Which insulated jacket?

N

Noltae

Summit Camper
I've been unimpressed with my Ulvetanna - Even brand new it wetted out instantly and the down sections had virtually no loft .
 
B

benp1

Trail Blazer
Still love my hypertherm. There aren't many jackets that have the same balance of weight, features and warmth.

They're either warmer, heavier, or have things like wired peaks or similar that make them less packable. The fact they're reversible is a real bonus.

Problem is they were expensive, I think RRP was £160. Which is a lot for a 40g synthetic fill jacket
 
B

benp1

Trail Blazer
Keep an eye out on ebay, they come up every now and then. I've thought about buying another as a backup but I've had mine since 2017 and it's still going strong (despite much use)
 
Enzo

Enzo

Thru Hiker
I've got the hypertherm smock. They are unbeatable for weight and pack size. I've moved to a RAB alpha cardie and windproof for the cooler months, twice the weight though.
 
ZenTrekker

ZenTrekker

Section Hiker
Andrew Rushton said:
Any thoughts on decent insulated jackets available? Must be lightweight, warm and if possible be slightly water repellent. I’ve considered the Patagonia micro puff but read that it’s not really very warm compared with other jackets.
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That's a +1 for the Montane Fireball smock. In colder weather I also take a lightweight CRUX down pullover for breaks and camp use. Layered together the Montane & Crux are really warm.
 
TinTin

TinTin

Thru Hiker
Andrew Rushton said:
Any thoughts on decent insulated jackets available? Must be lightweight, warm and if possible be slightly water repellent. I’ve considered the Patagonia micro puff but read that it’s not really very warm compared with other jackets.
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Helly Hansen have a Lifaloft Jacket that looks very similar to the micro puff. Wiggle currently have the hooded version for £80. I really like my Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody that I picked up recently for c£130. The price might have influenced the purchase. As a general point I have a couple of down jackets with no hood but for this I decided that a hood was worth the weight.
 
N

Noltae

Summit Camper
My Ulvetanna wetted out in light rain - the was no visible beading - even with cheap garments one expects some degree of beading when brand new- but it's not a cheap jacket..I now use the jacket exclusively for brew stops on lowland day walks..
 
oreocereus

oreocereus

Thru Hiker
Noltae said:
My Ulvetanna wetted out in light rain - the was no visible beading - even with cheap garments one expects some degree of beading when brand new- but it's not a cheap jacket..I now use the jacket exclusively for brew stops on lowland day walks..
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There isn’t any claim to being waterproof or ever water resistant in the product spiel though, so why would you expect it to be?

That’s fairly standard for an insulation layer - reasonably breathable shell fabric (ie not waterproof) because it means you sweat less, and you put your rain shell on if you need rain protection.

Of course, I don’t own the jacket, and only read the description On the link Fox posted earlier in the thread, so if it was advertised as waterproof then that’s pretty bad.
 
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FOX160

FOX160

Thru Hiker
Noltae said:
My Ulvetanna wetted out in light rain - the was no visible beading - even with cheap garments one expects some degree of beading when brand new- but it's not a cheap jacket..I now use the jacket exclusively for brew stops on lowland day walks..
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Mines the complete opposite, in light rain it beads and drys very quickly and great within damp conditions, think you should send yours back for replacement.
 
JKM

JKM

Thru Hiker
Enzo said:
FYI the fabric is very lightweight to get a hooded 100g/m primaloft jacket at 400g, the fill on mine is showing through the inner, doesn't bother me but thought you should know View attachment 11961
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Just noticed this Enzo, my OMM rotor vest did the same after a few days with a pack, I got a replacement sent out asap but I think the fabric is just too light to use with a pack.
 
Enzo

Enzo

Thru Hiker
Star that burns twice as bright shines half as long!
I like mine, goto winter insulation, at the rate i get out it'll last me years!
 
Mark James

Mark James

Backpacker
Andrew Rushton said:
I’ll take a look at those thankyou. That’s why I’m considering the Patagonia micropuff as it’s synthetic fill but ridiculously lightweight. I’ve just read that it’s not as warm as some jackets albeit they are heavier
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I have a Patagonia Micropuff and I find it plenty warm enough - I do run quite warm anyway however. I can't walk in it at anything above freezing, or I sweat, so I keep it to wear when stopped or to put on in the evening. It is amazingly lightweight and compressible, which is the beauty of it. Hardly cheap though to be honest - it was very much a treat for me to spend so much on a jacket. Can't say I regret it in any way at all though.
 
Taz38

Taz38

Thru Hiker
For the ladies; I have a berghaus extrem insulated jacket (no hood) which I got preloved and has been everywhere with me. I also sleep in it when cold. They pop up on lebay occasionally fairly cheap.
 
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WilliamC

WilliamC

Thru Hiker
It would appear that Rab is updating the Xenon. UOG has the new womens version in stock, though strangely it doesn't appear on the Rab website, as far as I can tell. The insulation is still 60g/m² but they've switched to something called Stratus, about which I can find nothing. The material has switched to 38g/m² Atmos, which they've been using in some of their down jackets. This seems to have brought the weight back down to close to the original Xenon jacket, which is maybe why they've dropped the X in the jackets name.
@Balagan, the chest pocket is still internal.
 
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