Lightweight winter jacket.

[Zico]

I'm looking to pick up a lightweight winter jacket and I'm looking for some help/suggestions.

I'm considering the North Face Resolve Insulated Jacket at the moment (will be going into Blacks in Canterbury to check it out).

Are there any similar jackets that anybody could recommend?

[Pheebs]

OH OH OH

Oh!!

Hang on... Montane! Consider Montane!

It depends on what you are looking for in a jacket. For us we spent months researching the best jacket to have for our trip so our priorities were: Space, Warmth, Head Cover

We looked at blooming tonnes of jackets and tried a load on too and ended up getting it down to three brands:

Arcteryx
Rab
Montane

Arcteryx: Brilliant BRILLIANT brand. Absolutely superb. The quality is just that step above the rest. It provided everything we needed, warmth, lightweight, hood with lots of features to help (velcro cuffs, extended zips, interior pockets, foldaway hoods, extra length, shaping for ladies) Problem is, stupidly expensive. We just couldn't afford it.

Rab: We both really liked Rab jackets and some of the ones we looked at would fold away into their own pocket which for us was pretty awesome. Quality wise it was good but for me I just felt like a flump in it. The womens ones were too short too, I'd have had to have a blokes one.

Montane: Brilliant jackets. We ended up with the flux which isn't waterproof but it is resistant and dries very quick (we have waterproof jackets with us but have never really combined them unless it's been proper chunking it down). It has all the key features with additional of a million and one pockets of decent sizes, adjustable bottoms and wrists and on the hood a little adjustable cap you can use. It's so lightweight and very compact - quality is really good too. Comfy, unbelievably warm (especially against wind chill). We've used it when in minus temperatures in the alps and also worn it when it's been relatively warm too... it has a kind of way of regulating your body temperature so you're never too hot or cold... you're just perfect! So weird, can't explain! And trust me on the cold too, I really feel it but in this jacket it could be super snowy and I wouldn't know it. I will be able to properly test it out in the next week as we're heading to Alaska where right now it's minus 2. I think when we arrive it's going to be minus 10! Eak! Haha! In short, it's like a sleeping bag. So blooming comfy.

I looked at a lot of North Face stuff and really the quality, warmth and comfort wasn't there than what we found with the above brands. If we had the money we would have gone arcteryx every time... we have friends who mountain climb in these and you wouldn't believe how lightweight and comfortable you are. The Rab was really a matter of being not aesthetically pleasing us and so the montane is rocking for us!

I think Montane is about the same price range as North Face too. I would recommend finding a Go Outdoors store and heading there... a lot of the times when we went to Blacks and smaller shops they didn't have such selection.

Hoping that helps! Let us know your thoughts, would be interesting to see what you end up with!

[Zico]

Thanks for your post Pheebs.

I've not been into Blacks yet to see what they have.

Nearest Go Outdoors is miles away from me .

Will let you know what I pickup.

[LeperousDust]

I really like the rab stuff, but it appears to fit me great

[Pheebs]

Ooo! Excited!

We're now looking at around 10 degrees at the moment (plus some wind chill on top) and the Montane is mega. I've even worn it to bed in my sleeping bag and it's hit -1degrees and I have been mega toasty.

Tomorrow we enter Alaska... rumour has it, day time you're looking at 4-10degrees at anchorage and Fairbanks and then Prudhoe bay is -1 to -2. I don't know if we're going to make Prudhoe Bay as it's all snow and fog which doesn't really go too well with two wheeled vehicles. But either way it's going to be blooming cold so will report back again on how it holds up

LD - glad it fits your manly physique well

[Zico]

Evening all.

Picked up the North Face Resolve Insulated jacket that I had checked out online. Paid £93.50 (15% off as they priced matched a few places that had it cheaper online).

My local Blacks only had a handful of different jackets (enough to overwhelm the un-informed me). There were several Berghaus (upwards of £120), Helly Hansen (similar prices) and a couple of Mamutt/Marmot (all of which were more than the Resolve Insulated jacket and didn't feel significantly better in my own opinion).

As if by magic, I haven't had the need to try the jacket in anger yet. The weather down south has been rather warm and bright this week .

[Pheebs]

Yaaaay for good weather!!

Hoping it's an awesome Jacket for your needs! Sounds like a truly bargain price! Go bargain hunting Mines come in super handy today... wore it under my motorbike jacket whilst riding in near 0 degrees temperatures (so plus wind chill you're looking at -10degrees).

BLOODY AWESOME I say

[Zico]

I quite like the chill in the air in winter. Not too fond of the wind and rain though.

Glad you're enjoying your trip! Pheeb's does the 'Long Way Round'