Blog

There are three main types of synthetic insulation and we discuss them here and give other advbice on choosing sythetic garments.

The Micro Puff Hoody, in line with Patagonia’s ethical practices, is a Fair Trade sewn item using Bluesign Approved fabrics. The shell is made from nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and is filled with a PlumaFill synthetic down alternative.Notably light at just 227 grams, when first inspecting the jacket we weren’t entirely convinced by its promised “down-lik …

When the guys at UOG told us that they were sending up the newly updated Montane Prism jacket we were very excited. The Prism is a classic cold weather jacket built for life amongst mostly all outdoor activities, well known for being dependable and hard wearing. Over the years the Montane Prism has undergone a few changes and it appears the updated 2019 version is of no exception. …

Used extensively by Cairngorm Treks throughout the Cairngorms and surrounding mountainous areas, Winter 2017 – Spring 2018.Montane have set very high standards for this jacket claiming it to be “one our most technical and innovative products yet, developed using thermal imaging data produced during activities in cold, wet conditions.” On first arrival the appearance certainly matches the descripti …

Used extensively by Cairngorm Treks throughout Autumn and Winter 2017/18 within the Cairngorm National Park and surrounding areas.We were really excited when we received the Montane Icarus Jacket to review as we’d heard so many amazing things – team members were fighting over who would have the privilege of giving it a test drive. On first appearance the Icarus jacket has the look and feel of a re …

On first appearance the Icarus Stretch has the look of a regular micro insulated hooded jacket with a stylish build up of diagonal panels. However, it didn’t take long to see the key addition of stretch panels along the jacket sides and under the arms, giving this jacket an extra dimension. This allowed us to trial it across a range of mountaineering disciplines including high mountain walking, cr …

Tested extensively by Cairngorm Treks from May 2017 to July 2017 during multi day trekking in the central Cairngorms, including high wild camping at over 1200 metres in temperatures below freezing. Every now and again, innovation comes along that can be a real game-changer. Rab’s Nebula jacket is one of these innovative items. The crucial point about the jacket is that it is, like all excelle …

The Rab Photon X is Rab's latest winter belay jacket. Designed specifically for our regular climbing location, Scotland, we couldn't wait to get our hands on it.When we talk about Scottish winter climbing, we immediately think of synthetic insulation. Although synthetic down and hydrophobic down has come a long way in recent years. We still think a typical Scottish winter day of the full spectrum …

Micro puff down jackets are nothing new, Rab seems to have broken into the mainstream with their micro alpine over the yeast few years, a walk along most UK high streets on even a slightly cool day will demonstrate that. It seems there are two types of gear junkies, those who cry a silent tear when in a downpour they pass someone who has yet to be introduced to how to adequately look after down an …

Selection: I was off to Peru on a high-level trek (above 4000m), which means when the sun is shining it's very warm but when it's cloudy (and at night) it can be unpredictably cold. I was packing a RAB Infinity down jacket as my basecamp warmth but I needed a lightweight insulating layer I could use during the day if it got cold while walking. Primaloft is a leader in garment insulation so it's th …