Review of Jöttnar's Alfar
22nd Oct 2014
Photo credit: http://www.danielwildeyphotography.com and follow on Twitter.
This time last year I was eagerly unwrapping my parcel from Jöttnar, the newly established British outdoor clothing brand. Ever since then, my Alfar comes everywhere with me. Where it be working or playing, on skis, on rock, on ice or on footpaths, it's a key feature of my outdoor life. If it's not being worn, it's at the top of my rucksack, just having been taken off, or ready to be put on. This mid layer has proved to be incredible versatile, it seems to have it's place on almost every adventure.
My favourite feature it without a doubt the warm neck and hood, which I find fits comfortably both under or over a helmet. There is no longer a need for a buff or balaclava on those cold windy days, and I rarely find myself wearing a hat; I just pull the hood up. The thumbs loops have been well designed, extending that warmth to my wrists and hands. Previously I would have thought of a focus of a mid layer being to keep your body warm. But Jöttnar have gone one step further, this to think about your neck, head and hands too.
The advert talks about the Alfar being for "multi-condition mountain abuse" and it is exactly that. My kit gets daily abuse and this has responded well to that, surviving a year of constant wear in rough conditions. When wearing the top I feel the balance between warmth and freedom of movement is just right. My body is warm whilst my arms and able to move freely; particularly noticeable when skinning, climbing and running about the hills.
I'm been really excited to see the new version, launched last week. The pockets have been moved slightly higher up to make them harness friendly, and the colours are fantastic, making it very difficult to decide between "garnet" and "digital blue".
I'm not sure how I ever managed without it...
