Berghaus's New Down Jacket

You can tell winter's coming when manufacturers start bigging up their down jackets , but here's one from a brand you might not have considered on the insulation front, Berghaus.


The new Liskamm down jacket - that's it above on the left - is part of their 'Mountain Range', aimed at regular mountain goers who want effective, all-round technical kit, but don't see themselves as Extrem-level mountaineers.

The Liskamm illustrates what they're on about nicely. It uses 650+ fill power goose down fill with a top spec Pertex Microlight outer which is wind and water resistant, uses stitched-through, unusual-looking baffles, half-elasticated cuffs and a soft fabric-lined collar.  There's no hood, but then the jacket's designed for stationary rather than active use.

To put it some sort of perspective, the Extrem equivalent is a thing called the Incinerator, a really  high-spec insulated jacket that combines 750+ goose down with Primaloft in stategic areas and a Pertex Endurance outer. It looks like a total beast - see our winter  2009 Extrem preview  for more information - has a hood, weighs a not inconsiderable 900 grammes or so and costs £250.

By contrast, the Liskamm is priced at £170 and weighs a claimed 630 grammes. Colour options are gold and black.

More about the Berghaus Mountain range in our 2009 Berghaus Preview, should be in the shops shortly.

More about Berghaus at www.berghaus.com