Montane Blue Ice Jacket – Performance

Like we said, if you were introduced to the Blue Ice in a darkened room, you’d assume it was a medium quality, medium weight and impressively warm down jacket. The stitch-through baffles hold a pleasantly plumped-up, reassuringly warm abundance of stuffing, the down-proof fabrics have a quality, lightweight feel and it’s all thoroughly designed with adjustable hem, elasticated cuffs and twin zipped hand-warmer pockets.

Except, as you’ll know by now, the filling is a hybrid 60/40 mix of down and PrimaLoft rather than pure down. What does that mean? Essentially you can stop worrying about walking back to the campsite from the pub in a sudden squall, you can throw it on for a damp lunch-stop on the hill without obsessing about keeping it dry. And if it does get wet, it dries decently fast and without losing any obvious loft.

In other words, it’s pretty much a down jacket that you can treat as you would a synthetic one. All of which is good news if you’re a down-obsessed Brit, who can’t be bothered with avoiding the showers.

Where it does fall down a little, is in not having a hood, which limits it a little in really cold conditions and arguably means it works best indoors and under canvas. We’d be shopping for warm hats at the same time… Montane’s own down-filled Plume Mountain Cap might work well.

Montane Blue Ice Jacket – Verdict

A nice hoodless, medium weight, pleasantly warm jacket with hidden qualities. You can get it seriously wet without it being an issue. It retains decent loft when damp, like a synthetic and dries fast and without side-effect, yes, like a synthetic.

In other words, if you want down warmth, weight and packability but without the need to keep it dry, here’s the answer.

The one downside is the lack of a hood, which will either both you or not. We’d have preferred the option for really cold days, but it’s your call. It’s also worth bearing in mind that it’s slightly shorter than some. That aside, it’s down without the hydrophobia.

More Information

See montane.co.uk