This is a review of the Mountain Equipment Lightline Classic Duvet Jacket that can be found in a lot of outdoors stores at the moment.

I first bought this jacket for those cold and frosty mornings when something a bit warmer than a fleece is required. I’ve found that I’m wearing it a lot more than I anticipated as it copes with damp and light rain very well with its Drilite Loft outer.
I’m quite a tall person and this jacket was a good couple of inches longer in body and sleeve than a similar Mountain Hardwear down jacket that I tried on. The hood is excellent for wild weather, but I’m glad it’s detachable as I don’t use it in general day to day use.

Good points about the Mountain Equipment Lightline jacket – very warm, lightweight, packs small. Good sleeve length and body length. Excellent detachable hood. Fleece lined collar.
Negative points: Waist drawcord is flimsy and there is no snow skirt. You could live with one or the other, but with just a very thin bit of elastic and fabric at the bottom of the jacket holding it down and no snow skirt you’d think twice about using it in a skiing or sledging capacity. Wrist velcro could be a bit more substantial too. The only other gripe I have with the Lightline is the lack of zip pulls on the pocket zips. Try getting cold fingers to grip the tiny zip pulls on the main pockets and frustration ensues.

Altogether though the Lightline is a very capable jacket from Mountain Equipment and with many retailers currently discounting it, it makes a good buy. Full price £150.

Haglofs seems to be one of the ‘cool’ outdoors labels to be wearing this year and understandably so.

This women’s jacket, the Haglof’s Krypton Q is definitely cool. It’s constructed of Goretex 3 Layer Soft Shell fabric. The Krypton Q has water resistant zippers, 2 chest pockets and a sleeve pocket. It also has Recco® Avalanche Rescue System Reflector attached to the sleeve. The wired hood and stand alone collar are definitely imressive. Available in women’s sizes 8-18.
I must say though I am not a fan of these water resistant zips. I’d much rather have a decent double storm flap system in place to keep the weather out. Also, chest pockets are fine for storing stuff in, but what about hand warmer pockets? It’s a shame to see so many modern jackets forgeting about them now.

M and M Direct are currently were selling the hugely popular Berghaus Mera Peak Jacket at the shockingly low price of £149.99. I’m not sure if this is for last year’s colours or styles, or if they are just into huge discounting but this is a bargain in anyone’s books for a full blown 4 season Berghaus Jacket. They‘ve got had the XCR Trango version of the Berghaus Mera Peak too at the same price.

Update – this was posted in 1997 and they don’t seem to have this jacket any more. You could try this Berghaus 4 Seasons Jacket. It’s very similar to the Mera Peak.

Rab are know for their top-notch down jackets and sleeping bags. With the Rab Summit Extreme however they’ve taken a down jacket and enclosed it in a fully waterproof shell. Could this be the most cosy jacket on the planet? You would want to know that the outer fabric was going to be breathable enough that you don’t get a lot of condensation build-up to soak your down feathers. I’m sure with the Rab Summit Extreme this will have been tested to destruction though. The fabric Rab have chosen for the Summit Extreme is called Hyperlite Storm. The only downside is a price tag well over £300.

In these days of shorty waterproof jackets imported from America, it’s good to see that Sprayway are still making a version of their old classic – the Sprayway Torridon.

This Sprayway jacket has all the features that most people should be looking out for when they buy a new Gore-tex. The hood is removable but also has a wired peak and volume adjuster. Retainers to stop the velcro hood closure smacking you in the teeth on a windy day. The Torridon has two zipped pockets at chest height and an internal zipped map pocket. It’s got shockcord waist, hood, hem and collar as well as elasticated wrists with velcro adjustment.

Honestly, is there anything else you really could want from a jacket? This Sprayway waterproof has stood the test of time and I hope it stays on in production for a long time to come.

The Sprayway Torridon V should be selling in the shops around £180.

The Women’s Montane Super-Fly has been is made for fast moving outdoor activities where lightweight and high breathability are crucial. The breathability of the Super-Fly is unsurpassed by any other waterproof jacket on the market today and the reduction in weight is achieved by keeping only essential features within the design of the jacket. This is a truly functional piece of kit for those who require full waterproofness, amazing levels of breathability and light weight above all else.