Batten Sportswear

From all of the fall collections that have been landing in my favourite stores, I think I can safely say that Batten Sportswear has made the collection that I would buy the most from. Everything seems to be just right. The theme is still very inspired by American outdoor sports like hiking and surf.

Everything could easily be incorporated into a 70's university look. It's wearable, somewhat utilitarian and simply just great. It's definitely one of my new favourite brands. 

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Want - Batten Sportswear Parka

With the summer rapidly approaching I find my woollen jackets and coats being a bit obsolete, therefore I find myself wanting a good mountain parka to complete the full 70's ivy look.

I really like the collection by Batten Sportswear, which is another American/Japanese brand lead by designer Shinya Hasegawa, who cut his teeth as Daiki Suzuki's assistant for the Woolrich Woolen Mills project. The whole collection is very, very strong with a nice surf/outdoor vibe, that is very easy to wear during the summer. To me the stand out piece is the "Travel Shell Parka" in the iconic 60/40 fabric with a lot of yesteryears functional details. On another important note it's made in the US - as is the whole collection.

You can get yours at End Clothing

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Fabric Knowledge - Pertex

Pertex is a performance fabric made of Nylon, like many other outdoor/tech fabrics, which originates from England and was made available in 1970. It was a product of a collaboration between mountaineer, Hamish Hamilton and the textile mill Perseverance Mills Ltd. in Manchester. Nowadays the Japanese company Mitsui & Co produces the fabric, after they gained the rights to the fabric, after Perseverance liquidated in 2005.

There are different classes or grades of Pertex fabric, but the Classic is very similar to the one, that Hamish Hamilton helped develop, which is known for its light weight (even though it's the heaviest of all the grades of Pertex fabric), breathable qualities and wind resistance. It all comes down to the capillary action, that goes on within the fabric. This moves moisture along the fabric fibres and spreads it over the surface, and then it evaporates faster. 

This effect is reached by combining two different yarns each with different properties. Basically the yarn on the inside has larger filaments than the outside yarns which have smaller filaments. The capillary action is driven by the temperature difference between your body heat and the outside air. It moves the moisture from the inside to the outside because the finer yarns on the outside have a greater surface, that will absorb more moisture.

The tight weave of the finer yarns is the main reason to the wind resistance of the fabric. It isn't weather resistant however, but it will take some rain. If you're looking for the lightest Pertex options, you should go for the "Quantum" or "Microlight" probably, but these fabrics don't quite have the abrasion resistance of the Pertex Classic.

Lately Pertex has been used by more fashion oriented brands like A Bathing Ape and White Mountaineering, both out of Japan, so it isn't solely for outdoor brands like Rab.

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Topo Designs - Daypack

My quest for a backpack came to an temporary end some weeks ago, when I finally purchased the daypack from Topo Designs. I have long been wanting to buy a backpack because a tote gets hard to carry, if you stuff it, and messenger bags can cause some fatigue, if you don't switch shoulders every now and then. The reason for me choosing Topo is quite simple; they're affordable (or rather cheap, actually), they're sturdy and they look good. But they aren't super good, which is why my search is only temporarily over because I will get another and better backpack, once I have the money and come across the perfect backpack. However I have to say, that you would have a hard time of finding a better product at the price. So this is true value for money.

I field tested the bag, when I went back home for six days, which I'll tell you more about a little later. Here is how it looks, when it is stuffed to maximum capacity.

It's much bigger, than it appears. It has a volume of 22.4 L.

The leather quality could be a bit better, but still it's a very nice detail.

Though I'm usually not too fond of YKK zippers, these are great. They run smoothly and easily.

The camo pattern is quite en mode right now. But I love it despite all the hype.

The hardware is all metal and the webbing seems sturdy. In a perfect world it would have been cotton webbing, however many companies used the same type of webbing in the heyday of hiking back in the 60s and 70s.

What you can't see from these pictures, is that the inside is very thoughtfully put together. It has a space for your laptop and some good pockets, which makes it easy to arrange all of your stuff.

For around $100 plus shipping you can get a well-made (in the US) bag that will last a long time. I think, that's great and Topo deserve every bit of praise.

And it so happens to be, that they just released a short video featuring the very sympathetic owners.

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Constant Inspiration - Hiking Gear

Hiking clothing and gear from the 60's and 70's have long been an inspiration for me. The whole DIY movement of which many interesting brands spurred, is a reference for me again and again. For me it didn't start with Patagonia or the North Face, but it started with vintage Fjällräven jackets and Norwegian anoraks called Fjellanorakken. They were all made of a strong, utilitarian fabric made of a cotton and polyester. This fabric would wear well and fade well, and if you added just a bit of wax, it would also be water repellent, which is essential for Scandinavian weather.

Fast forward some years and I start seeing pictures of Sierra Designs 60/40 parkas (again, thank you Ready4thehouse) and I start going into the history of American hiking gear, which is primarily done through Oregon Photos , which is a great source for inspiration and knowledge. After having saved many an eBay search looking for rare pieces from Sierra Designs, Great Pacific Iron Works, Wilderness Experience and tons of other brands, I decided, that I shouldn't be collecting (I had the same realization with vintage denim), as I can hardly afford the clothes, that I actually intend to wear. 

What I do however keep looking for are sewing kits from Frostline and Holubar because I want to make my own mountain parka at some point - so please don't outbid me, if some good ones show up. I really admire the DIY part of that hiking movement. The companies would keep costs down by selling kits to avid hikers, who would then assemble the kits themselves on their own sewing machines. I really like that idea, and I would love if some company would start making kits like that again, though I know it will never happen. 

Long story short, I just wanted to say that I'm thrilled to see, that the US-made 60/40 Sierra Design parkas are finally available outside of Japan. It took a long time for them to be released. I first read about the re-release on Secret Forts (who has gone to a new location), but it has since been spreading fast. I'll pull the trigger, once the Pendleton wool lined versions start showing up. But you shouldn't hold back on some Sierra Designs goodness - buy one here, here or here for instance.

Lastly I'm glad to see that a company like Rivendell Mountain Works, which I'll be writing about really soon, is getting some attention, as well as the likes of Danner and Topo Designs for example Now one can only hope more people will open their eyes to companies like Limmer and other hidden gems.

Stay tuned for more write ups on hiking gear or stuff inspired by that era.

Apolis Film: Sierra Designs + Apolis, USA Project

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Topo Designs Klettersack

I don't wear a backpack at the moment, though I think I have a vintage Fjällräven "Kånken" stuffed away somewhere. I'm not eager to get one either, as my experience tells me, that it will be getting very little use. That being said I find myself wanting one of these Klettersacks from Topo Designs. The fact that they are getting good reviews from a lot of reliable sources doesn't make them any less desirable.

Topo Designs seem to have just the right ideals and ideas in order. They started out making everything themselves (Topo wa founded by three friends), but now they make everything in a LEED certified workshop in order to be able to meet the orders from Japan. 

They use proper materials such as 1000 denier cordura nylon, leather and mil-spec hardware. I for one love mil-spec, so that is one massive plus in Topo's favour. In addition to this the bags are also very affordable, and their daypacks are even cheaper. Of course if you live in outside of the US, you have to take custom fees into consideration, but it still makes for a good, affordable alternative.

I look forward to seeing where Topo Designs are going. They are definitely a brand to follow.  I have read somewhere that they will be producing apparel at some point... Interesting.

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