I think "wow" is the word I'm looking for...

By Chris Ranked #622 - Men's Down Jackets November 2, 2010

I've been trying to pick out a puffy since the end of last winter, when my jealousy of all those cloaked in down-y goodness reached a breaking point. Since then, I've been searching for a light, athletic, multi-purpose hooded jacket that could take me from cold weather bouldering to alpine mountaineering, and somehow look steazy around town at the same time. Turns out that this was a nearly impossible combo of factors to find within one jacket, and only now have I found the solution. The finish on this jacket is superior to most, with 200g of high-quality down and light but durable water resistant nylon outer fabric. It's definitely a basically simple design, without any interior pockets or many bells and whistles - it does however have a reformable wire-brim hood, a nice touch, and an additional draw cord that can cinch the jacket in at the lower back. I'm not sure when exactly that would come in handy, but it's there nonetheless. What REALLY sets this jacket apart, though, is that apparently someone at Montane misplaced a decimal point when doing their math, because the jacket is in the same league as jackets priced $100 more. I'm waiting for the company to realize their mistake and tack another c-note on to the price, because this is an unbelievable value. I originally bought a Rab Neutrino jacket, which is recognized as the benchmark for multipurpose alpine down jackets, and the apparent quality of the two is pretty much on the same level, while the Rab is a full $110 more. The Montane has only 25g less insulation, and seemingly comparable fabric, but looks exceedingly more stylish.
The only complaint I have about the Montane is the back length - I'm 6'0" and 175 lbs, and the large fits perfectly everywhere but the back, which reaches all the way under my butt, easily 4 or 5 inches longer than the Rab. This isn't a serious problem, and I haven't read about any similar complaints, but around town this might look a little silly, and covers the all-important butt pockets that house my wallet and cell phone. Overall though, this is an INCREDIBLE deal on a high quality, technical, stylish jacket at prices you would expect to see on crappy LL Bean gear.

View Details: Montane North Star Down Jacket - Men's

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