During our Inside-0ut project with Bergans of Norway we already had a sneak peek of a really interesting new product line of this Norwegian outdoor brand: and now it’s hitting the market, the Hemsedal collection. Premier products in this line are the Hemsedal Hybrid jacket and pants, a really interesting piece of kit. The central idea to the development of the kit is that your body has different warm and cold zones. If you would make a heat map of your body, you would see warmer areas for example near under your arms, your chest and on your back. Other areas are not that warm, like your arms and legs. It follows logically that your jacket (or pants), don’t need to perform the same way in every part of your body. Some parts the products needs to breathe, in other area’s you need extra insulation.

Enter a product that is a hybrid of various materials with specific characteristics:

• Down (nice and warm, great insulation) on joints, knee’s and other area’s that are extra sensitive to cold like your neck, shoulders and arms.
• PrimaLoft in others (synthetic insulation) less exposed parts such as your back, buttocks and upper legs
• 3 layer Dermizax (highly breathable stretch, wind and waterproof) over the jackets as a whole to really improve breathability throughout.

This complex and well thought-out jacket does not come cheep, with € 700,- euro’s one of the most expensive jackets we have seen lately. The pant are €400,-. It is understandable from the point of view of using so many different high quality materials and fabricating what seems to be a very smart product. An alternative for the Hybrid jacket is the technical shell Hemsedal jacket. With the 3-layer Dermizax material, we have gotten to know through our review of the Myrkedalen freeride set. Or take the NOSI Hybrid Down jacket that uses PrimaLoft for areas under the arms.

Midlayers

We all know (if we have read our “Art of Layering”), that the performance of your outer layer is dependant on the other two layers you use on being just as good. Other items in the Hemsedal collection provide these two other layers: the Hollvin Wool Jacket (€ 180,-) with a mix of two types of wool (70% recycled wool) reinforced with Polyamide fibers for toughness. And underneath that, you can add the Fjellrapp 100% merino wool base layer. And you’re set. If wool is not your thing, another option is the RONI Jacket &  Baselayer, made of Polyester fibers. Focussing on stretch, comfort, and freedom of movement. We are hoping to review the Hemsedal hybrid products soon. We will keep you posted on our findings!