Microfibre pollution has become a hot topic in recent years, and conventional synthetic fleeces are big contributors. Polartec's Power Air fabric massively reduces this shedding. But what's it like for serious outdoor use?
> I've had a Power Air hoody made by a brand called Houdini (no, me neither)
<puts hand up/> I have sir! I have!
Houdini are Swedish - quite hipster-y with a dash of hippy. Or maybe quite hippy with a dash of hipster. Definitely not cheap but they've always been very keen on being as environmentally sustainable as possible and that's a big bit of their brand.
Mrs B has long, long arms which mean her jacket sleeves end to rise up her wrists. She was quite excited to find some Houdini Powerstretch wrist warmer sleeve things in a Naturkompaniet store in Stockholm about 15 years ago. Still going strong! As indeed are the sleeves.
Houdini popped up at SportPursuit recently so they must be making a push into the UK...
Well, its great to see an outdoor material manufacturer taking the whole micro-plastic thing seriously.
In my normal wear I've largely switched to natural fibres because of this and infrequently wash my man-made fabric outdoor kit (aside from my baselayer which can be stinking - then again, my preferred baselayers are merino wool)
It's simply a loft thing. Primaloft (or equivalents) will always be warmer for it's weight than fleece. Even more so in this case. Do you have a lightweight synthetic? They almost weight nothing yet the warmth they give for their weight is amazing.
Press Release Arc'teryx Alpine Academy returns to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc - July 4 – July 7, 2024
Fri Night Vid Ethan Pringle on Portugal's Hardest Sport Climb
In this week's Friday Night Video, we follow Ethan Pringle to the 'not-yet-popular' but world-class sport crag of Meio Mango in Portugal. In the film, Ethan attempts one of the country's hardest lines, Filipinos, which was first bolted...