What is the Proton Jacket?
The Proton jacket is one of Rab's most technical pieces. It's essentially designed to be used high up in the mountains, either as a super warm midlayer or an outer layer when you're moving quickly. The lightweight outer fabric and super high quality insulation both allow the Proton to pack down to a fraction of its original size.
What is the Proton made from?
Insulation: Starting with the insulation, Rab use 130g of super high quality 800 fill power, hydrophobically treated, R.D.S certified down. We know that's a lot of info, so lets break it down! 130g refers to the amount of down used, 800FP refers to the quality of the down; essentially the higher the number, the better the down, and 800 is some of the highest available. Hydrophobically treated refers to the treatment applied to the down by Nikwax to allow the jacket to retain more warmth when wet, loft faster and dry more quickly. This does not make it a waterproof jacket, but it does improve its ability to deal with moisture. Lastly, R.D.S ensures the down is responsibly sourced from Geese that haven't been live plucked or mistreated. It isn't just the down that's impressive, Rab use a varied selection of baffle designs and shapes to optimise the warmth and pack size.
Outer fabric: Along with the down, the outer fabric is just as responsible for the Proton's tiny pack size. Made entirely from Nylon, this outer fabric is lightweight, weather resistant, packable and tough enough for general mountainous use; the same fabric is used on the inner of the jacket and allows it to slide easily over additional layers. You'll also be impressed as to just how soft this fabric is despite its capabilities, it really does feel great next to skin.
What are its features?
Rab give you a multitide of useful features to make life easier; you get an insulated, close fitting hood with a wired peak to add further warmth, a wind resistant main zip to reduce cold spots, two zipped hand pockets, low profile elasticated cuffs and a hem drawcord with the adjusters on the inside of the jacket to avoid getting caught in ice axes. Lastly, a stuffsack is included to allow you to pack the jacket up and attach it from your harness or stuff in your rucksack when not in use.
Where does it fit in the layering system?
The Proton can either be used as a super warm midlayer in cold conditions underneath a shell, or as an outer layer when moving quickly in cold, dry conditions.
How does the Proton fit?
The Proton is a slim, tapered fit, yet it allows enough room inside to move freely when climbing, walking or mountaineering. You wouldn't want to wear a whole lot underneath due to just how warm it is, but you could fit a lightweight fleece on underneath if a baselayer and the Proton alone weren't enough.
Summary
This lightweight, warm and extremely packable jacket is perfect when a high warmth to weight ratio is priority. Use it for just about any activity in the mountains, whether that's climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering, the list goes on!
-
Lightweight
-
Packable
-
Weather resistant
-
High quality down insulation
-
Lightweight outer fabric
-
Two hand pockets
-
Wind resistant zip
-
Stuffsack included
-
Slim fit
-
Insulated hood
How to wash your down products
Having spent years talking to people about down products, whether that’s a jacket, sleeping bag or even a pair of slippers, very few have had the confidence to go ahead and wash the product on their own, especially when they have just spent an arm and a leg on it. This small guide is here to explain that it’s not as daunting and utterly terrifying as it first appears.
Step one: Before you even get near that washing machine, wipe off any excess mud or dirt that may be lingering on the surface of the jacket, as this will clog up the washing machine, eventually rendering it useless.
We recommend the use of Nikwax Down Wash Direct for down products as it’s one hundred percent environmentally friendly and will wash and re-proof the garment without the use of bleach or any other nasty chemicals. What household washing agents can (and often do) is remove the water repellent coating on the fabric of the jacket, whilst also damaging the delicate array of feathers inside.
Step two: We’ll assume in this instance that you’ve been washing other products prior to your down jacket and have used a bleach based detergent. Therefore it’s a good idea to run the washing machine for half an hour or so without anything inside to rinse it clean before adding the Nikwax or putting the jacket in. Also, don’t forget to remove the detergent drawer to give it a wash inside, outside and behind, as detergent can clog up and still enter the washing machine if not cleaned out thoroughly. This ensures that any remnants of detergent are removed and that the Nikwax products will work effectively.
Step three: Set the washing machine to a cold wash (check the garments care label, most tend to be around 30°C) and as delicate as possible. Most washing machines have a “wool” cycle which is ideal.
Step four: If using Nikwax Down Wash Direct, place 100ml in either the tray or directly into the washing machine inside a small pot/ball. If you choose to use another washing product, place the appropriate amount in the machine in the same way.
Step five: Set the washing machine to run on a slow cycle, allowing plenty of time for the jacket to soak up the cleaning/re-proofing product. Most washing machines will have a pre-set time for different washing cycles.
When the cycle has finished be prepared for a shock, your precious bit of kit will come out looking like a soggy ball of material. But don’t worry, you haven’t ruined it, it’s just that all that fluffy down insulation has become water logged and has clumped together. The trick is to now get all that down nice and dry to reinstate its superb insulating properties. Simply hanging it up in a warm place will not work that well. It will take days to properly dry and you will have to constantly break up the clumps to get it thoroughly dry. The best way is to use a tumble dryer; either a domestic one for smaller items or a commercial drier for sleeping bags.
Step six: Pop the garment into the dryer and make sure to select a low heat; a high heat runs the risk of melting seams and fabrics within the garment. It sounds weird, but shove a few tennis balls into the drier with the garment; the tennis balls will bounce around and help to break up the clumps of down. Every 20 minutes, pull the jacket out of the dryer and lie the jacket down on a table. Run your hands over the jacket until you find a 'clump' or ball of down; tease apart this down clump and spread it evenly into the baffle. Once you're confident you've pulled apart every clump to the best of your ability, stick it back in for another 20 minutes. Keep repeating this until there are no more clumps left.
Step seven: When the cycle has finished and you are sure that you have got the garment as dry as possible, hang it up in a warm dry place, an airing cupboard is ideal, for 24 hours. This drives out the last of any dampness and allows the down to loft fully. Take it out and give it a good shake and, hey presto, it’ll be as good as new.