simply amazing. Press release is available here.

Success for Indian Rowing Race duo

We're pleased to announce the success of James Thysse and Jamie Facer-Childs on becoming the youngest duo to row the Indian Ocean! In an earlier blog post, we reported on their slight run of bad luck, when their boat, the 'Southern Cross', capsized during the first half of the race. Fortunately, the pair and their boat made a swift recovery and, despite the forced rationing of their then meagre food supplies, the famished pair were first to finish - completing the race in just 103 days, 9 hours and 26 minutes. The full report can be read on the official Indian Rowing Race 2009 site. As sponsors, we're thrilled to offer our congratulations to Jamie and James and pleased to have helped them win their way into the history books.

For those of you who believe videos speak louder than words - be sure to check out their compilation, here on YouTube.

New and exciting web news

As you may have noticed, OutdoorKit's new & improved site has been launched!! As always, we'd love to hear any feedback from new and regular customers, so please feel free to drop us an email using our quick contact form.

More news - you can now follow us on Twitter! We'll be updating as regularly as we can; so by following us, any fellow Twitterer will be at the head of any new and exciting OutdoorKit notifications.

Next week is a big week for us - not only will we be getting some brand new gear from The North Face, we're also expecting our first drops of new Rab and Haglofs products. So do check our Insulated and Windproof sections in particular!

New Rab items for Autumn/Winter

Stef writes:

As an avid lover of the sun and heat (unfortunately not regularly forthcoming in the United Kingdom), the approach of Autumn has left me rather downhearted. However, the good thing about working for Outdoor Kit is that I get to see some amazing Winter products!
In particular, I have been very excited about our new items from ground-breaking mountainwear enthusiasts, Rab. I've picked a few from our highly anticipated selection - down-insulated, Primaloft-insulated and soft-shell jackets.

One I have immediately earmarked for trying on (and, most probably, purchasing) is the Women's Microlight Alpine Jacket. Not only is the lightweight jacket filled with 750+ fill-power goose down (toasty warm, to you and me), the hood itself is also down-filled - maintaining insulation from head to hem! For extra comfort in the cold winds to come, there are two elasticated handwarmer pockets and the hem and cuffs are Lycra-bound. When not in use, the jacket also stuffs away into it's own pocket - ideal for packing away, when chilling out in a cosy pub after a taxing Winter walk with the dogs.

Rab's Primaloft range includes the revised Photon Hoodie - consisting of a Pertex Microlight outer shell (lightweight, windproof, water-repellant), a Pertex Quantum inner (featherweight and soft as silk) and technical synthetic insulator Primaloft in the body, hood and arms. The Photon Hoodie stands out from the crowd with the helmet compatible, fully adjustable (and then some) hood, and also the quilted side panels - stabilising the insulation, protecting you from the cold. Primaloft differs from down in that it retains most heat even when wet, so if the rain does hit while you're out with your Photon Hoodie, losing heat will not be a major problem.

The Men's Vapour-Rise Trail Jacket is a unique softshell with a detachable, rollaway hood - meaning you can vary your style to suit the climate! When in use, the wired hood is attached with Velcro and zip fastenings. The fabric is Pertex Equilibrium - designed to maintain body temperature and comfort, drawing moisture away from the skin whilst being weatherproof and water-resistant. The Vapour-rise also includes a microfleece wicking inner for maximum comfort.

We'll also we getting in more down, Primaloft and softshells, AND fleeces - as well as Rab's famous shell jackets. Expect a very favourable review when we get our hands on them!

Also - press release on some of our selection of Rab down jackets is available by clicking here.

Outdoor Kit Sponsoring Bicycle World Circumnavigation Attempt

OutdoorKit is proud to be one of the sponsors for Julian Sayarer's World Circumnavigation World Record Attempt by bicycle. Julian is setting off from the Cathedral of Rouen in France in his quest to cycle across the globe in 1100 hours!
Julian, a 23 year-old courier from London, will be starting his attempt on the 10th June, passing through Europe to the Black Sea, up into the Ukraine and Russia, to Kazakhstan, and then northwestern China, flying to Bangkok, riding down through Malaysia to Singapore, flying to New Zealand, riding from the bottom to the top, leaving New Zealand for Vancouver, Canada, before riding down through the United States and then across to Boston, then crossing the Atlantic for Lisbon, and returning to Rouen Cathedral. Phew!
If you want to follow Julian on his journey, please visit www.thisisnotforcharity.com/index.html. OutdoorKit's provisions for Julian include the hotly popular Terra Nova Laser Competition Tent, specifically chosen for its transverse porch - ideal for providing excellent shelter from the wind. The tent is also incredibly lightweight at 860grams!
We wish Julian the best of luck on his world record attempt, and will be watching and rooting for him every step of the way.

A Facebook Page, new sponsoring and more sandals!

We at OutdoorKit are happy to announce the advent of our new Facebook Page! Members of Facebook are free to become a fan of OutdoorKit, post discussions and write on the Wall. Anyone is welcome!

In more outdoor-related news, we've recently agreed to sponsor Nick James on his End2End challenge he is partaking in this year. The expedition is a world record attempt to walk from Land's End to John O'Groats in an astonishing 23 days. As well as this, he will be forbidden the use of hotels, B&Bs and inns, living in the harsh British weather with only a backpack and his wits for company. OutdoorKit are delighted to be able to sponsor him on this unique and intruiging adventure, and will be eagerly awaiting the results of his quest.

Meanwhile, The North Face have been sending some amazing summer footwear our way. Earlier last month we took on the popular El Hermano and La Hermana sandals - and this month we welcome the Mead sandals (sturdy and supportive, ideal for strolls in the sun) and the Futaleufu sandals (a more technical shoe ideal for use in rivers, like the popular kayaker's haunt of the same name).
All sandals are available in men's and women's versions, and are guaranteed 1-2 working days delivery for mainland UK customers - while they last!!

Outdoor Kit shop makeover!

Our shop in St Albans is having a makeover!
Although we're keen to keep our specialist outdoor store as familiar and friendly as ever to both frequent customers and new customers alike, it's good to dust off the cobwebs once in a while and give a little TLC when it's due. 25 High Street, St Albans has been in the company for nine years - a company which has seen so much change in that amount of time - and throughout this time the shop has been a valued, loyal and certainly consistent member of the Outdoor Kit team.
While not everything we sell is available in the shop (attempting to fit our entire warehouse in the shop would probably result in no-one being able to fit through the door!), we have always strived to supply a popular a varied range of items, for example; Berghaus jackets and fleeces, fashionable items from The North Face, specially selected Scarpa boots and a plentiful range of Lifesystems gear - to name but a few!
So with the new year upon us, new items to stock and more customers to serve, we're giving the shop the attention it deserves.

Jack Wolfskin Range Added to site

Stef writes:

We're pleased to announce the recent addition of selected Jack Wolfskin products to our site!
As always when adding a new brand, we were very excited to see what these actually looked like 'in the flesh' - and were not disappointed. Jack Wolfskin products are just as multi-purpose as they claim to be, and, letting curiosity get the better of me, I even tried on the Women's Topaz Jacket for myself.
Verdict - so comfortable! Unlike a lot of hard-wearing waterproofs, the Topaz feels soft on the outside instead of hard or scratchy, which as well as enabling freedom of movement - without the obligatory 'rustle' - is made from a material which makes it also waterproof yet robust.
One thing I personally enjoyed about the Topaz was the arm length - for a small size I have reasonably long arms, refreshingly Jack Wolfskin satisfied this with aplomb - it felt like the jacket was made for me!
For technical use and fit, the Topaz is reasonably short on the body, another feature for freedom of movement. I didn't personally get to try this one out - due to the lack of rock/scree/general outdoorsness in the OutdoorKit office - but it certainly delivered both the feel of protection from the elements, while maintaining comfort at the same time.
Coupled with the excessive amount of good looks this jacket posesses, I figure this jacket will be an excellent purchase for someone planning to walk around the Pennines this year - or possibly for me to take on my epic trip to Snowdonia in May! More on that in about two month's time...

New GoLite Range

We're pleased to announce that we'll be stocking GoLite soon! GoLite does what it says on the tin really - it's Light! We were particularly struck with the rucksacks as they are so incredibly lightweight. The tents are also pretty cool, so we've also got a small range of those coming for next year. Here's some of the choice products we have arriving soon:

The GoLite Odyssey rucksack is a large, 90-litre bag that weighs in at an incredible 1.59kg! That's almost half the weight of our best-selling 60-litre bag, the Berghaus C71 65+10. The Odyssey has many of the features you'd expect on a large bag, pockets, straps and the like - it's the back system which really saves the weight.

The GoLite Quest pack is a 72-litre all-season pack, following on from the Odyssey but weighing in at 1.45kg.

The GoLite Pursuit pack is a smaller, 50-litre bag ideal for skiing or Alpine use and weighs in at 1.358kg.

Moving on to tents, the GoLite Shangri-La 3 Tent is a lightweight 3-person tent in a teepee style in order to reduce the number of poles required. While not quite as lightweight as a Terra Nova competition tent, it's around £100 cheaper, so represents good value for money. Note that the inner is sold separately though, so it may be a little bit more money than you initially think!

Vango range for 2009

We've had a look at the new Vango range for next year and there's plenty of new tents to get excited about!

The Vango Juno Teepee is a really different tent! With a single pole in the middle, it's a doddle to put up and it comes in some funky colours as well.

The new Vango Zetes is a small tunnel tent that pitches flysheet first. The advantage of the tunnel over the dome is that there's more room inside and it's a little easier to pitch.

The Vango Apollo 500 is a five person dome tent with a large porch area that's ideal for a family of 4 on a limited budget as the RRP is £100.

The Vango Icarus 500 is another tunnel tent aimed at family camping. With the porch area the same size as the generous bedroom, it's ideal for long weekends with the family. There's even a removeable divider in the bedroom and an optional canopy to extend the porch.

The Vango Tigris Tent is a tunnel version of the popular Orchy tent. The raised tunnel porch gives excellent headroom and an additional side door.

The Vango Sungari Tent is a large family tent with pre-bent poles to provide excellent head height in the majority of the tent. There's also a massive front door that can be fully or partially opened, along with a side door.

The Vango Carrera 400 Tent is a a luxurious polycotton tent which helps to keep the tent cool in hot weather and also cuts out more light, which is ideal for sleeping in!

Ten Peaks Charity Challenge and The Mongol Rally

The Ten Peaks Charity Challenge is an event in which 4 volunteers will spend ten days climbing Scotland’s ten highest mountains from bottom to top with no traversing involved. The event is scheduled to take place in September 2008 in aid of three charities: The Joshua Foundation, The Ayrshire Hospice and Medic Assist International. We're pleased to annonce that we're supporting this challenge and would encourage people to donate:
http://www.tenpeakscharitychallenge.com/index.html

The Mongol Rally is a journey almost third of the way around the earth,
from London to Mongolia in aid of charity. Undertaken by crazy people, we're pleased to have found two crazy people to sponsor on their journey! Sardi and Karen of team Emu Draft will be driving their Nissan Micra in the rally, starting from London this Saturday. Good luck to them both, we'll keep you updated with their progress as they get on!
http://www.teamemudraft.com
http://mongolrally08.theadventurists.com/emudraft

New TNF Products For SS09

We've been picking our products for our North Face range next Spring/Summer and these are a few of the highlights. We'll post some more info and pictures when we have them!

The North Face Deluge Jacket is a top-end, Gore-Tex Pro-Shell jacket ideal for mountaineering or hillwalking. While not specifically either, it's aimed at those who want a Pro-Shell jacket without going for a full-on technical jacket with all the bells and whistles you'd get on a top-end mountain jacket. Great for walking when you're expecting it to be really wet!

The North Face Downpour Jacket is a slightly higher-spec Gore-Tex Performance Shell jacket again aimed at hill walking. Similar to the All Terrain jacket, it's a little lighter, has mesh and taffeta lining and a really nifty pocket hidden inside the main zip that's Ordnance Survey map compatible.

The North Face Cumulus Parka is a hard-wearing Gore-Tex Paclite jacket with stretch panels on the elbows for durability.

The North Face Venture Triclimate is an interesting new additions. It's a lightweight Venture jacket with a microfleece zip-in inner jacket that also incorporates stretch panels.

The North Face Quartz Jacket is a Polartec 100 weight fleece jacket that is zip-in compatible with other North Face jackets. The best thing about the Quartz is that it's so soft!

The North Face Stretch Speed Jacket is a really lightweight jacket with stretch panels over the shoulders and arms. This makes a really comfy jacket that is ideal for when you're putting your arms over your head.

Outdoorkit becomes a member of ISIS

We've pleased to announce that we've just become a member of the Internet Shopping Is Safe scheme, ISIS.

The scheme consists of a set of principles that all member must adhere to:

1. All e-commerce services should be legal, decent, honest, truthful and fair.
2. All e-commerce services should be operated with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society; they should be conducted equitably, promptly and efficiently; they should be seen to deal fairly and honourably with consumers and they should be easy to use. Merchants should avoid causing unnecessary disappointment.
3. All e-commerce services should respect the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business.
4. No merchant should bring e-commerce or ISIS into disrepute.
5. Any unreasonable delay in responding to the ISIS Management Team’s inquiries may be considered a breach of the Code.
6. ISIS will, on request, treat in confidence any private or confidential material supplied unless the Courts or officials acting within their statutory powers compel its disclosure.
7. The Code is applied in the spirit as well as in the letter.

Further details can be found at the ISIS website


This accreditation reflects the time and effort we put into customer service within our business, along with the commitment we have to adhering to best practice when trading online.

Free Berghaus Camera Case!

We've just started our very first promotion, which is really exciting for us! It's a free Berghaus Camera Case which you can get if you spend £75 or more on Berghaus products.

The Camera case itself consists of a hard case designed to fit mini-DV Camcorders. It opens easily with one hand and has a small pocket ideal for batteries or memory cards. It attaches to a belt or can be used with the supplied shoulder strap. It's pretty solid without being to heavy, so it makes quite a useful little case. Especially as it's free :)

We've got a couple of hundred of these to give away, but we're only expecting the promotion to last a week or two, so you'd better get yours now if you want one!

Some good reviews

We're getting some good reviews from Pricegrabber, mainly mentioning the site design, customer service and product range!

Go on, give some money to Paul!

As mentioned earlier in the week, we're sponsoring Paul Jones on the GWR Mount Kilamanjaro expedition in benefit of the GWR kids charity. Paul's got his Justgiving page up now, so head on over and give him a donation! The GWR kids charity provides grants to organisations that support under-privileged children, so it's all for a good cause.

http://www.justgiving.com/pauljones28