Thirty-four years of odds and ends need rehousing. From ski pants to merino jackets and everything in between. To match the ski pants, there are ski jackets and the thermals to layer underneath.
The popular Silk Weight is coming to its end (fabric no longer available) and there is some original, NZ knitted superfine merino.
Come and rummage through a box or flick through a rack. Lots of bargains to be had. We look forward to seeing you there.

      Location: 23 Humphreys Drive, by Apollo Yoga & Café Metro
This is the estuary side of Ferrymead. Lots of parking. From Ferry Road turn off at
Ten27 and drive through towards the Estuary, turning left into the car park.
       Dates:      Saturday 6th April – Sunday 14th April
       Times:      Mon – Sat 9am – 6pm; Sun 10am – 5pm

Note: we are working on having something available online for those further afield.

The Helium is one of those garments that people get attached to. The companion on adventures or a welcome friend at home on a cool night. In 2003 when Kendon and Ben Glass embarked on their mission to travel around the world human powered, their wardrobe of Earth Sea Sky garments included Helium jackets. After two years we asked for the garments back so we could see how they were wearing. The response from Kendon was he couldn’t as he wore them every day! A new wardrobe was despatched and the parcel of worn garments was returned. The constantly worn garments, to our delight, showed minimal signs of wear. Kendon’s original Helium sits in our showroom beside a new one where it is difficult to identify the old from the new.

Kendon Glass in Tibet

A new Helium beside Kendon’s original friend

Kendon visited New Zealand 15 years after his original journey. Visiting us he was delighted to find his original jacket, a familiar “friend” from past adventures. Though a little emotional he was and happy with the reverence Earth Sea Sea was giving it.

Since then others have shared their Helium stories. A handful of these are as follows:

Short stories of our Helium friends:

John Cocks:         

John Cocks hiding from the Patagonia winds in his Scarlett Helium

John Cocks has been an Otago mountaineer for over fifty years. He has made significant contributions to many alpine and conservation projects and has taken on a key role in the NZ Alpine Club’s hut maintenance and building programme. When not working on projects he is in the mountains. John has had one of our Helium jackets for ten years or more and wears it most when he’s walking around town or in the mountains.

“The Helium is a real favourite for me, it raises so many positive comments when I wear it out. I like the feel of it too – it’s so soft and cosy.”

James Greer:

James Greer after hiking the Heaphy Track

James Greer is a recent yet devoted customer of ours who uses his Helium up at various crags in the port hills or out and about across different backcountry trails. Since owning the jacket, James has grown pretty attached to it, especially as it’s one of the only fleeces he’s been able to find that doesn’t ride up at the waist.

“The performance cut in the arms and shoulders lets you move around without any unnecessary bulk and the handy way it compresses so small compared to regular fleeces are details I really enjoy. I feel like I’ll have this forever.”

Rob Frost:

Rob Frost enjoying golden hour

I’m in love with this fleece. I wear it at camp, in huts, during lunch breaks on chilly days, and around home. Every time I put it on I feel like I’m getting a gentle, warm hug. I did not know fleece could be so warm. The high neck and long torso length also mean no cold spots. Amazingly light for how warm it is. And everyone wants to touch it! read more about Rob here.

John Nankervis:

John Nankervis’s old Helium Fleece

Well known in alpine and conservation circles, John Nankervis (Nank) wore his Helium for over twenty years through his mountain journeys and another ten years after his climbing accident. Despite our efforts to give him a new one, he continued to wear his old favourite. Sadly, Nank is no longer with us, but we have inherited his well-loved Helium.

Ryan Taylor:

Ryan Taylor on a recent fishing trip

Ryan Taylor is an incredible backcountry skier known for his many adventures and abilities to push all boundaries. One of our favourite expeditions he’s done was a trip to Tajikistan where he mapped, planned, and explored the country that many people don’t go to. Ryan has two of our helium fleeces, one from ten years ago and another more recently which his partner Midori is often stealing.

“I use the Helium in a lot of situations either as casual wear or on adventures where reliable clothing is essential. Often, I take it on long multiday trips, or in very cold winter conditions such as on backcountry skiing trips in Hokkaido, Japan where the temperature is often below -20C.”

Read more about Ryan here.

John Harvey:

John Harvey in his old Helium Fleece

John Harvey in his new Helium Fleece

John Harvey is a chest physician from England who worked in Timaru Hospital for eight months during his sabbatical. We met in him 2005 when he bought a Hydrophobia jacket and one of our earlier fleeces which are still going strong even after eighteen years of use. He also bought another Helium from us last year too.

“Our family go regularly to The Black Mountains and stay in an old cottage built in 1713, belonging to the local sheep farmer. There is no electricity, water comes from a spring, two wood burners and best of all there is no internet or mobile reception. The weather is unpredictable, and it can get very cold…. the Helium really comes into its own.”

Find out more about the technical details of our Helium Fleeces here.

Jenny Beesley, Mountain Doctors and Ukraine Frontline

The same fleece the Helium is constructed from is standard issue for the US military due to its warmth to rate ratio and durability. It has no extra nylon layers so there is nothing to slow the transfer of moisture. In situations where there is high aerobic activity then a sedentary time any moisture build up would create issues with cold. We included Helium Fleece jackets for Jenny and her team when sending garments through the support of our fundraiser in December 2022. Read more about Jenny and her work in Ukraine here.

Lydia McLean’s story here                                                                                                                                    Blake Hornblow’s story here

Team Gizzie Gold and Hear4U
When Andrew from Godzone Team Gizzie Gold reached out last year looking to update his technical performance wardrobe in preparation for Godzone, we were happy to help. By talking through the performance features of clothing Andrew settled on the following selection which he wore through many pre race training excercises.

Power Dry T, Power Grid Zip Polo, Traverse Overtrousers, Merino Boxers, First Layer Stretch Boxers, Silk Weight Zip Polo Long Sleeve, Silk Weight T, Excalibur Waterproof Jacket, Taslan Shorts, Spider Leggings, Legionnaires Cap.

We followed the team’s relentless training via their Facebook page, excited to follow them come race day. When Cyclone Gabrielle devastated their community, the team had to make the tough decision to pull out of the race last minute. As well as managing their own personal situations of home and work, there was also the huge disappointment of not being able to compete in a race they had devoted a year to train for physically and mentally.

Too far away to put our boots on the ground, we reached out to Andrew to see how we could help. He suggested we direct relief donations to mental health charity, Hear4U, who have leapt into action since the cyclone and rely on their partners and donations to continue.

“Due to the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, now more than ever, our region is experiencing a huge need for mental health support going forward. Individuals just want someone to hear them and let them vent and help them process what’s happened in their lives. The constant economic challenges many face are creating widespread mental health hardships, and services of this nature are scarce.” – Hear4U

Despite this setback, Team Gizzie Gold is looking forward to competing in the next Godzone Pursuit and you can follow their journey via their Facebook Page.

Team Gizzy Gold

Sam the Trap Man and the Waimata Valley Project

After the cyclone we also contacted Sam the Trap Man, long-time friend of Earth Sea Sky based in Gisorne. He is currently on the ground in the Waimata Valley coordinating volunteers to assist farmers clear their properties to make them operational. His positive spirit, diverted from pest control and conservation, is now in action coordinating diggers, bulldozers and volunteers.

New Zealand Land Care Trust is backing these efforts financially and any donations are appreciated.
Direct donationscan be made to NZLCT National Bank 06-0594-0026602-00. Please use “Cyclone Recovery” as reference.

Sam the Trap Man and the fundraising Pico beanies, at our recent Nelson pop-up.

Sam the Trap Man’s clean up effort in the Waimata Valley.

Merino Pico Beanie Fundraiser
100% of Pico sales are being donated to two community initiatives in Gisborne, Hear4U (men’s mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention and to Sam The Trap Man’s Waimata Valley clean up initiative.

 Support the Fundraiser here

Keep up with Sam and Hear4U:

Sam The Trap Man

Facebook

Instagram

Hear4U

Website

Facebook

Instagram

The largest long term threat to the life span of any waterproof/breathable fabric is contamination from direct skin contact with the inside surface. Body oils and salts will slowly hydrolise the glue that holds the laminate to the outer face fabric and the tricot mesh backing. This leads to de-lamination. When the mesh on the inside pulls away from the white laminate it takes all the seam sealing with it. Once this occurs the jacket is no longer waterproof and the damage is irreparable.

You can reduce the amount of contamination that occurs by the type of clothing you wear under your jacket. The area with the greatest risk of de-lamination is around the neck and hood region. Wearing collared base layers or bandanas underneath the jacket to reduce direct skin contact will reduce contamination and the number of times you need to wash the jacket.  

Delamination due to body oil contamination

Washing your garment

It is difficult to state a time when a jacket needs to be washed as this depends on many factors, such as:

•  what clothing is worn under the jacket
•  the amount of direct skin contact the wearer has with the inner tricot mesh
•  the personal hygiene standards of the wearer
•  the activity of the wearer while the jacket is being worn.

If the jacket is being worn during sustained heavy physical work with only a light crew neck thermal underneath, it will need a regular hand wash.

Regular means at least once every 3 months or even more depending on body odour build up. Taking steps to control contamination will reduce washing. Too many washes will make the fabric go soft and clingy.

Instructions for washing are as follows:

• Hand wash only.

• Use a mild washing substance. We recommend using Persil Liquid or Martha’s Wool Mix. Both are pH neutral.

• Mix the washing liquid into hot water then add cold water. The water should be lukewarm.

• Add the jacket and leave fully immersed and soaking for a couple of minutes.

• Using your hands ‘knead’ the jacket by folding it into a ball and squeezing gently.

• Remove any dirt on the outside of the fabric, very gently, with a soft nail brush.

• After washing rinse twice with clean warm water.

• Do not wring the jacket to remove water.

• Hang the jacket on a line to dry. Drip dry.

DO NOT Hot Wash!

Never wash in temperatures more than lukewarm. Hot washing has the potential to weaken the seam sealing bond.

DO NOT Machine Wash. DO NOT Dry Clean

Storage

When the jacket is breathing the Molecular Transfer of Moisture (MTM) laminate swells up. In this swollen state the laminate is at its most fragile state. This is why it is important to dry the jacket as much as much as possible each time it is worn so the laminate has a chance to recover.

Never leave your jacket stored rolled up and damp as this makes it more susceptible to damage and can also lead to mould.

If possible air the jacket in a warm area overnight. Do not leave it hanging outside on a cold porch if you can dry it in a warm environment inside.

Water Repellency

It is important to understand the difference between waterproof and water repellency.

Water Repellency refers to the surface treatment on the outside of the fabric that prevents water soaking into the face fabric. Technical clothing manufacturers use the best Durable Water Repellent (DWR) available. DWR is essential to maintain the fabric’s breathability but is not essential to maintain waterproofing. When a fabric loses its water repellent finish it becomes water logged and cold, causing the temperature gradient between the inside and outside of the fabric to alter. This immediately reduces the efficiency of the water vapour passing through the waterproof breathable laminate. If waterproof breathable fabrics do not breathe, condensation from perspiration builds up on the inside and you become wet.

                                                                 
‘wetting out’ – fabric has lost water repellency                                                                 DWR replenished. Water beads off.

To maximise breathability….

•  Layers worn under the jacket should moisture transfer rather than moisture absorb.
•  Reduce the amount of natural fibre in your clothing. Natural fibre is great as long as you are
  not sweating. Wool is the best performing natural layer but it absorbs over 40% of its weight of water. It doesn’t feel wet until it contains 30% of its weight in moisture. This means a lightweight superfine t-shirt is holding 60mls of water before you start feeling damp. Your body heat has to warm up this moisture before it starts warming you. If you like wearing wool we recommend you keep it as a next to skin layer only and wear the lightest and finest fabric you can find (lighter so it will absorb less and dry faster). For efficient breathability we recommend one layer only. Avoid garments with cotton content.
•  Use high performance bi-component base layers and brushed polyester polar fleece as they absorb less than 3% of their weight in water. If these garments become wet gravity drains moisture from the fabric very quickly. These fabrics encourage moisture transfer and allow the outer fabric to draw moisture away from the body enabling your waterproof jacket to breathe as efficiently as possible.
•  Maintain the water repellent finish on the outside of the jacket.

Gecko Guard: NZ Made & Designed Durable Water Repellent

•  Review your layers. You should have 3 clearly defined layers:
  1. Base or next to skin layer for hygiene and moisture transfer properties.
  2. Thermal or heat trapping layer – ideally a light bulky layer that absorbs as little
     water as possible so it dries fast.
  3. Outer or protection layer – waterproof, windproof and breathable.

In 2007 Earth Sea Sky was awarded a 10-year contract to design and make Antarctica New Zealand’s ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) clothing. This involved a complete redesign of Antarctica New Zealand’s ECW wardrobe. The brief was to modernise the garments by using the latest high altitude mountain clothing styles, introduce a more versatile layering system and establish a full men’s and women’s size grading.

Antarctica New Zealand Field Camp. Photo: Duncan Ritchie

From the beginning it was a collaboration process using Antarctica New Zealand’s field knowledge and Earth Sea Sky’s technical expertise in fabrics, design, and construction. The final design brief was simplified to functional, good-looking, work wear.

It took 12 months to design, test and finalise 5 jackets, 2 trousers and 4 headwear items. Many of the garments originated from Earth Sea Sky’s standard mountaineering range but the large down-filled ECW jacket and the lighter quilted Primaloft jacket were designed from scratch. All the items were made at Earth Sea Sky’s Christchurch and Dunedin factories.

Duncan Ritchie wearing the Extreme Cold Weather Jacket. Photo: Andy Thompson

Now well into the second 10-year design and supply contract, the Earth Sea Sky wardrobe has received a number of modifications to maintain its position as one of the most functional ECW clothing systems in the world. Its distinctive colouring and styling also clearly define New Zealand’s presence amongst the many other Antarctic nations.

Earth Sea Sky also supplies ECW Polar clothing to RNZAF, RNZN, NIWA and the Australian Antarctica Division. Our extensive clothing range can be adapted for any organisation’s individual requirements for any conditions from the tropics to the Poles. We specialise in small production runs, keep a comprehensive inventory of specialised fabrics, and draw on years of hands-on experience in fabrics and design.

For each item in the Antarctica New Zealand’s ECW wardrobe there is an equivalent available in the Earth Sea Sky range.

Iain Miller and Emperor Penguins. Photo: Iain Miller

Our Antarctic heritage

Earth Sea Sky operates in the back streets of Addington, Christchurch, New Zealand. Established over 30 years ago by David Ellis, this small family business has a unique heritage of making and using all the products they design. It was David’s grandfather Roland, a keen mountaineer, who in the late 1920’s started the production of down-filled sleeping bags in his Dunedin bedding factory. By the 1950’s they were considered world leading, good enough to be used by Hillary and Tenzing in their high camp the night before their first ascent of Mt Everest.

Tractor team at South Pole 4th January 1958 from left: Jim Bates, Peter Mulgrew, Ed Hillary, Murray Ellis, Derek Wright. Photo: Ellis Family Archives

Three years later the family’s down-filled sleeping bags and clothing were chosen by the New Zealand, Hillary led team which was part of the 1956-58 Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition. David’s father Murray, an engineer and mountaineer, was a member of the team who helped build the original Scott Base and later joined the five-man depot laying party who infamously drove the Massey Ferguson farm tractors to the South Pole.

The Ellis family have been designing and making Antarctica New Zealand’s ECW clothing ever since.