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Outdoor Gift Ideas for Christmas 2012 | Buyers Guide

As it gets closer to Christmas, you'll need to think more and more about what gifts to buy… If they are outdoorsy, then look no further than outdoor gadgets. Irresistibly cool, yet totally functional...

BioLite Camp Stove 

A wood burning stove for the outdoors - that can cook food... and charge your phone! We first spotted this on the Gear Junkie Blog. I would love one. Available from http://biolitestove.com/

Victorinox Classic LE Sneakers 

The original Swiss Army knife company have released a limited amount of these multi-use knives, all with artwork submitted by their social media community. Genius.

Heatmax 'Hot Hands' Hand Warmers 

Struggling to keep your fingers warm? These air activated pouches are good for up to 10 hours of warmth, which is a lot longer than the common type that can be recharged in warm water. These were pretty 'handy' for our bad winter a couple of years ago!

Target Dry Trek Comfort Cocona Merino Socks 

This winter we decided to offer an even better range of Cocona® Merino Socks... This time its the toasty-warm and heavyweight Trek Comfort Socks. Extremely breathable, yet warm and durable. Perfect for hill-walking in the snow! Socks in the stocking?

Petzl TIkkina 

I bought one of these as a Christmas present for my Dad a few years ago, and its been one of his favorites since... With a great price tag of £20, it features two performance LED's that can give light up to 23m.

Cleaning and Proofing Outdoor Gear Using Nikwax

When you buy a waterproof jacket or coat, there's built in waterproofing and breathability right in the fabric. Over time, the item will become less water repellent, meaning that it becomes less breathable.

Limited breathability in a garment can cause you to heat up quicker and sweat more than you should so the inside becomes just as wet as the outside. As a result, you will get colder much quicker - the dampness will draw heat away from your body.

We recommend the use of Nikwax Tech Wash and TX Direct Reproof to clean and restore your waterproof back to it's original condition. Available as a twin pack, you can use it in a normal washing machine! Just follow the easy instructions on the bottle.

Why use Nikwax?

The actual fabric of your jacket should always be waterproof, but it's breathability is affected by how you look after it… With use, your waterproof will pick up particles of dirt on it's surface. These small particles block the natural ability of the fabric to breathe. This causes the fabric to 'wet out', soaking the surface and making it heavier. When it rains, water should bead off using Durable Water Repellent (DWR). 

Tech Wash is designed as a specialist cleaner for outdoor fabrics which won't harm the DWR. Once you've done a wash with Tech Wash, follow it up with another wash with TX Direct to restore the DWR Coating.

What is DWR? (Durable Water Repellent)

DWR is a fabric coating that allows water to 'bead' off its surface. It's especially useful in waterproof clothing because it enhances breathability.  All of our garments come with DWR on the surface as standard, but over time it can be degraded due to abrasion or get clogged up with dirt - it is an item of outdoor clothing after all!  It's important to remember that DWR can be badly damaged by ordinary laundry detergents, so its always best to use Nikwax or even a packet of neutral soap flakes.

Taped Seams

We fully tape all the seams on all of our waterproofs, so you can be sure that you won't get wet from stitching leaks. If you notice that you your jacket is letting you down, it's best to check over the seams to ensure that they are all intact, and heat-sealed to the fabric. Our clothing is guaranteed for two years, but after sustained use over a few years the seams may begin to degrade. At that stage its time to consider buying a new jacket or coat...

How often do I clean & reproof?

It's worth cleaning and reproofing your Target Dry waterproof every six months (or more frequently if you use it often). The best way to tell is to see how your garment deals with water - you could test it at home under the sink. If the water doesn't bead off the surface, it's time for a clean and reproof.

Who are Nikwax?

Nikwax is a British company that produce environmentally friendly cleaning and reproofing products. Started by Nick Brown in 1977, their first product was a non-softening waterproof wax for hiking boots. They are now the global industry standard for maintaining waterproof gear.

Don't worry about card security - we're covered.

One of the things that can put people off ordering outdoor gear online is a concern about payment security. You have no need to be worried when shopping with us online!

Heres why

1. Our checkout uses a secure connection. You'll notice that when you go to enter your card details on our payment page, the front of the URL changes from http:// to https://. This means the connection between your computer and the checkout is encrypted, giving you piece of mind that nobody but you will see it. We remind you of this with a little message at the top!

2. Our entire store is Level 1 PCI compliant - this means that we are extra secure, regularly monitor and test our networks, and implement strong access control measures. See more at http://www.pcicomplianceguide.org/pcifaqs.php

3. We don't hold onto any payment information. We only use certified and established external companies (Barclays Bank, Realex and Paypal) to handle our payments.

See the New Outdoor Gear that's just arrived...

We've just had a delivery of some brilliant new items to add our range of outdoor gear! Coming into the winter, we've got the amazingly warm Thermolite® Origin and Spirit Jackets, as well as the Ladies Nenagh Fleece and fresh colours for the Outback / Outrider.

Ladies Spirit Thermolite® Insulated Jacket

Consider the winter... Cold, wet and generally non-sunny. We've looked at our range and have added in some insulation (and style to boot) with this gorgeous ladies padded jacket. It's down-inspired slimline baffles hide a Dupont Thermolite insulating layer, designed to keep you warm, even if it gets wet. The Spirit Jacket can also be washed in a normal washing machine, unlike down jackets which are a little troublesome to clean... 

Available in Peacock Blue and Liquorice Black, the Spirit is a great value at only £89.99.

Mens Origin Thermolite® Insulated Jacket

Not forgetting the male side, we've also produced this toasty Origin Thermolite® Jacket. With 200g slimline synthetic insulation, you can trap body heat, and stay that way, regardless of the weather! The Origin pops with colour with its colour contrast main zip and lining. 

Available in Liqourice Black, at a great price of £89.99

Ladies Astana ¾ Length Parka

The Astana was an immediate hit when we introduced it last year... Now we've updated the selection of colours available. In addition to the Chocolate and Winterberry, we now have Grape and Liquorice. This insulated ladies parka is perfect for the winter season, and features our highest level of waterproofing, so it'll keep you dry and warm.

Available in 4 Fresh Colour Options, for only £69.99

Mens York Rain Hat

Keeping dry is made easier when everything is covered... Check out this waterproof rain hat for men, designed in sympathy with our country range of outdoor clothing. With a wide brim, and check lining, it goes best with our Stockman or Rancher Coats.

Available in Chocolate, Dark Navy or Khaki for £15.99

Ladies Outback & Outrider

Both of these longer length ladies coats have a strong heritage here at Target Dry, and we've given you a new colour to consider for this winter - Coffee Bean. It's a richer brown than our previous Chestnut colour, and it is probably most similar to last seasons chocolate option! Still offering the same great features, the Outback and Outrider coats are excellent ladies raincoats for the money. 

Available in 6 Colours, including Coffee Bean. Full Length Outback is £59.99, ¾ Length Outrider is £54.99.

Ladies Nenagh Sherpa Fleece

Needing to feel super-cosy? Have a look at our fur-like sherpa fleece thats great at keeping you warm, as well as looking fantastic. Contrasting detail on the collar, as well as colour contrast buttons and two handwarmer pockets. What more could you ask for? 

Available in Mulberry and Navy, priced at a very reasonable £42.95.

Don't forget... Everything comes with FREE 1st class Delivery in the UK!

Top 5 Solutions for Cycling in the Rain

If you tend to travel on two wheels, living in the UK & Ireland can pose a number of weather challenges. Cycling in wet weather can be made so much nicer by having the right rain gear - here's a mixture of crazy and sensible tips to make the journey less damp. 

Build an Elaborate Rain-Shielding Device

Some clever people from Portand (where it tends to rain a lot) decided to build this little beauty. Looks like it might even have a radio? (Tracy Hunter, Creative Commons)

How about this for a little creativity? The Design team at SiteLA created this wraparound rain hood. Just don't go out on a windy day. (Site LA Creative Commons)

Invest in some Bike Mudguards

Avoid the mud/water stripe on your back by screwing on a pair of these. (MSVG, Creative Commons)

Buy a Cycling Poncho (like this guy!)

Our cycling friend has obviously used his poncho for many a year. Check out our Mac in a Sac Waterproof Cycling Poncho, starting from £19.99 which looks a little less... Fisherman. (Robert S Donovan, Creative Commons)

Finally, Multi tasking with an Umbrella

We're pretty sure cycling with an umbrella is illegal in many countries. Can't see why... Take the sensible option and get a pair of Mac in a Sac Cycling Overtrousers and maybe a Mac in a Sac Jacket to match.