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When backpacking I want a very lightweight insulated windproof layer for daytime use and a down jacket for evening, with of course the flexibility to wear them both if it gets very cold. The insulation value I need for the down jacket depends on the temperatures I expect. I took the  Alpine 850 Lite Down Hoodie with me on a recent backpacking trip to the Scottish Highlands at the end of August.

Despite it being a summer trip the first few days were spent in the cloud and in the evening it did get quite cold. The Alpine 850 Lite though was up to the job and it kept me quite warm without resorting to any extra layers.

A down jacket’s ability to keep you warm depends on three things, the quality of the down, how much down is in the jacket and how well the garment is constructed – it needs to allow the down to loft properly.

Montane are a top-quality manufacturer and whilst it’s impossible to check this I’m quite confident the construction of the Alpine 850 Lite is as good as it should be.

The down quality is good, at 850 Fill Power, and there are 140 grams of it in a medium jacket which should allow you to compare the warmth with other jackets. I’m looking for a jacket with an overall low weight because I’ll be carrying it most of the time, so the ratio of the amount of down versus the overall weight of the jacket is important to me. In this respect the Alpine 850 Lite excels, it weighs just 305 grams but 140 grams of that is down, so the rest of the garment weighs just 165 grams.

This is an amazing statistic considering this jacket has a fully filled hood, two zipped hand pockets and two oversized internal pockets for a stashing water bottle, beanie and/or gloves, a feature found on strictly cold weather jackets.

The hem has a cinch cord and the cuffs have a rolled edge with a flatlocked seam. The main zip even has a baffle to prevent draughts and the whole jacket packs into a small stuffsack for neatness.

The only negative point I can see with it is the lack of any hood adjustment, if it's windy there’s no way to cinch it closer to your face. Personally, I find Montane to be small fitting so I generally have to go up a size.

The Alpine 850 Lite sits in a class with a few others from the likes of Rab and Montbell, it is well made and offers leading edge warmth to weight ratio combined with enough features to satisfy most wearers.

Mark Richardson
Mark was the founder of Ultralight Outdoor Gear back in 2006 and has completed long distance backpacking routes in some of the remotest parts of the world. His favourite hikes have been Torres del Paine (full circuit), the John Muir trail and the Markha Valley trail (Ladakh, India). Although semi-retired Mark has not lost any enthusiasm for minimalist backpacking and is tackling Scotland’s Munros choosing multi-day backpacking routes over the more usual guide book excursions. Read more from Mark Richardson