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Featured as part of Rab's new Skyline range the Pacer Jacket was built to be a very lightweight and compact option for fast movement in mountain environments. At 240 grams it certainly fits the brief and packing small into its included stuff sac it is almost unnoticeable amongst our pack.

The instantly noticeable feature when receiving the Kinetic Alpine jacket and pants is certainly the fabric. Rab’s own Proflex fabric has the feel of a softshell yet claims to be fully waterproof. Rab explain “the outer and inner layers of Proflex are engineered” with high gauge knits – “the outer treated for water repellency and the inner wicking to move moisture.” It’s certainly true that the Ki …

The Foray Jacket comes in at 390 grams for the size medium, which puts it into a bracket of being a midrange waterproof. To the touch it certainly isn't as rugged as it is with a heavier 3L mountain jacket but it also isn't as flimsy as a super light active sports waterproofs. The Foray hits the 'go anywhere' category and it is instantly clear that OR have created a waterproof jacket tha …

Rab kindly supplied a couple of their new jackets for me to test on my recent Knoydart trip. They sent an Arc jacket, which is a slimmed down version of their Firewall waterproof jacket, and the widely acclaimed Rab Kinetic Plus waterproof softshell. Continue reading to find out how I got on with both of the jackets. Rab Kinetic Plus Jacket Review When Rab announced the release of the Ki …

After a few months of using this anorak from Haglofs, I’ve been seriously impressed. It was my shell layer of choice on the TGO this year because it seemed to offer the perfect package for this event. It’s been stripped of unnecessary features and just retains those you really need to minimise weight and pack size. To keep weight low Haglofs opted for an anorak with a half zip rathe …

Used extensively by Cairngorm Treks throughout Autumn and Winter 2017/18 within the Cairngorm National Park, Skye, and surrounding areasThe Montane Ajax jacket is labelled as ideal for climbers, mountaineers and mountain walkers looking for a no-nonsense, uncompromising waterproof shell jacket. Constructed from lightweight 40 Denier Gore-tex combined with tough 70 Denier Gore-tex in high abrasion …

The Rab Muztag DV jacket is completely new for winter 2018 and is designed for the harsh conditions you might expect in the Scottish mountains during winter. When you know that the weather is likely to be extreme, then the choice of waterproof shell is always at the forefront your mind. If you are going on multi-day treks then your waterproof shell is vitally important. We love ultral …

Before the jacket arrived, we were already fairly familiar with the Axiom. Although we didn't have the experience with previously owning one ourselves, it's seen to be a popular choice amongst the outdoor community and also previous clients. The obligatory 'gear' discussions that take place whilst trekking with groups were all favourable towards the Axiom. Its good water repellency was m …

Used extensively by Cairngorm Treks throughout Autumn and Winter 2017/18 in the Mountainous areas of the Cairngorms and Skye.The Thunder Shadow Jacket is extremely lightweight (285g) for what Mountain Hardware claims to be a reliable and quality waterproof, packing up nicely and easily fitting into some of the smallest nooks in a crammed rucksack. This is instantly noticeable, as when we first hel …

Rab Kinetic Plus Jacket reviewed by Succinct Gear ReviewsWe recently had the chance to test the new Kinetic Plus Jacket from Rab. Our tester was able to put the jacket through its paces in a wide variety of conditions including a week of constant use climbing on the remote and spectacular sea cliffs of Mingulay.Straight off the bat, the first thing we noticed about the Rab Kinetic Plus jacket was …

The main considerations we have for waterproof jackets are that they will stand up to repeated Multi Day Trekking in the pouring rain, be light enough to stash in a backpack on dry days, and not soak us through with condensation when working hard and at speed. As such, the Montane Atomic had a lot to get right to win our approval. Waterproofness comes top of the list and the Atomic worked wel …

There's already a lot been written about Rab's Proflex fabric so I'm going to be brief – it's fabulous! I took the Kinetic Plus jacket to Iceland for a backpacking trip in September, the first thing you note is the 'feel' of the fabric, very soft and definitely can’t be described as a Hardshell, it's also very stretchy making for a hugely comfortable garment. The main story though is breathability …