Jon Doran tries out three of Mammut’s new autumn/winter products to see if the Swiss brand’s ‘Absolute Alpine’ ethos translates into damp British conditions…
Patagonia Macro Puff Hoody review
Jon Duran tests a new jacket from Patagonia that combines the warmth-to-weight ratio of high-loft down, but the water-resistance of heavier synthetic filled jackets…
The Big Question: Has Synthetic Insulation finally caught up with Down?
It was a sort of outdoor industry pipe-dream: a synthetic fill that was a light and warm and compressible as down, but didn’t collapse in the face of rain. Is that dream finally a reality, asks Jon Doran?
Montane Phoenix Jacket review
Montane’s Phoenix – and its men’s variant, the Icarus – looks suspiciously like a classic, lightweight, micro-baffled down jacket…
The Big Question: What’s with down-like insulation?
This year’s must have is a jacket that looks and feels like down, with baffled construction, but is actually filled with a 100% bird-friendly synthetic that’s designed to mimic the way down works.
Berghaus Aonach AX Insulated Jacket review
Berghaus’s weird tech results in a down-filled jacket that’s designed for use as a mid-layer in really cold conditions. The big surprise is that it works improbably well, though it could be lighter.
The Big Question: Down or Synthetic?
Should you choose a down or synthetic insulated jacket this winter? It used to be an easy one: down was for cold, dry conditions where pack size and weight mattered and getting it wet was unlikely. It also helped if you had a bulging wallet.
Montane Icarus (and Phoenix) Jacket review
For all the advances in water-resistant down insulation in recent years, synthetic still reigns supreme when you know that you will be experiencing particularly damp conditions – and we British know that better than anyone!