MontBell

EX Light Down Jacket - Women's

Frills, bells, and whistles go hand in hand, and it makes sense you're not a fan of any of them. Forget fanciful names and fussy features and focus instead of function. The MontBell Women's EX Light Down Jacket is a minimalist's warm dream jacket. Well under a 1/2-pound and filled to the gills with 900-fill goose down, this trim piece works as a jacket on your winter trek through the White Mountains or as a mid layer when you suit up for a ride in stormy winter weather.

Down insulation dominates. Consisting of feathers and plumules, down creates an air-trapping grid. Trapped air isn't like a trapped bear; it's nice and protective, preventing warm air from leaving and cold air from entering. As a result, you stay warm when it's downright cold outside. And since you like the less-is-more philosophy, you'll appreciate the number associated with the down The higher the number, the more space a single ounce of down occupies. For example, a single ounce of 900-fill down takes up more space than 550-fill down. The greater volume occupied by the ounce of down means greater air-trapping opportunity, and more warmth per ounce of down. It necessarily follows that you can use less of the 'bigger' down and still be warm. The folks at MontBell get that simple train of thought, which is why they used 900-fill down to keep you warm in the EX jacket. With only 1.4 ounces of insulation, a lesser fill-power down would fail in the mission to keep you warm.

Made from 7D ballistic airtight  ripstop nylon, the shell keeps a stiff upper lip when the winds turn rude. DWR treatment helps this jacket resist a light drizzle, giving you time to seek substantial shelter. Sewn-through construction creates designated space for down, preventing the insulation from shifting and leaving you exposed to the cold.