Mont Bell Mirage...
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So, is this a game changer for the ultralight/lightweight/alpine crowd for a super warm belay jacket? |
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i think if you sneeze down will go flying everywhere? 7D is nothing. Probably crazy warm though |
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there are already jacket out there that have 40%+ of the weight as down |
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bearbreeder wrote:there are already jacket out there that have 40%+ of the weight as down IMO if you are willing to pay full price ... wait to see if this fancy nanotech down water resistant treatment really works and lasts ... now THAT could be a "game changer"After the water repelency treatment these "water-proof" down jackets weigh very little less than synthetic. I think that's a technology that still needs some time. |
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I did a lot of homework prior to picking my new UL down. I was really impressed with the Mirage's down to overall weight ratio. However upon trying this jacket on I quickly became uncomfortable with the paper thin shell(Great material for the liner). Given that I would be using this jacket on ice/mixed/alpine routes I envisioned $50 worth of down flying in the breeze with one wrong move. That said I did end up going with a very similar jacket. The RAB Infinity Endurance (Should be arriving today!!) I found it for $280 online & liked the color options a bit more. The RAB's 10D quantum Pertex GL felt a bit more substantial. Hopefully the factory DWR treatment will add to its abrasion resistance. Still gonna have to watch those Sharp points and rough granite though. Rab Infinity Endurance |
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Wow! An actual good discussion so far! I wondered about how "fragile" this whole thing would be. 7D sounds pretty light. |
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The shell seems durable enough to me on the Mirage. |
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Anyone know if the old Cloudveil Inversion jackets were made with the same Mirage material that this new Montlbell jacket is made of? |
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So, after this discussion about the Mirage... what about this? A full 6 oz heavier? Way more expensive? |
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Dane's review of the Mirage reports 3.5 inches of double-sided loft. If the article's mention of 1.5 inches of loft in the body of the Encapsil is accurate (assuming that means one-sided), then 3 or even 3.5 inches of loft is about the same as the Mirage. That is not the last word on warmth due to the importance of down density and the cut of each jacket, but it's still worth mentioning. The Encapsil looks to be cut a bit longer than the Mirage. The Mirage's lighter 7d face fabric may have something to do with it being able to expand more fully, but who knows? |
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What I didn't realize about Encapsil is that it's WATER REPELLENT TREATED. If that stuff works even at all, this 6 oz more jacket has a place - simply because it competes more with a synthetic jacket than the Mirage. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so my down jackets don't get a lot of work - unless it's fairly close to ultra dry. |
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I've been using the Rab Infinity jacket for two years now and it still looks as if I walked out of the shop with it yesterday, which frankly is damned impressive. It has been used for absolutely everything from walking to the pub to Scottish winter climbing to rolling around on top/bottom of crags whilst photographing bouldering/trad stuff. The Pertex outer is significantly more durable than it first appears. |
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Oh, speaking of hydrophobic down, expect to see most manufacturers using it in their Winter 2013 ranges. Rab will be using it in all their down products for one. |
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Bought the Patagonia encapsil jacket. |