You can tell from one look that Mountain Hardwear’s Stretchdown RDS jacket is going to keep you warm no matter what the conditions throw your way. You can also tell that it’s a pretty unique down jacket.
The Stretchdown DS breaks the mould of traditional grid-quilting and instead opts for a pattern of discontinuous lines featuring what Mountain Hardwear describe as “groundbreaking stretch-welded channel construction”. This supposedly makes it capable of trapping slightly more warmth than a standard-stitched coat to keep the wearer super cosy when they’re out in the wild.
“The innovative stitching patterns house 800-fill power down that keeps heat close to the body”
That does mean that it looks a little different to most standard down jackets – it’s almost like a coat made up of little cushioned ski moguls. It’s quirky, but when you’ve got one of the most comfortable technical down jackets on the market right now, we think that’s easy to look past.
The ‘DS’ in the title stands for ‘dynamic stretch’. It’s quite a slim-fitting jacket, but this techy fabric means that if you’re reaching for a hold up above your head, tying a shoelace, or just getting on with the regular stride of a day hike, you’re not going to feel at all hindered. And it’s durable to boot – much more so than the standard nylon you get on most insulated jackets.
But back to that fill which is the real pull here. The innovative stitching patterns house 800-fill power down that keeps heat close to the body, and the good news for any eco-warriors – which we hope is pretty much everyone who’s serious about accessing the great outdoors – is that it’s all sustainably sourced.
