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My 10 year old TNF Thermoball seems dying, little loft and holey.
Alpkit's Filoment is on sale and looks perfect except for shorter life of synthetic vs down (I'm not sure how significant this is, but some wet weather ability is good).
Isobaa do wool filled jackets (Sportpursuit) which I imagine last, work when wet, but are a bit heavier.
Any comments or other ideas?
Isobaa- I bought one of their buffs that seemed to have been sized for a small child. I wrote to them to complain and they basically told me to get lost. So I won’t be buying anything of theirs in future. Which I know won’t be a massive blow, but we do what we can.
Got a Decathlon near you? They have various weights of synthetic insulated jackets that are fine and don't cost too much. I have the lighter one, whatever it's called, and it's a good fit, decent warmth for weight and pack size, and ok to fit under a shell jacket.
Rab Cirrus?
I bouight this jacket from Victory Chimp a few weeks ago. I love it. Super warm, very light and loads of pockets. The two cycling jacket style pockets on the back are very useful. And it's a decent price too.
Montane Prism?
Montane Prism
They no longer make the Prism, which is a real shame as I have had two and found them excellent. Their Respond insulated jacket might be a possibility? Or their Fireball Lite
Thanks all, any recommendations are helped by a rationale 😉
Comments/knowledge/info on which insulation is longest lasting would be welcome also.
There was a similar thread a few weeks ago on a packable insulated jacket which would be worth searching for. I've had a Patagonia Nanopuff (both a jacket and a vest) for a few years. Both are deceptively warm, lightweight and have worn well.
Timely thread. You can still get a Montane Prism from their factory outlet. I bought one as my current one is perfect but looking a bit tatty so now relegated to dog walking.
I was looking at a Keela Talus jacket but it looked a bit chunky so stuck with what I knew.
https://keelaoutdoors.com/products/mens-talus-jacket
I like the look of that Victory Chimp jacket.
However my practical advice is to go to a shop , preferably with a large variety and a discount section. The fit and sizing on these things is a bit hard to follow sometimes, ditto the weight, feel of the material etc. online. FWIW I've got a Norrona jacket I like but it's a bit heavier than those above, as well as things from Patagonia and Arcteryx
I started this thread a few weeks back, some good suggestions.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/off-topic/packable-insulated-jacket/
I ended up getting the Galibier Liberte Packable Insulated Jacket. It's very light, very Packable, and seems warm ... Not 'sitting around in winter' warm, but certainly enough for strolling around with a baselayer underneath down to close to zero. Suspect it will be fine for cool spring, autumn and summer evenings sitting around a bivvy bag and a beautiful view!
In terms of longevity, the first Prism I had was second hand, and then I wore it daily during the last five autumn/winter/early spring walking the dog. I washed it three or four times a year, sometimes more often if I fell over in the mud ( all too common an occurrence) and only relegated it to gardening duties because it started to look a bit tired round the edges. The insulation still seems as effective as when I bought it. The new one has been in daily use this winter and still looks smart.
TLDR: from my experience primaloft is extremely durable and easy to clean
Sport Pursuit has been selling off Rab Xenon 2.0 PrimaLoft jackets for months now for 70 quid odd. Weighs around 360g, so decently light. Not the prettiest jacket out there, but gets good reviews. I still have one of the first gen Xenons and it's my go to winter packable lightweight at a smidgeon under 300g.
I do love a good jacket. I have a pretty old Alpkit Filoment which has worn well and still gets regular use. Bought one of the Isobaa wool ones from Sportpursuit. It's ok but just doesn't seem ti fit quite as well.
The one that gets the most use is the Patagonia Nanopuff. Warm but not too warm. Dries quickly and seems pretty tough too. If I had to choose one it would be Patagonia
Not got one myself, but I tried one on at Cotswold Outdoor, and I was very taken with the Arc’teryx Atom Hoodie, very light, and the fill seems very warm without being bulky. Not stupidly expensive, when I was looking at one.
Not got one myself, but I tried one on at Cotswold Outdoor, and I was very taken with the Arc’teryx Atom Hoodie, very light, and the fill seems very warm without being bulky. Not stupidly expensive, when I was looking at one.
Google suggests £260, which is 'quite expensive' in my book. Also, though it may have changed, the Atom has always been as much about on the move breathability as static protection, so the fabrics sacrifice a bit of wind resistance for improved moisture vapour transfer, a bit like some of the PrimaLoft Active stuff.
As a like for like alternative to a ThermoBall jacket - uses small pellets of PrimaLoft insulation which roll around, hence all the quilting, which also reduces both warmth and wind ressistance - the Patagonia Nano Puff's a good call, though Patagonia's cut has got quite boxy in recent years. Their Micro Puff is arguably the best super packable and light synthetic jacket out there - down-like warmth to weight and synthetic moisture resilience - but the last one I used was ruined by its Sponge Bob Square Pants fit, which seems a shame. It's also pricey.
From Alpkit, I'd maybe look at the Heiko - 350g jacket using PrimaLoft - rather than the down-filled Filoment. Water-resistant down is better than straight down, but ime, if you expect to get wet, synthetic is still better. The main advantage of WR down isn't so much the slightly improved loft when the jacket is soaked, but its ability to regain loft afterwards without special drying techniques. PrimaLoft used to do/does an option mixing WR down and synthetic in a single fill, which was pretty much the badger as a half-way house, but never really took off, probably because it was expensive.
ps: for value for money, the Xenon 2.0 from SP at 70 quid seems like a bargain. As per:
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/clothing-mens/insulated-jacket/rab-xenon-2-0
The deal on that filament is very good.
I’ve got a Heiko which is a Nano Puff style jacket. It’s not hugely warm but it works well in a layering sort of way or as a jacket to have with you and put on for stops and emergencies
I've got a nanopuff and I'm not sure I'd recommend it to everyone. It is very good as a mid layer in cold conditions, but that's because it breathes like crazy as it has very little windproofing. If you want it as a British conditions jacket , I wouldn't recommend it.
If you want sexy ( in my opinion 🙂 ) I think they have DAS parkas on sale... and as my jacket is a few years old and showing it....
Cheers again all. I should have said - £100 seems enough to spend, and I need a hood (this is for high performance wanders and pedals to the shops and pub :D)
Tried on a Filoment which fits perfectly (unlike Decathlon, and Xenon by the look of it!) but perhaps a bit too warm (and I already have a heavier down jacket) - I think I want synthetic (I have read that "continuous filament" lasts longer*). Don't think Nano puff etc is for me - I want windproof.
Seems hard to ID* let alone other basics in the descriptive guff with each jacket! I'll keep searching
Mountain equipment Kinesis is my current favorite.
Google suggests £260, which is 'quite expensive' in my book.
It’s Arc’teryx. 🤷🏼♂️
Which is why my idea of a cheap, light insulated jacket is a Uniqlo Ultralight Down jacket at around £70, with a £20 Peter Storm over the top if it rains. Or a £45 Highlander Halo smock, a Buffalo copy, with the same £20 Peter Storm if it rains.
If it’s for wearing on a bike and generally being out and about, it’s not worth spending lots. I wore my Halo top for archery this morning, and my Uniqlo Ultralight to the pub tonight, because it’s easier to unzip the Ultralight when I get to the pub. When I go for a walk later today, it’ll be the Halo top, with a Helly underneath, I don’t want anything else that’s going to cost lots for a stroll around some fields; all it’s got to do is keep me warm.
The Atom hoodie is available from Cotswold Outdoor for £208 at the moment, still not cheap, but not a bad price for a top-tier item.
https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/arc-teryx-mens-atom-hoody-B12ACB0274.html
Galibier Colombiere fits the bill nicely..
https://www.galibier.cc/product/colombiere-insulated-cycling-jacket/
I bought one when my Rab Cirrus died and am happy with it. Bit racing snake so size-up if in doubt or you run an aero-belly.
I've got a nanopuff and I'm not sure I'd recommend it to everyone. It is very good as a mid layer in cold conditions, but that's because it breathes like crazy as it has very little windproofing. If you want it as a British conditions jacket , I wouldn't recommend it.
That’s interesting. The Heiko stand up quite well as an outer layer as it seems pretty wind proof. But no good for the OP as it’s not not got a good
I wouldn’t say the nanopuff isn’t wind proof? I’ve got a micropuff that is less wind proof than the nanopuff. The nanopuff has got a rep for not breathing so well as it has a windproof layer. Just to put it out there again just had a 16 yr old ish nanopuff repaired for free by Patagonia with free postage back and forth as well. Amazing service. Damaged zip due to my clumsiness and a few rips on torso and elbows due to mishaps my end rather than quality issues. The insulation is still good after all that time and it works when wet! I bought a newer micropuff a good few yrs ago but would go back to the nanopuff as for a few grammes more I think its a better jacket and although its supposed to be warmer insulation and lighter the lack of draw cord waist and slightly larger pack size means I prefer the nano.
My bad. I have a nano air . The puff is a good all round jacket but the air is a bit specialist.
Would a hybrid insulated jacket suit your needs?
I think they're a lot better for being active in freezy conditions, and usually lighter obvs.
Not if it's just for standing around, camping etc though.
Tried on a Filoment which fits perfectly (unlike Decathlon, and Xenon by the look of it!) but perhaps a bit too warm (and I already have a heavier down jacket) - I think I want synthetic (I have read that "continuous filament" lasts longer*). Don't think Nano puff etc is for me - I want windproof.
Anything with multiple through-stitching is compromised in terms of windproofing. Things like ThermoBall and the Nano Puff for example. I've used two different versions of Rab's Microlight down jacket, one of which - no longer made I think - was seamless and in biting wind, the difference was very obvious. In stiller conditions, you wouldn't know.
My original Rab Xenon has a non-stitched outer and is completely windproof as a result and functionally warmer, I think, than some equivalent weight down jackets in real world conditions. Unfortunately fashion means synthetics that mimic down complete with micro-baffles and quilted construction.
Mountain Equipment stuff is generally good on function over aesthetics, no idea what they have in that category / price bracket though.