Musto to sponsor Bear Grylls in epic arctic adventure

by Alex Mills on 27 Jul 2010 Musto, the leading performance clothing manufacturer, is proud to announce that the brand will be supporting renowned adventurer and television personality Bear Grylls in his latest intrepid expedition. Musto will be supplying technical clothing to Grylls and his team as they take on the infamous Northwest Passage between Greenland and Canada in a Shockwave Zodiac rigid inflatable boat this August.

The Northwest Passage is one of the least hospitable environments on earth. This 900 mile stretch of deep water channels deep in the Arctic Circle is strewn with ice and has long proved fatal for a series of intrepid Arctic explorers. First successfully navigated by Roald Amundsen in 1903, Grylls and his team of five will aim to traverse the passage using an 11 metre open-topped Shockwave Zodiac Hurricane RIB in order to raise awareness of climate change.

Amundsen’s expedition spent three years trapped in ice but, aided by the recession of the Artic pack ice, Grylls and team are aiming to cover their 1,700 mile route in just 14 days.

Traversing the Northwest Passage in a rigid inflatable with little to no cover is no mean undertaking and will call for the very best technical clothing available. In order to protect the crew from the life-threatening effects of exposure, hypothermia and frost-bite Musto will be supplying the crew with the latest in marine performance clothing. Musto has provided the team with Musto HPX Ocean Drysuits, Musto HPX Ocean Jacket and Trousers, as well as HPX Ocean Boots and Musto Dry Bags

Bear Grylls commented: 'Whilst crossing the Northwest Passage in a RIB, exposure to the elements will obviously be one of our key concerns. After some research we decided that the best way to counter this threat was to involve Musto as our clothing partner. The brand’s reputation for technical excellence and its long heritage in ocean racing made Musto the clear choice for our expedition. I have every confidence that Musto gear will be up to the challenge of travelling 1,700 miles in the Artic Circle.'

The Musto HPX Ocean Range is the last word in oceanic clothing performance. Each garment is built with a 3-layer fabric including a GORE-TEX® Pro Shell with Ocean Technology® and a Gore™ Micro Grid Backer, offering the most durable, waterproof and breathable fabric available to the marine market. In particular, the Musto HPX Ocean Drysuit has remarkable properties providing a survival time of between two and three hours in water of 5oC, making it the first choice for Grylls and his fellow explorers.

Musto is also giving the public a chance to win a limited edition Northwest Passage Musto HPX Ocean Jacket as worn by Bear and his team.

www.musto.com/sailingcompetition