Gear Review
MontBell Alpine Light Down Jacket - Men's
Same as before...
By noah.pendl2260493
Ranked #996 - Men's Down Jackets
November 18, 2008
I can't help it, I have to give this piece the full five stars. I prefer the hood on the parka version, I think it adds a ton of warmth, but besides that, this jacket is nearly flawless (and some people don't like hoods in their insulation layer). Insanely warm, weighs next to nothing, packs down tiny. A few more specs: zipper garage at the throat, internal drop pockets on both sides, elastic cuffs (but without the horrible wrinkles some cuffs have). Sizing is spot-on, i.e. size up from tnf (5'11" 150lbs, medium fits perfectly where a small in north face is required). I decided on this instead of the U.L. MontBell jacket, and I have to say that the 15D nylon on the U.L. might have been a little fragile. As it is, I expect to get a lot of use out of this jacket, construction is immaculate, very low tolerances on the seams etc.
Fleece is dead, long live down.
View Details: MontBell Alpine Light Down Jacket - Men's
Helpful Votes: 2 Yes
Change me.
1 Comments Last Reply: December 21, 2011 By: smartymutt
both the U.L and the Alpine have their advantages. The U.L has nice features of waistband drawstring and Velcro cuffs which is great for a perfect snug wrist fit no matter your size. The U.L has only about 1/2 the fill weight of the Alpine, so it's temperature depth is limited. The Alpine has the great feature of weight and warmth for the price, as well as a higher fill weight without excess bulk of a high loft jacket. I personally do miss the Velcro cuffs, but I'm a girl with small wrists and did not like the bell shape of the women's version, as sometimes I need extra layers. I like the jacket version to be able to wear my cute little fur Moscow hat! People also need to keep in mind the snug fit is more efficient to retain heat, think sleeping bag, the looser it is the more time and body heat it takes to keep you warm! I agree DOWN ROCKS!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes