Expensive aren’t they?

Are they really worth it??

Anyone got a budget one they like?

bonesetter

Are they really worth it??

Unless you are going somewhere with arctic conditions, or plan to do very little for extended periods of time in very cold conditions, no.

Synthetic will be much better for 90% of the things most people will be likely to do. Down will be marginally warmer but only really necessary for wild camping or stargazing etc but consider whether the jacket will be getting wet or how you’ll care for it.

Any chance of getting to a factory shop? The Rab one near Alfreton has some real bargains if you can catch it open. My wife loves hers, light and warm. I went for a synthetic smock thing I wouldn’t mind wetting out so much. Best £70 I ever spent on a top, should have been £120 or something. Wife’s cost was a touch over half price as well. For that kind of money, I would say it’s worth it.

Oh sure – a half priced Rab I would go for

You say you live nearby???

Bought a Montane Flux early this year @ £100 from Go Outdoors.
Synthetic, not down – if it gets wet, stays toasty warm and dries very quickly. I believe down is less good when wet. Lots of features. Love it.

Alpkit?

But as above, my synthetic gets far more use than the Rab….

My cheap Craghoppers synthetic jacket gets more use than either of my down jackets.

Aren’t the down ones only 10 or 20% down anyway?

This is what I can’t quite accept – I can’t see where the money is

As Jimjam said, they’re great for staying warm if you’re not doing anything. Was too hot when out for a walk last night (-5) however! This is one of the really full-on ones though, probably overkill for the UK tbh.

Go outdoors have some offers. But i’d also recommend considering a synthetic one. My craghopper one was £40 in the sale and very warm. Good for standing around when it is freezing but too warm to walk I. So far this year even when it was below 0.

I have the same issue with sleeping bags. I love my Alpkit down bag (it’s very warm and longer than normal, so actually fits me), but I rarely use it when out because I usually go out when conditions are rubbish and/or I know I’m going to be sleeping in a ditch/fire trench. So, sadly, I have to use the synthetic green bomb.

For jackets, if it’s really cold, I’ll use my ski jacket or my Buffalo.

Bonesetter, I live nearby enough to make a trip (it’s probably only a 20 minute drive) but they only open 2 weekday afternoons a week and the stock is constantly changing, samples, odd sizes, some seconds. If it was simply a case of you picking from a catalogue and me picking it up that could be doable. You really need to go yourself though. Possibly more than once, or twice…

Go Outdoors seem to sell the premium brands (although have decent offers)

All ‘outdoor’ shops sell these type of jackets now though don’t they, like Millets etc

bonesetter – Member
Aren’t the down ones only 10 or 20% down anyway?

This is what I can’t quite accept – I can’t see where the money is

No, the down ones are 100% down, or at least the fill is. The stuff comes in different fill powers, the higher the quoted fill power, the greater the volume a given weight of the stuff will occupy when lofted up. Once you get over 600 or so it’s decent, anything over 700 is pretty good, the 900 fill power down that PHD uses for its top stuff is mega warm for its weight, but also very expensive.

Goose is generally better than duck down, but more expensive. It also smells less ‘downy’ for some reason. Oh, and there’s lot of ethical stuff around down production.

But down jackets are filled with down. Or if you want to be fussy, generally it’s something like 95% down and 5% less fine feathers. Or 90/10. Or whatever.

And probably Alpkit on the budget front. Or something better in a sale. The Alpkit one has a ridiculous drop tail so you look like a very warm platypus, which’ll either bother you or not.

Expensive aren’t they?

Are they really worth it??

Anyone got a budget one they like?

Yes they can be..

Yes I think so..

No, no budget one whats the point.. Mines from Jattnar, I know the Guys who make them.

Tracker – was only joking really. THanks for your good intention though 🙂

yes they are worth it. I’ve got 3 different down jackets.
1 I bought in Costco for £30. 800fill Hungarian goose down. comfy warm and light, very understated.
2 North face Nuptse 2 jacket. another 800 fill down, uber warm, and fantastic. downside, they are like specialised, and dog sh#t. they are everywhere.
3 rab microlight. got it from sportspursuit for £90 delivered. only 600 fill I think. opinion was reserved until today. it’s not as warm as the north face, but that’s the point, it packs down really small.
today I was hiking in the Brecon beacons, on kit testing day. just trying out combinations, of jackets and baselayers etc. that I own.
whilst everyone else was making their way up the granny path to summit pen y fan, we were on the other hillside, enjoying the snow.
I started off wearing my smartwool merino baselayer, and a craghoppers corey2 midlayer. my outer layer was a mountain equipment thermal pro polartec fleece. it was plenty warm, not too bulky. but as the windchill picked up, once sweaty, I could feel the cold enough. temperature was hovering about 0 degrees to -6 degrees.
then I swapped the mountain equipment for the rab microlight, and it regulated my temperature far better, for the next 5 hours.
verdict.
if you can afford a few outer layer jackets, then a down jacket is a good investment, for dry conditions. they don’t like the wet much, or at all.
synthetics are good, as mentioned above, as they manage better when wet. but if you want a warm, wet weather jacket. have a look at a 3 in 1 jacket. preferably a goretex outer, with a polartec fleece inner. I’ve seen berghaus now do, goretex jackets with primaloft (synthetic)liners. now they’d deffo be worth a look.
hope this helps.

I think vest is far better option as jacket might be too warm indoor, no?

Check out Snugpak because they are very warm and they are made in UK.

Jattnar – ooh deep pockets

850 fill power though (as good as it gets)

And 97/3% fill ratio

That’s the best I’ve seen

I’m after a pauper’s model though

Might pay £80 – 100 tops

bikebuoy.
that jottnar stuff is really pretty, and chuffin’ expensive. but well worth it.

evil – thanks for that

It’s not for wet weather, more of a daily

The Buffalo is too serious/not suited

I have just bought a Regatta down jacket I want to use for carrying in a pack when riding (this one packs down really small) and getting out when standing around outside a pub

For £100 I would go with Snugpak SJ3 jacket as they come in 8 different colours.

Buy Snugpak here – made in UK

rab generator here. synthetic. packs down small. pertex outer so ok when wet. warm and very light.

and the main reason i bought it, because it dont make me look like michelin man……. 😆

bonesetter – Member
Tracker – was only joking really. THanks for your good intention though

That’s ok, you know what this place is like, a moments pause, people think I might go and before you know it I need to borrow a van for all the “whilst you’re there” crowd!
Has reminded me that I am after a body warmer (or are they called gillet now?) and maybe some gloves…

Rab is nice but getting rather common now … 😆

chewkw, do you live in Matlock too? Don’t know if it’s the proximity of the shop but especially the lighter, but full, coat my wife has is bloody everywhere!

The Uniqlo ultralight down jackets are pretty good for the money, maybe not as warm in more extreme conditions, but cold, dry days are where they work well, and they pack down very small.
I’ve worn my NF Nuptse for the first time in at least two or three years the last couple of days, yesterday because I was down on the Avalon Marshes and it can get pretty chilly down there, and I was up on an exposed part of the chalk downs this afternoon, but TBH I reckon the Uniqlo with a light fleece would have been perfectly adequate.
Very pleased with mine.
http://www.uniqlo.com/uk/store/goods/127879

Alpkit is better made than Rab (we have one of each).

Tracker1972 – Member

chewkw, do you live in Matlock too?

No. I live in the sunny GeordieLand of the plenty. 😆

You must all come here on holiday then, bloody foreigners!

Well funny story this..

I went to the Outdoor show in Excel whilst the Cycle show was on, stumbled around the stands (as you do) then bumped into an old Uni mate.. Turned out he spent 15yrs in the Army in the SAS then retired out and started Jottnar with his mate. They has a stand, all new kit and was so impressed that I bought the Fjorm and MrsBouy bought the Womans Alfar and Bergelmier.. Has to be said we paid “sale” prices so 20% off but blimey.. these are some damn fine jackets..
Whether they’re worth the money only you can decide that, me I think they are but then I’m supporting an old mate aren’t I..

Funny this topic comes up as I’ve just got mine out to wear since it’s gone all cold and -1C here on the coast 😆

bikebouy – Member
… Turned out he spent 15yrs in the Army in the SAS then retired out and started Jottnar with his mate.

Very nice but very expensive too for my budget.

Can a SAS man be a good businessman as well? Who is he selling his stuff to? Target market wise? All his stuff are premium end of the market judging from the price.

I have never heard of his brand until now … 😯

Got a Ralph Lauren down coat. Yes it was expensive but it’ll last me 15 years and I’ve never needed anything more than a t shirt underneath. A quality down jacket is warmer and more comfortable than synthetic insulation in my experience.

“I think vest is far better option as jacket might be too warm indoor, no?”

why in gods name would you wear a down jacket or vest for that matter INDOORS – unless to save on the heating bills …..

Standing around in the pits at 24 hour races my el cheapo tk maxx Down nike jacket is the bomb – i would never spend 200 or even 100 quid on something to treat as i do that nike jacket but it just takes it and keeps on being warm !

prefer my buffalo active if im out walking or being active at all.

trail_rat – Member

“I think vest is far better option as jacket might be too warm indoor, no?”

why in gods name would you wear a down jacket or vest for that matter INDOORS – unless to save on the heating bills …..

I mean not having to peel off too many layers while shopping …

where do you shop ? iceland ?

trail_rat – Member

where do you shop ? iceland ?

Ya, Iceland Supermarket in GeordieLand. 😆

Alpkit is pretty good for the money,
Tbh, despite having a couple of down jackets, Alpkit and Mountain Equipment, the only down I ever wear regularly is my North Face gilet. Rest of the time I prefer my synthetic Mountain Hardwear belay jacket.

chewkw – Member
bikebouy – Member
… Turned out he spent 15yrs in the Army in the SAS then retired out and started Jottnar with his mate.
Very nice but very expensive too for my budget.

Can a SAS man be a good businessman as well? Who is he selling his stuff to? Target market wise? All his stuff are premium end of the market judging from the price.

I have never heard of his brand until now …

You know what I have no idea at all. 😆

Our hours conversation in the main entered around old/ex girlfriends at Uni.. I think he was single (but never asked) 😆
Well he spent large proportion of his time up in Norway, on some sort of USA/EU/UK base they have up there and he got into Climbing/Mountaineering and I guess using std SAS stuff to him wasn’t all that good. Figured he had to do something when he left the SAS and still has a passion and love for all things Mountain.
I kinda admired him for that, kinda thought to myself “if he lived up there for all that time he sure knows about what he wants out of his kit”
Single minded he is/was and again thats a trait I admire, this venture is a couple of years old now and clearly he and his mate have done some sort of research into the market they want to get into. One thing, he does (like most) get a mix of garments made here in Manchester and the Far East, but they are his own designs and fittings and stuff like that, then they test them out in northern Norway and hey, I buy the jacket..

Great story to catch back up with him, really nice bloke and we’ve spoken since which is kinda nice.

I’ll be wearing my jacket today as it happens to be 1C 😆 here on the coast.

OP what do you actually want it for?

Unless warmth to weight/size ratio is crucial, then you’ll probably be better off with synthetic. Not affected if it gets wet, easier to wash/clean and less likely to clump up if stored properly. Also less likely to leak its filling. Down is great for places where it’s constantly sub-zero, where warmth is paramount and there’s very little liquid water about. In the UK it is very rarely sub-zero but often wet.

If you just want a very warm jacket on a budget, then this is pretty good: Decathlon