[Closed] Rab Jackets for standing around in a field...

Moncler.

You know you want to.

*tut*

🙄

Rab do everything from lightweight waterproofs, to soft shells, to mountaineering down jackets?  What sort were you after?  Sounds to me like you are only interested in the logo?

lets assume you are after an insulated jacket?  What are you going to use it for?

Altus, Nimbus or Nebula are the three I'm looking at.  Its going to be for literally standing around pre/post race of for those weekend away walks to the pub.

Warmth is the key point, I borrowed one recently and felt the difference between my NF Triclimate which I'd keep as my non-outdoorsy casual coat.

Altus is synthetic insulation, not down.  It won't be quite as warm, gram for gram, as a down jacket.  If you don't know the difference, I'd probably get a synthetic.  It's slim fit (quite handy if it is going under a waterproof).  It doesn't have a hood (If it's for keeping warm, a hood is a good idea).

Nimbus is the Altus with a hood, but also has a boxier cut.

Nebula is very similar to the above, but slightly more insulation, so a bit bulkier and a bit warmer.

All nice jackets.  Choice between them really depends on how warm you want it to be, fit, and if you want a hood.

I like Rab kit, so if you aren't using it in the mountains, and just want to pose in it, why not go for something much cheaper that will do the same job?  This should fit in with your policy to be less materialistic?  Or has that completely gone out the window :-)?

Oh, and the TNF Triclimate is a fleece and a waterproof isn't it?  Pretty much any insulated jacket will be warmer.

Yes to the above.

So, what is cheaper?  Can I just google “insulated jackets”?  Surely not all are the same...

Decathlon.

What are you going to use it for?

Well he did say standing around in a field in the title. Reading between the lines I think he wants to be able to enter a field, stand there and be warm.

Would something like this for £35 be the same?

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-mens-packlite-alpinist-jacket-p385505

Decathlon £20 special has outlasted a rab here. Just as warm (depending on model of course) and less worry trashing a £20 jacket than a £200 jacket.

Well he did say standing around in a field in the title. Reading between the lines I think he wants to be able to enter a field, stand there and be warm.

Point being, clever dick, is you don't need an expensive Rab jacket to keep warm standing around in a field, so a little more info was useful :-).

I've got one (can't remember which model but it's down not synthetic) It's as warm as toast but the shell is made from tissue paper. I've had it repaired 4 times & I don't know how I even damaged it, mustv'e walked past a rose bush or something.

As above, something like decathlon will be a fifth of the price and keep you as warm.  Performance obviously isn't as anywhere near as good, but since you are not pushing the limits in any way, it will be more than up to the job.  Also, some expensive insulated jackets use very light outer fabrics to keep the weight down, and they can wear quite quickly.

If I'm walking into town or driving to work, I'm quite happy wearing my decathlon coat. If I'm going up a mountain, or long distance walking, I'll pack my Rab.

Decathlon logo doesn't really say RS6 though :-).

I got a berghaus cornice jacket with a removable micro fleece liner from the local sally army for £7... fantastic jacket you can get a sunday newspaper in the front "hidden" map pocket.

Decathlon.

Most people in our climbing club seem to be replacing sweaty old Rab jackets that are held together with gaffa tape and smell of dead dogs with Decathlon or Alpkit stuff, which will smell of dead dog and be covered in gaffa tape within a few months.

North Face  seems to be for the sponsored or those who find walking from one end of Betwys Y Coed high street to the other a bit of a struggle.

😉

Just ordered a Quecha Rab-a-like down jacket from Decathlon for £30.

Cheers all.

Another Decathlon Quecha wearer here. Leave the RAB jackets for the IT crowd.

If you want to be warm forget all the Decathlon nonsense and buy PHD. In 20 years you will still be redders.

I'm actually very proud of you Kryters.

Either an excellent troll or a very wise decision.

🙂

No trolling, I'm re-reading my guide to Essentialism again. I needed a warm.jacket, I didn't need a Rab logo .

It's the Quechua X Lite I've ordered, looks good.

Also ordered 8 x v brake pads for the family bikes while I was there...

The whole process is quite good, with a reduction in Sky TV and a move to a green energy fuel provider and a few other changes this year we are £200 a month better off. That's pretty substantial .

That's more than substantial, that's a new bike each year.

No one needs a logo on a coat.

The X Light jackets are just superb for the money, but you might need something under it if your standing round in the depths of winter.

They'll swap it for something a bit thicker if it's not what you expected. Their customer service is exceptional.

Good luck with the money saving.

Yeah, what you're really looking for is Patagonia

He could go to Patagonia, but it's  harder there....

Decathlon? Seriously? Overpriced designer wear. Who needs a Quechua logo on their tit when you could be rocking the mighty Crane Sport, Aldi own-brand label at half the price. This place really is slipping.

Pah BWD.  Crane Sport padded blue men’s jacket same price as the Quechua.

I borrowed one recently

Which one?

Pah BWD.  Crane Sport padded blue men’s jacket same price as the Quechua.

Aldi is way cooler though. Also, I'm amazed that none of the 'used to climb in the 1970s' crowd here hasn't suggested a used Buffalo pile/Pertex sack... cheap as chips on eBay and exude that sought-after retro mountain charm 😉

Car next 😀

I've got a Mountain Equipment Lightline down jacket which I used for anything when I'm outside in the cold. It's astonishingly good at keeping out wind and freezing temperatures and I wear it right through the coldest parts of the winter.

The down side (sorry) is that it's not cheap and not waterproof, so you'd need to add a shell layer if you were unlucky enough to be out in the cold *and* wet, but for freezing cold winter days, it's the best jacket I've ever owned. Had it a few years now, and it's still in good nick.

<waits to be slated for not buying a jacket from Aldi or Decathlon>

"cheap as chips on eBay"

any particular seller selling ones cheap worth buying ? I was amaized by the high price on buffalo when i went to replace my aging active smock which is my go to for uk climate cold and damp winter weather.

#never climbed in the 1970s 😉

Aldi is way cooler though.

Kind of defeats the object...

I was thinking pre-owned rather than new to be honest. Given the choice, I'd go for the Montane Extreme Smock or  Jacket, which are slightly better cut than Buffalo ime. If you want the same thing, but with a modicum of fit and infinitely nicer looks, Patagonia had various poshed-up equivalents: Speed Ascent, Stretch Speed Ascent, Mix Master (I think - all obsolete but occasionally available on eBay. Or Rab's Alpha Direct is brilliant mountain kit.

pre owned - you mean already smelling like damp dog and covered in duct tape 😀

the outer shell on the montane extreme is horrid - feels like a 3 layer goretexy like shell when you put it on , restrictive and not free moving like the pform shell on the buffalo.  + the montane is even more expensive than the buffalo !

The Quechua arrived.  I’m quite impressed. Despite an initial thought of it not being very “full” of down, a short experiment had me working up a sweat whilst sitting still in it.   4 pockets, a hood and a bag to fold it into what more could I need....

what more could I need….

A better logo

Higher quality materials and filling

Improved fit and design

🙂

How about an older-model North Face Thermoball, reduced to £41?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/North-Face-Resistant-Thermoball-available/dp/B0742GRSN3/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527238878&sr=8-3&keywords=thermoball&dpID=413g-RXJ2xL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1&psc=1

Also, I’m amazed that none of the ‘used to climb in the 1970s’ crowd here hasn’t suggested a used Buffalo pile/Pertex sack

That reminds me of my navy blue Javelin fleece that the cat now sleeps on in the shed.  It actually seemed to magnify the wind and cold.

A better logo

Higher quality materials and filling

Improved fit and design

Next time its cold I'll let you know whether your second sentence has a bearing.  Its a brilliant fit on me, and I don't car about the logo.

and I don’t car about the logo.

Something else on your mind :-)?

Lol, freudian slip...

pre owned – you mean already smelling like damp dog and covered in duct tape

the outer shell on the montane extreme is horrid – feels like a 3 layer goretexy like shell when you put it on , restrictive and not free moving like the pform shell on the buffalo.  + the montane is even more expensive than the buffalo !

I would embrace the sought-after expedition look, think of it as 'distressed' and a bonus feature when buying pre-owned. In all honesty, I wouldn't buy either the Montane or the Buffalo. I'm still using an original Patagonia Stretch Speed Ascent jacket, which is essentially the same concept, but has the bonus of not making you look like Worzel Gummidge...

Higher quality materials and filling

The thing with insulation is that it's just a way of trapping warm air. With down you get lighter weight, smaller pack size and better durability. With better quality synthetics, some of that plus better resistance to water. But for 'standing around in a field', you just need fabric that keeps the wind out and the filling in and enough volume to trap sufficient warmed air to keep you comfortable.

Insulation's basically very simple: it's a layer of trapped air warmed by your body that stops more warmth escaping. If the shell fabric isn't windproof, wind and air movement strips that pre-warmed layer of air away and your body has to re-heat it.

It's the reason that when you first get in a sleeping bag, it feels cold. Your using body heat to warm the air trapped in the insulation. Once you've done that, you stop losing heat and feel warmer. It's also the reason that thin insulated jackets aren't as warm as thicker ones all else being equal.

Construction makes a difference too. Seams and unbaffled zippers lose heat unless the construction is box wall, so there's no thinning at the seams...