We had a box of goodies arrive at Unsponsored HQ last week containing lots of gear from Sweet Protection.
One of the first items out of the box was the Sweet Protection Supernova 2016.
Tag: Dry top (Page 2 of 4)
We are big fans of Sweet Protection gear at Unsponsored HQ. We have bought a few bits over the last few years!
For 2016 Sweet have updated a number of products with new colours. However the dry gear has had more significant changes.
Hiko Sport are a company based in the Czech Republic. They had a fairly large stand at Paddle Expo and seemed to be constantly busy.
They seem to produce just about everything you could possibly need to spend a day or two on the water.
The days are starting to get a little longer and the sun seems to be out that little more. It won’t be long until it’s time to be out on the water with a short sleeved cag. For many years I have been using an Immersion Research cag which is simply awesome but is now getting a little long in the tooth. Last summer I decided to get a Palm Equipment Zenith short sleeved top but was simply far too late. No dealer within the UK or Palm themselves had a top left in my size. Roll on just under a year and Palm have released the 2015 version of the Zenith.
Yak are the kayaking/canoeing side of the Crewsaver company. In the past Yak have catered for the middle to lower end of the market with some fantastic hardwearing kit for centre and club use. Although functional and hardwearing they didn’t have the same appeal as some of the more well known brands. Over the last few months I have been testing a few pieces of Yak gear including the Riwaka dry top, Chinook dry trousers and Hallertau PFD.
Some of the colours used will put some off, there is no denying that the GREEN of the dry tops and PFD takes a little bit of getting used to.
Yak Riwaka Dry Top
The Yak Riwaka in a very loud GREEN has arrived at Unsponsored HQ. Now this is the third bit of gear from Yak that has landed here the HQ in as many weeks and once again Yak have made a really good impression (I need to find out who is designing this stuff!) – here’s why.
Name: Jon Wyles
Location: Scotland
Kayaking ability: Questionable
4th year Geography student at St Andrews. Grade 3/4 uni boater with 3 years experience.
Boats:
I’ve never owned my own boat, almost entirely due to lack of funds and also due to the fact that the University has quite a large inventory of boats. I first frequented an old Liquid Logic Huck, which saw me through the first few trips I’d been on. This unfortunately was involved in a swim on a high Knaike while in use by another member of the club who shall remain unnamed (James McMahon), and was not seen again.
Above: Me on my first river trip (Grandtully), on one of the Huck’s last voyages. Photo: Jonny Hawkins
The new IR website is looking rather good. As is their new range of gear. Looking forward to having a chance to test some of the gear out.
Palm Equipment’s product designer Barney Caulfield shows us the new Atom jacket at Paddle Expo 2014. A top of the range men’s and women’s paddle jacket in our new nanopourous XP3 Aero fabric. Available spring 2015. Continue reading
Although this guide is directed at students in reality it will apply to anyone thinking about taking up the sport. Over the next few weeks many students will be starting Uni and will be looking at joining a club. In most cases the Kayak/Canoe club in a university will be the best club to join.
It’s always good to see a company take an alternative approach to a problem. Kokatat have down just that with the Idol dry suit. Essenstially the Idol is a two piece suit that is a joined by a waterproof zip that circumnavigates the waist of the suit. This means that the top could be used as a dry top or used in conjunction with the bottoms to form a complete suit. A great idea. Continue reading
Bomber Gear’s new Palguin series is constructed from Neoshell by Polartec.
From Polartec:
Waterproof technology has remained about the same since the very first hard shell. Breathability is achieved through diffusion: moisture and heat create enough pressure that moisture vapor finally passes through the fabric. Soft shells trade waterproofness for greater breathability by making use of convection: a constant exchange of air allows more moisture vapor to escape. Continue reading
Another great run down from the guys at Rapid Media. This time a look at Bomber gear’s new dry suit and in particular their use of the neoshell material from Polartec. I used Bomber gear kit many years ago and loved it so am looking forward to trying this new bit of kit out later in the year.
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