First Look: Mountain Equipment Oreus Jacket

As outdoor enthusiasts, we are lucky to live in a golden era for insulated clothing, with the different clothing brands and their suppliers continually pushing what’s possible with both down – and especially – synthetic insulation. The advances in fabric technology combined with innovations in the actual construction of garments means that we are seeing some astonishingly high performing clothing coming out, and the latest in this line is the new Oreus Jacket (and vest) from Mountain Equipment. ME claim that the Oreus is “the best mid-weight synthetic product currently available” and they back this up with anecdotal evidence from their athlete team who have been testing the Oreus over many months on expeditions in the Alps and Himalayas. So what makes the Oreus different to other insulated jackets?

What is Aetherm?
At the heart of the Oreus is the special construction that ME call Aetherm. This is how they describe it: “The patent-pending construction uses multiple strands of recycled polyester fibres weaved within a heat-reflective layer. This 3D structure maximises loft and air trapping but minimises the weight and packsize. It also means you need no stitch lines, reducing cold spots and moisture ingress.”

In use, ME say, the Aetherm technology results in a jacket that offers the warmth and comfort of down with the ruggedness and weather resistance of synthetic insulation. What does the Oreus Jacket actually feel like in the flesh, though? Well, the best way I can describe it is it feels a bit like a lightweight sleeping bag! Perhaps that’s due to the very thin outer and inner materials, but also to do with the jacket’s extremely high loft. The insulating layer seems to ‘float’ in the middle of the outer and inner layers, aside from a few stitching points, and you can actually feel the fibres that are attached to the reflective layer inside, and are what gives the Oreus its insulation properties.

Features
So we’ve talked about the special insulation that’s used inside the Oreus Jacket, but how does it shape up as a jacket and what features does it have? Well, reading feedback from early adopters, it’s clear that sizing is a critical factor when choosing the Oreus. Although not intended as an out an out belay-style jacket (there are other, dedicated models in the ME range for this purpose), the Oreus can certainly perform this function in all but the most heinous conditions, but if you’re intended to use it for this purpose you may want to go up a size from normal. If, on the other hand, you’d be intending to use it more on its own, or as an outer (not over a rainshell) then you’d probably opt for your normal size.

Pocket-wise, the Oreus has two handwarmer pockets which are located quite high to avoid pack straps and harnesses, and there’s a single small chest pocket. Inside, there’s a large drop pocket that could accommodate a pair of winter gloves, and this doubles as a stuff sack (complete with karabiner carry loops) which – in our view – is generally a better option than having a separate stuff sack as they often get lost. The jacket has twin pull-cords at the hem to keep out drafts, and there’s elasticated cuffs to keep your wrists warm. The hood is generous and easily accommodated the several different helmets we tried with it. Adustability is provided by internal pull cords that adjust the fit around your face, and by a Velcro strip on the rear of the hood to adjust the volume. The jacket uses YKK zips throughout, and the main zip is two-way to aid when belaying and taking ‘comfort breaks’, and has an internal storm flap to keep out drafts.

In use
We spoke to Mountain Equipment athlete and occasional Trek & Mountain contributor Tom Livingstone about his experience using the Oreus on expeditions: “The Oreus is far warmer than any other product with a comparable weight and pack size. Since it contains a patent-pending new method of synthetic insulation, it allows me to have a warmer clothing system for fewer grams. It’s a significantly different and impressive jacket.”

While we haven’t been using the Oreus on cutting-edge expeditions in the Karakoram like Tom, we have been using it in some pretty nasty British weather over the last few months, and it has proved to be an excellent layer to have in our pack. It really does pack down small (see above pic comparing the Oreus to a 1L flask), and at less than 400g is astonishingly warm for its weight. We found it ideal for pulling on when reaching windy ridgelines and summits, and in the wet it continues to keep you warm as you’d expect. We were using a larger size to normal but this really suited us, coming down below the waist and giving protection to the derrière. The arms are long enough to allow you to reach up without exposing wrists, and in fact the insulation overlaps the elasticated cuff so it helps keep your hands warm too. Overall the Oreus just feels very cosy, and seems to be instantly warm when you put it on.

We’re interested to see how ME use Aetherm in other products moving forward, but for now the Oreus Jacket gets a big thumbs-up from us!

More info at: www.mountain-equipment.co.uk