There was some talk a while ago about the experiment to produce a replica of the clothing worn by Mallory for his 1924 Everest expedition, the current kit manufacturers should have some red faces based on the account below of the on site tests...
Extract from the BBC Website - Outdoor Clothing used by Mallory and Irvine.The results of a unique experiment on Mount Everest confirm that the outdoor clothing of the 1924 climbers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine would not have prevented them from reaching the summit, as many had believed.
The findings are a step closer to proving the men could have reached the top, 29 years before Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary.
Over the past few weeks, outdoor clothing specialist and climber Graham Hoyland has been putting the old-style outdoor clothing worn on the fateful Mallory expedition to the ultimate field test on the world's highest mountain.
Wearing replica outdoor clothing made from gabardine, wool, cotton and silk, he wanted to disprove the common myth that the 1920s climbers were ill-equipped to reach the summit.
"This is just another brick in my wall of evidence," Hoyland said.
Following the discovery of Mallory's body on the north face of Everest in 1999, a team of forensic textile experts from Lancaster, Leeds, Southampton and Derby universities embarked on an experiment to recreate the outdoor clothing from samples of Mallory's which had been preserved in ice.
Side by side
The three-year project, lead by Professor Mary Rose and Mike Parsons, revealed that Mallory's outdoor clothing was highly effective at providing protection at high altitude.
The layered natural materials used to construct the garments were found to be excellent at trapping air next to the skin.
The outer layer of gabardine was hardwearing and water-resistant yet breathable. But the outdoor clothing was also lighter than modern gear - the lightest ever to be used on Everest.
Parsons said: "The results stand out as a challenge for future outdoor clothing innovators because Mallory's clothing and footwear was 20% and 40% lighter respectively."
The results of Hoyland's in-the-field experiment have now confirmed the experts' investigations.
Wearing the replica outdoor clothing for two days on Everest, Hoyland tested the suit alongside the expedition leader who was wearing a typical modern down suit.
A good feel
"I immediately found the underclothes warm to put on, whereas the modern polypropylene outdoor clothing feels cold and clammy," said Hoyland.
"When exposed to a cutting wind blowing off the main Rongbuk glacier, I found the true value of the Gabardine outer layers. These resisted the wind and allowed the eight layers beneath to trap warmed air between them and my skin.
It has been a three-year project to create the replicas
"We both got too hot working on the glacier so we felt that Mallory's outdoor clothing would have been more than adequate to climb to the top in, although it would be hard to survive a bivouac near the summit."
Hoyland also discovered that the outdoor clothing were more comfortable to wear than modern day gear.
"Like most mountaineers, I am used to synthetic outdoor clothing: polypropylene underclothes and outer fleeces which are bought pre-sized, off the shelf and never quite fit properly.
The Mallory clothing was made to fit me.
"This meant that the shirts didn't ride up, exposing my kidneys when I stretched, and the whole ensemble felt of a piece when walking. Instead of feeling bulky, the layers fitted very well."
Freedom of Movement
But the main difference for Hoyland was the level of movement the outdoor clothing allowed - which can mean the difference between life and death when at high altitude.
"The patented Pivot sleeve of the jacket enabled me to lift my arm to full extent when cutting steps with an ice axe without displacing the warm layers of air. If you can reach above your head and climb faster, you could get to the summit before nightfall."
Mallory's outdoor clothing did have one major drawback, as Hoyland discovered.
Mallory and Irvine probably wore their clothes for the duration
"The immediate problem was fastening buttons with cold fingers. I suspect Mallory and Irvine would have put the outdoor clothing on at Advanced Base Camp and left them on for the duration. Fly buttons may have been left undone as there are enough layers to interleave."
But Hoyland says: "All the other climbers thought the jacket was stylish and wanted to know where they could buy their own versions of the outdoor clothing!"
