mont bell have updated their range of insulated clothes

[wayno]

in the lightweight down range there is the new 130 gm 1000 loft plasma jacket.....

http://en.montbell.jp/products/goods/li ... ory=137000

[GPSGuided]

Ridiculously!

[Supertramp]

I would love to check out one of those Plasma jackets, they sound pretty good!

[wayno]

the face fabric is about 7 denier i think, thats what their lightest weight clothes use, its pretty delicate... its a unisex fit as well so you loose a bit of warmth because its a general fit made for neither male or female build...

[icefest]

Wow, 7d on the face fabric. I can understand that on the inside, but on the outside, that's crazy.

[wayno]

they often use "high tensile nylon" like high tensile steel its stretched while its hot to improve its strength, but its still 7 denier nylong with just above average strength.
they also use "ballistic nylon" on some garments which is a flatter thread to reduce catching or pulling and reduce air permeability. ..

[GPSGuided]

Sounds like it's designed to be warn primarily as an inner layer. Not unreasonable.

[forest]

I wouldn't say 7D is fragile. I have a 7D windshirt that's holding up well, and that's worn as an outer.
Light scrub on trails hasn't marked it yet after 12 months use. It's more durable than I thought.
I also have a 7D inner quilt set and a 7D down vest and sleeves, yes it's light but for just containing down it's near perfect IMO. It's is a ripstop so has the anti tear grids in the fabric.
These light montbell jackets I wouldn't imagine are to be worn when active, just in camp. Other than the chnace of a rip against a bush during a toilet break that would be about the most I throw at my camp wear.

[GPSGuided]

Guess it comes down to the care of the wearer. Some people are naturally more careful with their gear and this 7D fabric may be ok. But I keep getting this image of a rip that's followed by a big puff of fluffy 1000 down being blown down the trail...

[Mountain Rocket]

My problem with 7d is the down leakage. I wonder if that is still an issue with the 1000 loft down.
Also not a fan of the amount of stitching in these jackets (baffle system used). Any point that is stitched is a cold point in my mind, as is a zippered section.

[forest]

My problem with 7d is the down leakage.

Really what was that on. Yes 7D will leak the odd feather but nothing massive, no more so than my 30D gear.

[blacksheep]

The down proofness of a fabric is really not determined by denier. Denier is a measure of weight, usually it corresponds with thickness (although hollow core yarns etc provide the most notable exceptions). Excluding the use of a coating or cire process, the other factor that determines down proofness (by construction) is thread count. You simply cannot assume comparative downproofness of a 30d vs 15d vs 7d vs 50d with knowing the thread count (warp x weft) of a fabric. This also affects the stability of the fabric (will it open up when pulled on the bias? will the seam slippage be long term durable). For 7d you'd want 400TC +, whereas 300TC on a 30d will cut it..

[wayno]

i think the ballistic nylon is more down[roof, the fibres are squashed flat and overlap,

[KANANGRABOYD]

I have been drooling over their relatively new Mirage Parka - now that looks like some awesome jacket - baffled too!

[blacksheep]

i think the ballistic nylon is more down[roof, the fibres are squashed flat and overlap,

Ballistic is often the term misused to describe a dobby weave of 2x 2 yarn ( actually a basket weave) rather than the plain weave or oxford weave of 1x1 . That weave pattern will not increase how down proof a fabric is. Squashed fibres? Do you mean filament yarn that has been extruded with a non round profile? This is done to increase a yarns surface area like coolmax , but for downproof? No, I don't think so.

[wayno]

i just found the specs here.. its the calendaring i was actually thinking about, didnt know the term

http://www.montbell.us/products/techinf ... ial21.html

[blacksheep]

That's another term for the cire process. Not down proof by construction, hot rollers used on fabric to melt things a bit... High TC rather than coating or cire is better.

[wayno]

i'll take a look at the new gea when i'm overseas next month, dont think i'll get the plasma jacket but might pick up a light down jacket of some description and a thermawrap vest, maybe a tachyon wind shirt as well...

[Onestepmore]

The wind shirt is unreal. We all have one now! Packs dowm to the size of a plum.
I have one of the light hoodless jackets to sleep in an use as an additional underlayer and it's superb.

[GPSGuided]

Wayno, I thought you are out of space on your cupboard!

[forest]

Yeh get a Tachyon windshirt, Can highly recommend them. I used mine heaps in NZ in April, really takes the bit out of the wind, UL style of course......

[Mountain Rocket]

I love anoraks

[sim1oz]

I got the women's Ex Light Down Jacket 2 years ago and its been great. No down has come through it yet. I mainly wear it when we stop moving to keep warm so I don't know how rip-proof it is and the few times I have worn it when we started moving, it was always under my rain jacket. I've been very happy with it, but am starting to think about something warmer (with a hood) for winter snow trips.

Wayno, love to hear what you think if you get a chance to look at the new range on your trip. Safe travels!

[wayno]

Wayno, I thought you are out of space on your cupboard!

sold some of my packs, and a bulky set of overtrousers, can fit a bucket load of montbell gear in in the vacant space.. besides the mrs is turning a blind eye, she likes the mont bell stuff since its designed in her country of origin.... she grew up next to the city of Toyota, won't drive any other brand.....

[Joomy]

Pity they don't list fill weights like they do on the American site, but I suppose that info will come eventually. 1000 FP is bonkers.

[ULWalkingPhil]

I love my Montbell EX Light Down Jacket, the jacket is warmer than my 350gram Patagonia R2 Fleece Jacket, and the montbell jacket is only 170grams.

[KANANGRABOYD]

I love my Montbell EX Light Down Jacket, the jacket is warmer than my 350gram Patagonia R2 Fleece Jacket, and the montbell jacket is only 170grams.

Stop "boasting" Phil!...LOL
P.S - when we going to do the Larapinta?

[ULWalkingPhil]

I love my Montbell EX Light Down Jacket, the jacket is warmer than my 350gram Patagonia R2 Fleece Jacket, and the montbell jacket is only 170grams.

Stop "boasting" Phil!...LOL
P.S - when we going to do the Larapinta?

I wonder how the Jacket would handle that weather we encountered a couple months ago up at the black range. Combine this jacket with my windbloc and merino longs would have been interesting to see if it would work to keep me warm. That down jacket I was wearing kept me toasty warm but at 660grams. I was impressed how warm my hammock was.

I'm looking forward to the Larapinta Trail. I was hoping I would have completed that walk by now. Was going to do part of the walk with my nieces husband, they live at Alice Springs, but his been transferred to Darwin, so can't do the walk with me. I've put the walk off for another time. I wouldn't mind getting the Overland track out of the way before Larapinta.