In the last Gear Review of 2013, Phil takes a look at a selection of winter goodies to suit all stockings pockets.
Edelrid Shark crampons £140
It’s often hard to distinguish between the racks of 12-point crampons on the outdoor shop shelves, but the Edelrid Shark offers something a bit different, effectively representing three crampons in one. The box contains three interchangeable bindings – soft, semi and full automatic – to accomodate boots ranging from flexible walking boots to stiff mountaineering monsters. It’s straight-forward to switch between the bindings with no tools required, though it’s rare that you’d need to do this on the hillside really. The quality is excellent with the profusion of straps and buckles feeling secure and rugged. As you’d expect from a ‘do-it-all’ product, they aren’t perfect in each configuration, but it’s much cheaper than buying several pairs of crampons…
Mammut Alugator Super Light shovel £45
A shovel is invaluable in the winter mountains – most crucially for digging out avalanched companions, but also for building snow shelters and digging out your car… I would guess that a prime reason for not carrying a shovel – other than a lack of training and/or awareness – is the additional pack weight and bulk. As the name suggests, the Alugator Super Light is wonderfully light at 600g and packs down to a very small size that’ll fit into a daypack. The handle is one piece and for sustained use the longer reach of an extendible handle may be appreciated. Nonetheless, the solid handle locks positively into the blade to give a feeling of strength and security missing in lighter plastic shovels. In addition, the shovel blade is drilled to permit use as a snow anchor.
Alpkit Manta headtorch £15
Look at the price! The Manta has a claimed 100 lumen output powered by the three included AAA batteries in a one-piece unit, unlike Alpkit’s popular Gamma headtorch which locates the battery pack at the rear of the head. The main single LED is dimmable by pressing and holding the small power button, and can be focused from a flood to a narrow beam by twisting the lens via a simple tab. Pressing the power button again triggers a flashing sequence. Pressing the second button on the top of the casing – distinguished from the power button by a series of raised dots – activates the small LEDs in turn, one blue, one green and two red. These are ideal for maintaining night vision when moving around camp at night, and it’s brilliant to have something other than red for use during night nav. The single strap is comfortable and effective, aided by a foam pad cushioning . It’s not the lightest (110g) or brightest, but it is incredibly good value.
Montane Prism gloves £35
Gloves are essential equipment in winter, and it’s advisable to carry a spare pair in case of loss or drenching. The new Montane Prism glove makes an ideal spare pair – compressing down to a tiny size and weighing 56g in my size large. But keeping them stashed in the bottom of your pack seems like a bit of a waste, as they’re superb for general winter hillwalking use. They’re insulated with a layer of 40gsm PrimaLoft Eco which maintains a surprisingly cosy atmosphere within the glove, teamed with a pleasant microfleece lining. The Pertex Microlight outer shell is windproof and water resistant without leading to clamminess, but isn’t durable enough to cope with sustained mountaineering tasks such as ropework or contact with rock. The wrist is elasticated and snug and the fingers pre-curved with sensible seam placement and box construction. There’s really very little compromise despite being such a light and packable glove – they’ll even work a touchscreen!
Silva ADC Summit £140
OK, so for most this wouldn’t be considered a winter ‘essential’, but I’ve got a feeling that a few Walkhighlands regulars will appreciate this gadget. This ‘Atmospheric Data Centre’ can display a load of information, ranging from air temperature to altitude, but the most useful function for me is the tiny anemometer which gives windspeed – great for assessing tent performance in those supposed gale-force winds… The altimeter is a useful backup but needs regular calibration as it relies on barometric pressure, but it’s not too onerous to reset when sitting next to a trig point or known spot height. Hanging in the tent the thermometer is useful to assess overnight lows and whether that ‘four season’ sleeping bag is up to the challenge of a Scottish mountaintop wild camp, and it can be connected to a computer via IR for data analysis if that’s your idea of a good time. I like the long lanyard which means it can be worn around the neck so it’s always to hand (and provides a convenient excuse for a break when struggling to keep up with a speedy companion) but it’s easy to be drawn into the various graphs and menus instead of enjoying the scenery!
What did Santa have in his sack for you this year? Let us know on the forum.