Shimano XT Clothing
There’s very little that Shimano doesn’t do
well; its poles are some of the hottest on the market, its
lines are well documented as being superb, and its reels are
class...
Shimano’s clothing has been at the top
of the pile for many a season, but this year it’s gone the
whole hog and produced some of the best around… at a price. Pat
MacInnes takes a closer look.
There’s very little that Shimano doesn’t do well;
its poles are some of the hottest on the market, its lines are
well documented as being superb, and its reels are class
leaders. However, the Japanese manufacturer has set its sights
on clothing for this coming winter and the XT range heads thing
up.
I saw this clothing back in April when I visited Shimano HQ in
Japan. I was impressed then, thinking it was a prototype range,
but now it’s actually gone on sale I do have to say that it’s
some of the best I’ve seen, especially among those without
Gore-Tex in the name!
There are four items in the XT range – the Comp Jacket, the
Comp Bib ‘N’ Brace, the Comp Softshell Jacket and finally, the
unique Comp Air Vest.
I’ll start with the jacket and trousers, the items most of us
will be looking to upgrade at some point. The jacket is like
something I’d wear when snowboarding – it’s well padded, with
enough insulation to keep you warm (but not at the expense of
movement) and looks the dog’s danglies in grey, black and red.
It has a high wind collar (with a removable fleece lining),
peaked hood, and a whole host of pockets.
The bib ‘n’ brace also comes in the same colour scheme and has
adjustable braces, detachable fleece cleaning panels for wiping
your hands on (these can be removed for washing) and Cordura
reinforcement in key areas around the seat and the knees.
The most eye-catching parts of these trousers are the legs,
which feature a zip along their whole length. This means
they’re easier to put on (and take off) and allow you to get
out of the car, slip your wellies straight on and then put your
waterproofs over the top without losing any heat. Splendid!
The XT Comp Softshell jacket is my favourite piece of kit from
the range. Softshell is THE material of choice nowadays in
mountaineering circles because it’s windproof, waterproof and
very, very tough. This jacket features waterproof zips,
adjustable cuffs and a high collar to keep the wind out. This
is the ultimate mid-layer for wearing under your jacket and,
frankly, you wouldn’t look out of place in the pub in it
too!
Finally, to cap the range off there’s the Air Vest. It looks
like a life jacket (which is isn’t – most would call it a
gilet) and is aimed at anglers who want something to act as a
middle layer or just to wear over a jumper when it’s a tad
nippy. The lining features several cavities into which you blow
air through a tube on the front. This puts warm air inside and,
more importantly, this helps to store heat from the body,
keeping you warm. Okay, it doesn’t have arms but will come
handy on those dull, autumn days when the temperature is
dropping.
The jacket and trousers are made from Dryshield XTR, which has
a waterproofing factor of 20,000mm (that’s enough to keep the
Titanic afloat!) and the Air Vest and Softshell Jacket aren’t
far behind this at 7,500 and 8,000mm respectively. This is as a
good as it gets for anglers without getting into popular hiking
brands.
The prices aren’t low – they start at £149.99 for the Softshell
jacket – but this is quality gear that won’t look out of
fashion in five years’ time, and will still be working as well
as it did on the day it first got wet.
Key Features
- Amazing quality
- Amazing features
- Amazing design
RRP: The Softshell jacket is the cheapest item
in the range at £149.99, the Air Vest is £169.99, the bib ‘n’
brace is £179.99 and the XT Comp Jacket at £199.99
| 
