We’ve chosen Rab Down Hut Slippers as another of our Top Gear choices. Please read on to find out more.
We would say that hut slippers maybe one of those items that you don’t know you need until you try them. Infact, it turns out there is nothing better, after a day in the mountains, than to sink your feet in some warm and cosy footwear. We’ve been using some over the winter months and decided they should definitely become one of our Top Gear choices. Here’s why.
Features
Rab know down. They also know insulation and they know about living comfortably in the mountains. They should be able to make a decent hut slipper. Infact, they have been making hut slippers for a while. But these are, as they say on their website, are hut slippers reimagined. Let’s firstly consider their features.
Firstly, in line with their industry leading sustainability commitment, Rab’s Down Hut Slippers outers are produced with 100% recycled 30 denier Pertex Quantum with a fluorocarbon free durable water repellant (DWR) coating. They are then lined with a soft brushed fleece.
They are filled with 700 fill power 100% recycled down with a Nikwax Hydrophobic treatment. There is 23 grams of down in a size medium. They have a non-slip PU outsole with EVA padded insole for comfort. Rab have then added a tough 600 denier nylon edge for abrasion resistance.
Other features include an elasticated entry to keep them secure on your feet and there’s a rear pull-on loop. The slippers weigh 198g in size medium and the retail price is £45. They are available in a range of sizes and colours.
In Use
Over winter we are constantly moving between different accommodations as well as travelling with a lot of gear. If we take some downtime footwear we need them to be both portable and lightweight. The Rab Down Hut Slippers tick all the boxes. They can easily be tucked in a kit bag without cutting into your baggage allowance and take up very little space. Similarly, they would be perfectly reasonable to carry into an Alpine hut or bothy. We have come to reach for them first as soon as we arrive at our lodgings.
But, the other question is whether they perform? Infact, they perform really well. There is enough down for them to be toasty warm and they fit snugly and comfortably.
Another consideration is durability. As slippers of this kind are made from very lightweight materials, how do they hold up? Infact, ours have been in use for several months and they are as good as new. The durable PU outsole, combined with the 600 denier nylon edge, has proved to easily survive hard use.
The types of accommodation we use are often not the most luxurious and have a variety of floor surfaces. For slippers to be of use they need to be able to cope with anything. Whether wood, carpet or stone surfaces, they have been easily up to the job. Even going outside has been fine providing it isn’t too wet or muddy. They aren’t as tough as shoes of course, but they aren’t designed to be.
If you were sleeping in very cold conditions we are sure you could also wear these inside your sleeping bag. They would certainly be comfortable enough but we haven’t needed to do this.
Summary
Well, we can’t recommend Rab Down Hut Slippers highly enough. They are great. Of course, you could just as easily use them at home, but they are certainly optimum for travel. It is great that Rab have used recycled materials where they can. They are also built with Rab’s legendary build quality.
These slippers were supplied to us by Trekitt and Rab Down Hut Slippers are available on their website here. More details on them are also available on the Rab website here.
We have a range of Top Gear choices listed on our blog. Please do have a read to find other options. For example, their is one about the Petzl Bindi Headtorch here and another about the Patagonia Black Hole Cube here.