Cape Union Mart winter gear 2014

Not everything about winter is dull and foreboding. 80-year old outdoor store Cape Union Mart showcased their plans to keeping you geared up for the couple of months and there is some really cool stuff coming.

If you struggle with the cold and rain and generally foul climate, then Cape Union Mart has a mantra for you – embrace winter. Easier said than done right? Wrong.

Down-filled delights

Pride of place at the Cape Union Mart winter gear expo had to go to their newly developed K-Way down suit. It’s intended for use on the slopes of Everest and it’s crafted to fit the individual climber. It’s awesome and if you’re not planning to hit Nepal any time soon there’s nothing stopping you from using this sleeping bag suit on the couch.

If that’s a little OTT for your taste, you can get your hands on this beautiful down body warmer. I was lucky enough to land one at the expo and I plan on wearing it throughout winter. Every day. All day.

Soft to the touch, incredibly toasty and you can pack it down to the size of a toilet roll. It’ll set you back about R1000, but you can’t put a price tag on true love.

Down garments have never been prominent in South Africa because even in freezing Sutherland winters they’ve proven too warm, but technologies have advanced to produce lightweight down jackets and body warmers with thinner, down-filled channels.

As an aside, did you know that K-Way gear is locally designed, 70% of the products are produced locally and K-Way technologies are tested on three of the Seven Summits, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Everest and Mt Elbrus.

Work in progress

Still works in progress so we can’t reveal much, but there is an emerging feel of fresh, clean design and an updated modern look. Can’t wait to see the final goods.

New brands

Due to hit stores in June/July Cape Union Mart is introducing a range of travel clothing called Kuhl clothing (check out the Kuhl international website here to get a better idea of the brand). It includes items like quick dry, non-crease business travel shirts and awesome travel pants with space for bulky cellphones and more freedom to move about.

Not exactly new, they’ve been in stores for a while, but the stylish Eco Soulife biodegradable picnic cutlery and crockery caught my eye again. They feel like plastic, but promise not to littler the planet. You can use them a couple of times as they’re made from sturdy material and then you can just bury them in the ground when it’s time to upgrade again. This spork padkos box set is particularly nifty.