The sub-zero temperatures we experienced in January were just perfect for putting Cape Wild All Terrain gear through its paces. While we are still making changes to the designs to improve them further we certainly believe that this system is already a formidable set of foul weather clothing for all kinds of all terrain buggy.

The Cape Wild All Terrain foul weather is made up of 3 pieces. The All Terrain Leg Bag which uses the same design principles and materials tried and tested in our Ocean Sleepwear Sleeping system. It has the same layered design using warm fibre pile insulating layers together with waterproof breathable outer shell.

The specifically designed All Terrain Smock Top and Handlebar mitts complete the set. Soon we will add a thick fleece hat and ultra-warm fleece and then the system will be truly complete.

Ocean Sleepwear Sleeping bags have been chosen by very many Clipper Round the World Race Crew each race since the 2005/6 edition, and this year was no exception.

This Clipper Race we were delighted to announce that Uniquely Singapore Clipper were the crew with the most number of Ocean Sleepwear Sleeping Bags on start day September 13th and so won a small donation to crew funds.

The Clipper 2009/10 Round the world race involves ten months and 35,000 miles of ocean racing for the 10 identical 68ft ocean racing yachts. Setting off from the Humber on the north east coast of England, it will be almost a year before the yachts return. Crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the seven-leg race, the lives of the crew will revolve around a four-hour watch system. Each takes their turn below deck with cooking and cleaning duties as well as on deck, helming and trimming the sails, as they strive as a team to win the Clipper Trophy. They will finally arrive home on 3 July 2010.

The 35,000 mile route takes the yachts from the Humber to La Rochelle in France, then from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean to South America, on to Africa, Australasia, Singapore, China, across the planet's largest expanse of water, the Pacific Ocean, to the USA, through the Panama Canal, and on through the Caribbean to the east coast of the North American continent and finally back across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe.

Wet sails, wet crew and the build up of condensation will be the biggest issue for Ocean Sleepwear Sleeping Bags on the Clipper Race, that and dealing with the huge range in temperature. Crew exposure to the elements and wind chill means that while sea water temperatures will range from a sweltering 24 - 28°C on the tropical legs, and the cold legs will see sea water temperatures down to 5°C, particularly off north east China, the crew will often be needing every ounce of warmth from their sleeping bags. Ocean Sleepwear sleeping bags were specifically designed for the wide demands of long offshore ocean racing around the world - we are confident they will perform as well this time as they have done in the past and are very much looking forward to hearing the results from this year's race crew themselves. We are always looking for ways to improve.

Climbing Mount Kilamanjaro involves the full range of climates from the dry foothills to the snow covered summit and all the wet regions in between. So while Ocean Sleepwear sleeping bags are more used to the rigors of the Southern Ocean, and this is perhaps something of an experiment, we are confident that our first Ocean Sleepwear summiteer will not be disappointed

Away from Mount Kilamanjaro, Tanzania's proximity to the equator (between 1°and 11.45° latitude South of the Equator and 29.20° and 40.35° longitude East) means that region does not experience the extremes of winter and summer weather, but rather wet and dry seasons.

However, the height of Mount Kilamanjaro means the mountain creates its own weather which can be and often is hightly unpredictable. Rainfall varies from 2100 mm per year in the rainforest belt to less than 120 mm per year in the summit zone, and daily temperature cycles can mean very wet days and very cold nights.

Mount Kilimanjaro has five major zones, each of approximately 1,000 m altitude. The climate and environment in each zone is quite different, as the altitude increases there is a decrease in rainfall, temperature and wildlife. In the lowest zone there are cultivated farmlands, the next is the rainforest zone, then the heath and moorland zone with its alpine vegetation, and just before the barren, snowy summit there is a lunar-like desert.

At the base of the mountain, the average temperature is generally between 27°C and 32°C, while at the summit, Uruhu Peak, the night time temperatures can range between -18°C and -26°C. This huge range makes Kilimanjaro weather very dynamic and climbers always have to be prepared for wet days and cold nights.

Traditionally the best time to climb Mount Kilamanjaro is during the drier summer months between June and October. The long rains typically occur between February and May this is the time when visibility is poor and the mountain becomes slippery and treacherous, the shorter rains occur during November and December. Despite the weather seasoned mountaineers still climb outside the summer months.

We wait with interest to hear how the Ocean Sleepwear Sleeping Bag performed.

We are constantly looking for new materials to improve our products. Here 'water resistant' fleece is being tested in salt water