Rohan seem to have pulled out all of the stops with this jacket, and the result is impressive. It’s a real winter insulator that, as I found during my tests in the Scottish Highlands, has a lot of the right attributes for proper mountain use. It’s filled with a quality down, the baffle construction is designed for maximum thermal efficiency and there are some smart little touches too.

Construction and Performance

This is a very lofty jacket that brings a lot of warmth without bulk or weight. That’s thanks to the quality of the down fill Rohan have used here and they way it’s all housed. Rohan don’t list the amount of down fill that goes into this but I’d say it feels around about the 260g mark and it’s all good quality and thermally efficient being derived from geese and rated as 700 fill power. What’s more, the down is all housed in box wall baffles. This form of baffle construction creates compartments for down insulation without compressing it, allowing it to fully loft and trap more warmth. Unlike sewn-through baffles, box wall construction minimises cold spots by preventing direct stitching from the outer to the inner fabric, resulting in better overall insulation.

The shell and liner fabrics are made from a ripstop polyester. This has a thin feel but I’ve got the sense that it’s strong enough to the rigours of the trail and everyday wear. I found I could wear the straps of a heavy backpack without worrying about wear and tear at the shoulders. 

Both the down and the shell fabrics have a PFC-free hydrophobic treatment. On my hiking trip in Scotland – which ended up being quite wet at times – I found this was able to repel light rain but it did start to wet out in prolonged downpours. That’s to be expected from modern DWR treatments. Fortunately the down did seem to stay lofty, though I expect that the jacket will need topping up with some Nikwax every now and then. 

It packs down pretty small, as you’d expect a down jacket to, and it takes up very little space in a pack. Some might find it a shame that there’s no stuff sack supplied with it, or that it doesn’t pack into its own pocket. I personally don’t really mind that as I tend to just cram my jackets into the nooks and crannies of my backpack. That said, I know climbers usually appreciate a jacket that can be stuffed up and clipped onto their harness.

Details

There’s no skimping of insulation in the hood, particularly around the back of the neck. Fully done up, the hood is supremely comfortable and with the adjustment cords cinched in, it moves nicely with the head. The hood’s volume is quite small and there’s an adjustment tab at the back of the head so those factors prevent it from being climbing helmet compatible.