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What is the Lightline Eco Jacket?
The Lightline Eco Jacket is the ultimate eco-friendly jacket for sub-zero mountain conditions. Despite its recycled construction and reclaimed down, this jacket doesn't lack quality or function; it still feels extremely warm and cosy, perfect for UK mountaineering adventures.
What is it made of?
The outer of the Lightline Eco Jacket is constructed with Mountain Equipment's own recycled Drilite Loft fabric. Drilite Loft is an extremely tough, windproof and highly water-resistant fabric with a microporous Polyurethane coating that provides a hydrostatic head of 1500mm to keep the insulation dry in hostile environments.
The Drilite has also been treated with a PFC-free Durable Water Repellent (DWR) to help water bead up and run off. Still, even though the fabric is incredibly weather resistant and windproof, it is not 100% waterproof, so always carry a shell jacket because it will most likely rain in the UK!
The rest of the inner jacket is lined with a recycled nylon to maximise breathability and, should you be brave enough to be wearing just a t-shirt, next to the skin comfort.
All the down insulation used to fill this jacket is recycled, meaning it contains duck and goose down reclaimed from various sources like pillows and bedding. Being recycled doesn't mean the down is lesser quality; this insulation has a minimum fill power of 700 and is made up of at least 85% down clusters, offering a high level of heat retention for cold weather and a fantastic warmth to weight ratio. Down insulation is also highly compressible, making it much easier to pack down and stuff away into a kit bag if you're travelling for multiple days.
Can't quite catch the lingo? Here's a quick breakdown.
PFC-free DWR - PFC-free DWR's are much more environmentally friendly than regular treatments, as they don't contain the PFC's (per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals) that damage the environment once released through waste from the manufacturing process.
Fill power - Fill power measures the warmth and efficiency of the down, alongside its ability to loft/fluff up. A rating of 700 fill power means that 1oz of this down fills 700 cubic inches of space when fully lofted. For a more detailed explanation, you can check out our YouTube video on fill power by clicking here.
All that lovely, ethical down is kept in place in stitch-through baffles to keep it close to your body to maximise performance.
The use, throughout the Lightline, of technical fabrics and high quality down keep the overall weight (of this size large) to around 820g.
What are its features?
The hood on the Lightline is a key feature for us at Trekitt, especially me, I love a good hood! M.E have improved the hood of the Lightline, and it now features a 3-panel construction for a better fit. It also has a wired peak to stop it flopping down over your eyes, a Velcro volume adjuster and side draw cords to really seal out the elements. You can also get the hood over a climbing helmet if you fancy some vertical adventures. As well as all that, the hood is completely removable if you want to save weight or just don't need to use it.
The main zip is a reliable two-way YKK moulded version to reduce ice build-up, backed up by an internal baffle to keep out the drafts.
Storage wise, you get two YKK moulded zipped hand pockets and a zipped internal security pocket to keep valuables safe and warm.
The sleeves are finished off with a part elasticated and part Velcro adjusters to tightly seal out the cold over bare wrists or bulky gloves. At the hem you get dual, one-pull hem drawcords for quick adjustment, even with gloves on.
How does the Lightline Down Jacket Fit?
Designed primarily as an outer insulating jacket, the Lightline has a regular fit that will easily allow layering underneath. However, what you don't want is a big baggy jacket as you'll waste energy warming up all that dead air space, and conversely you don't want it too tight either as that'll hinder the downs ability to fully loft.
I'm 6'3", 13.5 stone with a 42" chest and 34" waist and this size large fits me perfectly. There's enough room for plenty of layers, I'd usually wear a base layer and a light fleece; it even fits well over the top of my shell for use as a belay jacket.
The easy regular fit also makes the Lightline perfect for use as an everyday winter coat.
Features:
- DRILITE® LOFT 50D outer fabric with PFC-free DWR; totally windproof and highly water resistant
- 296g (Size L) of recycled down with a minimum 700 fill power
- Stitched-through construction throughout
- Zip-off Mountain Insulated hood is fully adjustable
- 2-way YKK® moulded centre front zip with rear insulated baffle
- 2 zipped hand warmer pockets
- Inner zipped security pocket
- Adjustable cuffs and hem drawcords