Gear

SMM (Long way from home) wrote (see)

Hi Nigel,

How did you get one with the Alpine Light, I am looking at geeting one.

Do you have any pics wearing it, have you tried it with a Helmet.

Cheers,

Stephen

Odd - OM didn't notify me about thread update.

So I've worn the Montbell Alpine Light for some days, and it is very warm, it is too warm to walk more than 5-10mins when the temperature gets upto about -2C, but around -5C and below its about-right for short walks. The sleeves being long and its just about long enough over bum. The downside (pun?) of down is I was walking with a backpack, where the straps were compressing the down around under the arms was where the cold was coming in. I tried wearing a windproof over and that helped. 

To have so much warmth in a really small squashed item is good. It seems (in just a few days of use) to be well made.

 For longer than 10mins walks my body heat kicks in and I moved to a windproof and just walk quickly, but for quasi-stationary it is brilliant. Good travel to cold places item.

 In Chicago next week, taking the down jacket.

I know enough now that if the weather forecast is its always below freezing this jacket is good basis of a system, and i have my synthetics for higher temps. Last week in New York it was forecast -5C to about +5C and I took synthetics (Montane Prism) and that was warm enough handled icy rain just fine.  

 PS - New Yorkers all seem to walk about the same slow walking speed, and so many of them I was the ball through the skittles.

Not wore with helmet but the hood is huge, I need to cinch it down quite a lot, so I reckon yes it will accomodate a helmet. I don't own a climbing helmet.

I'm having a rethink about this...after about 8 weeks experiencing the varying cold situations.

So the problem is temperatures which are yo-yo between above and below freezing. On a per-weight and per-volume basis the down really wins, by about a factor 2 or more, but the problem comes in above-freezing situations a jacket which is just-right in -10C is simply too warm, and risks rain. Any DWR might help with the rain but not the too-warm. This is truly remarkable to experience first-hand the "power of down" when there is a lot of 800fp.

So I'm kinda leaning back, slightly to a synthetic idea which is a synth for above freezing and a down vest to add to boost to below freezing. Such as a Montane Flux and the Montbell Alpine Light down vest.

I'm in UK in 2 weeks, I might bring+leave my Montbell Alpine Light Down jacket and sell it next December-ish, and then hunker down for the above alternatives.

I was in London yesterday and tried on the Torres jacket in the P store. The medium was just-right around the torso but the sleeves were too short. The large, the sleeves just-right but then too baggy all-over. Odd, the Torres sleeves medium are just-right.

Also surprised how small is the store, say compared to WWD's P section. 

Owning the Torres gilet, the odd aspect is the insulation on the pockets is inside the pockets not outside, contrast to the jacket. That is one feature of the gilet I don't like.

I also tried on the Torres gilet light, I could not really see it was much longer.

I found the sleeves too short on Torres for Paramo does not fit me that well (I have a Velez where Paramo did long arms as special order). I was also sceptical as the packed size is, to me , massive meaning I am not likely to actually take it with me - and could never foresee it going on an overnight trip. Anyway I went for a Rab Generator Alpine in the end. Facewest have them on sale for 105 pounds at the moment and it seemed similar enough but substantially smaller when bundled up in top of rucksack - with the added bonus of actually fitting me.

Edited to amend the correct name of the Rab jacket.

Thanks, I'm looking out for Rab and Montane (Prism, Flux) stuff to try on, I'm thinking now for next winter so have about 6-8 months to be patient. It is puzzling why P recruits short fat models to size their items.

For insulation, I experience that not needing gloves is a major benefit it makes it easier to simply wear, for me that needs sleeves long enough, and insulated pockets high enough to not fill with rain with arms in. I'm currently focusing effectively on a Prism replacement and a down gilet, the synth jacket to get me down to freezing and the gilet to them get me lower, and the Torres sleeves then to add to get me even lower with the long arms. I've spent the last 2-3 months regularly in very cold situations and I've learned quite a lot about how much insulation I need in what temperatures and where it is needed.

Also, from an insulation perspective, the torso really ends inclusive of the pelvis, at the rear below the buttocks and at the front just where the thigh begins, getting a longer jacket down there is worthwhile holding out to find. If the rear is so short it lets air get to the lower-back it is a lot colder. A shorter and thicker jacket simply leads to too-warm issues once moving in the back/upper-arm area.