Outdoor Gear Glossary

Actiwool is boiled wool, wind resistant and highly breathable.

This is a fit of a particular item of outdoor sports clothing that has been designed to minimise the restriction on your body moving freely. This is naturally most important for people involved in aerobic outdoor sports or leisure but is sometimes chosen for reasons of comfort and style.

A hook/loop/velcro tab allows rapid cuff closure and adjustment, even when wearing bulky mitts. The elasticated cuff reduces heat loss without impeding circulation at the wrist. To ventilate the sleeve, open the cuff to its fullest extent and secure using the secondary hook/loop strip. This is one measure used in maufacture to make jackets versatile for a variety of weather conditions and purposes.

A gusset is a triangular or diamond-shape swatch of fabric sewn into the underarms or crotch of a garment to provide more freedom of movement, so naturally being able to adjust such a feature might be required.

Airfoil Light with DWR Ultra lightweight Airfoil Light is Berghaus' own tightly woven windproof Nylon fabric, providing excellent protection against the wind and used in the manufacture of some of it's Berghaus windproof jackets. A DWR (Durable Water Repellant) treatment helps to delay saturation of the face fabric during prolonged use.

Airmesh provides great ventilation in a variety of products including bags, shoes and jackets. This helps avoid the build-up of unwanted moisture and heat against your skin or clothes keeping you, the adventurer, more comfortable!

The Aleutian name describes a specially developed range of insulative fabrics, which are manufactured from fleece or pile. These technical fabrics are the culmination of many years of joint development, particularly with Malden Mills, the manufacturers of Polartec. Aleutian is a registered trademark of Lowe Alpine Technology.

Aleutian Cord shows great style when used as midweight outerwear. It also provides valuable insulation within a three layer system in spring or autumn. This is a Polartec Technology.

Aleutian Dry Knit is an all polyester construction that wicks moisture fast and dries quickly. Aleutian Dry Knit products are of a casual style but allow maximum comfort and performance if worn under a waterproof/breathable shell.

Aleutian Marl combines a dense, low pile outer face - for increased wind resistance - with a deep velour inner face - for maximum insulation. This is a Polartec Technology.

Very light in weight, Aleutian Micro Grid is a double velour with a small grid design on the face and a lightly brushed back surface. The open structure and light weight makes Micro Grid very breathable. Wicking performance allows these garments to be worn next to the skin whilst walking or hiking.

This lightweight fabric offers efficient warmth and packability, with great looks. The Waffle construction traps warm air and allows fast breathability.

A microfleece fabric ideal for shirting applications. Lightweight but durable, it takes up little space in your pack for day hikes or for mild conditions.

Aleutian Nail Head is a distinctive fabric with a hard wearing nail head pique on one face and a velour on the other. Light weight and with good thermal performance, Aleutian Nail Head's dual construction gives the ability to use both faces in the garment design - ideal for unpredictable weather during long and short hikes.

This is a lightweight double velour fabric which allows extra breathability but retains good insulation performance providing greater comfort for you to walk in the beautiful outdoors all day long!

Aleutian Waffle has a chunky grid texture that not only looks good but also enhances its insulation value when worn within a layering system. This is a Polartec Technology.

Analogy got its name because of the way it mimics animal fur in providing both insulation and water-shedding which works in all conditions. In the same way that seals, otters and bears keep warm in very wet conditions, the Nikwax Analogy Pump Liner pushes liquid outwards to keep you warm and dry inside. Not only does this give superior waterproof protection from the elements - while both Soft Shell and conventional waterproof breathable fabrics can only cope with around 20% of the sweat you produce, Nikwax Directionality will pump away all of it.

The special characteristics of Nikwax Analogy result in significant advantages over conventional waterproofs and Soft Shell:

Warmth - providing warmth as well as waterproofing allows you to leave some of your insulation layers at home.

Works as effectively in all conditions - some conventional waterproofs and Soft Shells fail in conditions of high humidity, while Nikwax Analogy continues to pump water away whatever the weather.

Soft but very strong fabrics - because Nikwax Analogy doesn't need coatings or laminates to work, the fabrics are much softer and more flexible but just as strong and tough for all your walking needs.

Silent - Nikwax Analogy is rustle-free making it a pleasure to walk in. " Not compromised by puncture - you could fill a Directional Waterproof garment with pins, take them out, wear the garment in the rain and still stay dry! Puncture of the outer or inner fabric will not lead to leakage of your jacket or trousers.

Renewable - the performance of Directional Waterproofs can be indefinitely renewed by caring for them with Nikwax products, while conventional membranes can eventually crack and cannot then be repaired.

Páramo - the sister company to Nikwax, provides a range of outdoor clothes using the Nikwax Analogy range of technologies.

Nikwax Analogy Fleece, like mammal fur, repels water and actively pushes both liquid water and water vapour away from the body. Fleeces keep you warm by trapping still air between their fibres. Soak a conventional fleece in water and it loses up to 95% of its insulation whereas Nikwax Fleece offers superior and consistent comfort, especially in humid conditions.

Nikwax Analogy Insulator combines Nikwax Windproof closely woven microfibre outer with Nikwax synthetic, water-resistant fill to cut windchill and provide excellent insulation for overlayering with other Nikwax fabrics. It retains body heat very effectively to warm the body quickly and deflects the rain while providing excellent moisture vapour transfer.

It packs down small, giving a high warmth to weight ratio making a very versatile companion for your walking and hiking. The fill gives a down-like feel and performance with the benefit of still working as a superb insulated jacket when wet.

The Nikwax Analogy Pump Liner mimics the action of animal fur - pushing liquid water outwards to protect you from rain, condensation and perspiration, while protecting your insulation. This is combined with a Directional Microfibre outer to deflect wind and rain, creating an excellent material for waterproof jackets.

When rock climbing, an anchor is used in a way to attach the climber, a climbing rope or a load to ice, rock, dirt or even a building using a permanent or temporary form, and can be natural or man-made. The main purpose is to stop the climber falling to the ground, and instead they may still fall but this will be broken by a point where they are then suspended off the ground. An artificial anchor consists of man-made climbing gear that fits in the rock face such as steel expansion bolts and spring loaded camming devices.

Anti-Compression Pads include thin strips of Polarguard 3D in high pressure areas. These provide essential support and warmth and improve thermal efficiency by an astounding 13%, ensuring a warmer and more comfortable sleep in your sleeping bag.

"Comfort, unbeatable durability and an easily adjusted fit-to-size" was the Research & Design brief for the APS (Advanced Paralux system) for Lowe Alpine backpacks. Details can be found below...

Aquaduct Revolutionary moisture control fabric from Cloverbrook. High wick properties moves body moisture from skin to outer garment layer in order to keep walkers and outdoor people more comfortable. Highly breathable with good thermal qualities.

Berghaus' own high performance shell fabric that gives durable waterproofing during recreational outdoor use, and used across some of the Berghaus waterproof jackets and trousers.

A 1000 denier texturised nylon used for its very high tear strength and abrasion resistance. See also High Density Ardura 840D - Berghaus.

A lighter weight fabric made of texturised nylon but in a less dense weave (600 denier). This gives a greater ratio of strength and abrasion resistance to fabric weight. Ardura is used in many medium and large capacity technical Berghaus walking and hiking rucksacks.

A lightweight woven nylon, which has excellent ratio of strength and abrasion resistance to weight, and used in many Berghaus rucksacks.

Lightweight material with good tear strength and used in many Berghaus rucksacks.

A lightweight, high density nylon woven fabric with a single diagonal weave resulting in excellent wear resistance for your Berghaus rucksack.

A lightweight, high density nylon woven fabric giving good overall performance in your rucksack.

A high density ripstop using highly packed 70D fine yarns for low weight and strength in rucksacks.