The Best New Clothing From OutDoor 2015

With outdoor clothing, it can often feel like the only things that ever change are that clothes get lighter and clothes get warmer. This was certainly true of many of the products on show at OutDoor 2015 but as well as these designs, we also hunted around to pick out the more innovative clothing and the best all-round products set to be hitting the shelves in the 2015/16 season. 

The Adidas Terrex Agravic Jacket is a perfect example of products getting lighter and warmer, being one of the warmest jackets on the market for its weight. Adidas have achieved this by constructing the jacket from alternately larger and smaller baffles. This helps to cover the stitch lines of the jacket and ensures that any areas of heat loss are kept to a minimum. Perhaps the greatest saving on heat loss comes at the cuffs and collar where Adidas have closed off the jacket using stretch-fit material that will closely follow the contours of the user's body and so prevent hot air from escaping. While we're a little nervous that this might limit ventilation when wearing the jacket during strenuous activities, there's no denying that it's an effective way of keeping the user warm. It's also important to consider that given how light the jacket is and how small it packs down, it will be incredibly easy to take the jacket on and off to regulate your temperature during different activities. Adidas are marketing the jacket at the multi-discipline mountain athlete and having looked at it, we'd have to agree; it's an ideal jacket for anyone mixing alpine climbing and skiing/snowboarding. 

Sticking with skiing, we also took a moment to check out the new Continuum Pant from Pyua which was undoubtedly one of the best all-round products we saw at the show. Manufactured in Europe and made from 100% recycled materials, it's not just the Continuum's environmental credentials that are in order, but its design as well. Built with backcountry skiers in mind, the Continuum is a bib design, offering the benefits of a onesie without the drawbacks. Comfortable and highly waterproof, arguably the Continuum's best feature is the stretch fabric used in its construction which eliminates the risk of chafing or discomfort when you're out hiking in the backcountry. The pants work perfectly with Pyua's Continuum Jacket and we have no reservations about recommending them both, especially given their extremely fair pricing.

Another new product that's making excellent use of stretch fabrics is the Patagonia Rainshadow Jacket. Made using one continuous piece of fabric across the back shoulder panel, the Rainshadow offers an excellent level of mobility in the arms and upper back. Patagonia are recommending the design for trekkers, lightweight backpackers and climbers. While the jacket would be a good choice for any of these groups, for us it's obviously most well-suited to climbers. The jacket self-stuffs into its own chest pocket and comes with a clip-off loop, making it perfect for those tackling multi-pitch routes or alpine ascents. High waist pockets stay clear of harness waist loops and backpack straps giving you access to storage when you're on the wall. The hood is also helmet compatible and while we're sure the increased stretch will be of benefit to any user, it's clearly of most use to climbers who need far more freedom in the arms and shoulders than other users. 

The last of our top clothing items from OutDoor 2015 is aimed squarely at the climbing market. The Ferrosi Knickers from Outdoor Research might have an unfortunate name (we're guessing knickers has a slightly different meaning in the US), but they get things right where it counts. Made from a superlight softshell material, the shorts offer a small degree of wind resistance but, more importantly, they are also durable, stretchy and lightweight. Our favourite part of the design are the comfort patches that Outdoor Research have added at the hips to eliminate discomfort when wearing a harness. Perhaps a little on the expensive side at 80€, the Ferossi Knickers are still an extremely well-thought-out product that would be ideal for the female sport or trad climber.

Of course if you're worried about keeping any of these clothes clean while you're out in the wilds, you could also check out one of the more unusual items we saw at OutDoor, The Scrubba Wash Bag; a dry-bag that doubles as a backcountry washing machine. You couldn't make it up!