Montane Featherlite Down Jacket

[JohnClimber]

Are the Montane Featherlite Down Jackets any good for UK winter?

I can get a new one from nearby for £138.

Is there any others to look at in this price range that also have a down hood built in?

[Bearbonesnorm]

The RAB Infinity is the warmest down / best jacket I've ever used. Still packs well and not heavy given how warm it is.

I've just found you a L one in blue for £120 (should be well over £200).

http://www.rockrun.com/rab-infinity-jacket/

EDIT - Alpkit have a pre-order on their new Filo too but I have to say I'd still favour the RAB (weight, down quality).

Another EDIT - I've just had a look at the Montane. I think whether it's suitable for winter will depend on what you call winter ... for me it wouldn't be warm enough. Lower FP down than the RAB too.

[JohnClimber]

Cheers Stu.

That looks like the one. Shame it's not on offer in a medium seeing the reviews I think the large will be too big

[Bearbonesnorm]

That looks like the one. Shame it's not on offer in a medium seeing the reviews I think the large will be too big

It's worth searching about, they do turn up at the right money ... the 'endurance' model is usually more expensive (and heavier).

[Chew]

Are the Montane Featherlite Down Jackets any good for UK winter?

I can get a new one from nearby for £138.

Is there any others to look at in this price range that also have a down hood built in?

Looks very similar to the Rab Alpine jacket I have. They're good for early winter, but not really suitable for when its really cold (below zero). Also consider if you need a hood or not as I find a good hat much more effective.

[JohnClimber]

I popped, well when I say popped I did a 60 mile detour from my route to call into the Rab factory shop today to see if they had a medium RAB Infinity in stock or if they had one in Saturdays sale.

The place took ages to find as there's no sign outside and the post code takes you a couple of hundred meters away.

The tiny shop was rammed with people looking at just 2 racks of clothing.

There was only 1 medium sized down top on the rails and it wasn't the RAB Infinity I was after.

They had a marked large Infinity in a disgusting greeny colour for £110 but it was massive on me.

I tried to speak to a person (who will remain nameless) that I emailed but he got a flunky to give me the brush off.

They wouldn't tell me what was in the sale this Saturday, so I'm not going to do a 240mile round trip on the off chance.

All in all a very negative mark against their name from me with very poor public relations and communications.

So who makes an alternative to the Infinity jacket where I could spend my hard earned money as Rab don't want it?

[Bearbonesnorm]

So who makes an alternative to the Infinity jacket where I could spend my hard earned money as Rab don't want it?

These have all got hoods and are similar specs to the RAB, give or take.

Berghaus Llam

Mountain Equipment Xero

Mountain Equipment Vega

You can view them here: http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/prodpage. ... perpage=10

[RobMac]

The RAB Infinity is the warmest down / best jacket I've ever used. Still packs well and not heavy given how warm it is.

I've just found you a L one in blue for £120 (should be well over £200).

http://www.rockrun.com/rab-infinity-jacket/

EDIT - Alpkit have a pre-order on their new Filo too but I have to say I'd still favour the RAB (weight, down quality).

Another EDIT - I've just had a look at the Montane. I think whether it's suitable for winter will depend on what you call winter ... for me it wouldn't be warm enough. Lower FP down than the RAB too.

Now £99 with free P&P

[Zoglug]

So very tempting! It's whether I'd actually get out more over winter or if it would sit gathering dust!

[RobMac]

So very tempting! It's whether I'd actually get out more over winter or if it would sit gathering dust!

Yeah, but did you see the RRP £235 and the £99 now

[Zippy]

Yeah, but it's L and up sizes. This always happens with 'bargains', never in my size

[JohnClimber]

So who makes an alternative to the Infinity jacket where I could spend my hard earned money as Rab don't want it?

These have all got hoods and are similar specs to the RAB, give or take.

Berghaus Llam

Mountain Equipment Xero

Mountain Equipment Vega

You can view them here: http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/prodpage. ... perpage=10

How would the Berghaus Popena Men's Hooded Hydrodown™ Jacket with it's 600 fill hydrodown filling compare in the temperature stakes please?

[Bearbonesnorm]

How would the Berghaus Popena Men's Hooded Hydrodown™ Jacket with it's 600 fill hydrodown filling compare in the temperature stakes please?

No idea really John ... the 600fp is quite a bit lower than the RAB and the other jackets listed above, so it'll require more down to produce the same results (or the same amount of down for a colder jacket) but I can't find out how much down the jacket contains. It does look pretty heavy at around 750g when you consider the Infinity is 450g, so that could indicate lots of down or a heavy shell, zips, fastners, etc.

I'd order a Filo rather than this ... just my opinion mind.

[JohnClimber]

I think you're right about the Filo, but they aren't available as yet.

I'll see how I get on next weekend with my old down jacket and I'll steal your Infinity

[JohnClimber]

I've got a Golite down somewhere from years ago but I've just found this one.

http://www.golite.com/Mens-Bitterroot-W ... =9806,9809

It ticks all the right boxes apart from that they don't ship to the UK and their European distributor doesn't stock it :evil:

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've got a Golite down somewhere from years ago but I've just found this one.

http://www.golite.com/Mens-Bitterroot-W ... =9806,9809

It ticks all the right boxes apart from that they don't ship to the UK and their European distributor doesn't stock it

Sadly you'll struggle to get any Golite stuff over here these days. Shame as the Bitterroot jacket was a near match to the Infinity.

There's always a Minimus from PHD

OR

If you can see beyond the branding, these actually look like a very well spec'd jacket for £100.
http://www.fieldandtrek.com/karrimor-su ... ens-443377

[JohnClimber]

Sadly you'll struggle to get any Golite stuff over here these days. Shame as the Bitterroot jacket was a near match to the Infinity.

I'm glad you say it's similar to the one I fancied as I've got a cunning plan.

Auntie and Uncle fly out to a Florida holiday hole for 4 weeks from next week. I've been told via the Golite chat thing on their site that I can order the jacket over the phone with a UK credit card and have it shipped to their holiday home.
As it will weigh next to nothing and compress just as small they have no problems bringing it back for me, with the labels cut off of course

I've an old Golite down jacket somewhere but it's not of this standard plus a really light weight ruck sack that I use for walking day trips and neither has caused a problem so I know the quality it right.

It is a Pertex Quantum GL fabric combined with 850 fill power DownTek water repellent down for just
£122 plus local taxes and no import duty.

Rab and their crap customer service = £220 to £270

No contest, bring on the yanks

[johnnystorm]

If you like your other Golite is it worth investigating if someone like mountaineering designs could re stuff it with more/better down? I realise that might spoil your chance to buy a new toy.

[JohnClimber]

If you like your other Golite is it worth investigating if someone like mountaineering designs could re stuff it with more/better down? I realise that might spoil your chance to buy a new toy.

Nice idea, but it hasn't got a hood and is too big since I've dropped in weight.

[Zoglug]

So are down jackets really required during winter in the uk? I've been toying with the idea of getting the rab, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost ahead of a skills weekend or possum/ocelot! I just wondered how much use people get out of there's (appreciate it depends how many times u get out).

[Chew]

So are down jackets really required during winter in the uk? I've been toying with the idea of getting the rab, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost ahead of a skills weekend or possum/ocelot! I just wondered how much use people get out of there's (appreciate it depends how many times u get out).

A big Rab jacket like that is a bit overkill for most trips. You may use it for a couple of trips a year when its really cold, but that depends on how much you feel the cold and how often you get out when its below zero.
I don't have one and I've survived.

[Bearbonesnorm]

So are down jackets really required during winter in the uk?

I'm with Chew here. A BIG jacket is overkill most of the time but some kind of insulating layer is vital all of the time. Something like the Uniqlo jacket or (if you're a synthetic type) RAB Generator will suffice even in winter, so long as it doesn't start to get below -5.

I don't have one and I've survived

I can vouch for this fact

[JohnClimber]

If I was going to just use it for bivi'ing I'd never get the money use out of it.

But this will be used for pre-work winter dog walking duties and snow Fat Biking trips in the bottom of my pack in case of mechanicals or stops in the cold.

Auntie and Uncle head out on Thursday and come back 1st week in Jan hopefully with the Golite which I'll order on Tuesday night.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think we need to think of a quality down item (sleeping bag, jacket, etc) as a longterm investment ... if treated properly it should pretty much last a life time.

[benp1]

One quick heads up, fill power can be measured in US or UK/EU

800 US is 700 UK, and so on

My warmest down jacket is a PHD minimum but it's over budget. The alpkit ones are very well regarded but not as good value as they once were, especially if you can grab a down jacket in the sale