Why we chose it: Sustainably made, innovative, highly functional

Boasting the highest warmth-to-weight ratio in the entire Rab collection, the Rab Mythic Ultra is one seriously well-made jacket that’s designed to insulate in some very cold conditions. All the design details are there for those who want something to back them up on any alpine missions above the snowline, there are some admirable efforts around sustainability and, well, it just looks pretty smart too.

What is the Rab Mythic Ultra Best Suited To?

Rab themselves describe the Mythic Ultra as a ‘gamechanger for fast-moving alpinists’ and this thing’s certainly warm enough, light enough, packable enough and technical enough for alpine mountaineering missions. We’d say it also serves really well as a belay jacket and it would suit those who like to wild camp through all four seasons.

Eco Credentials

You can expect a bunch of recycled materials here, including Pertex’s 100% recycled fabrics on the inside and outside. The down all meets the Responsible Down Standard, meaning all of the feathers come from responsible farms that respect animal welfare, and the water resistant treatment they’ve used is completely free from chemicals. Nikwax’s Hydrophobic Down treatment is applied here to help the fill repel moisture. It’s a solution that’s completely water-based and earth kind.

Rab have a good environmental track record. The company has been climate neutral for 3 years running, 63% of the fabrics they use are recycled and, perhaps most importantly, they focus on making kit to last, not just by making it tough but also by focussing on making the kit repairable, whether that’s by the consumer or through the Rab service centre.

Construction and Performance

That impressive warmth-to-weight ratio – it’s all mainly down to the clever baffle construction. With baffles, you tend to get two different types: box wall and stitched-through. Box wall tends to result in a thick, heavier baffle that’s very thermally efficient while stitched-through baffles are a little less puffy but also less efficient at trapping in warm air. What Rab have done is they’ve deployed both types in the places where they’re best suited. That means stitched-through baffles on the arms where more articulation and dynamic movement is required and box wall baffles on the body where maximum loft and warmth is wanted. It’s clever stuff and it works excellently. What’s more, the box wall baffles are all offset and what this means is that all the down fill is distributed evenly around the core, further reducing the chance of any cold spots.

Buy the Rab Mythic Ultra: £420 at Ellis-Brigham