What is the Anti-Freeze Jacket?
The Anti-Freeze Jacket is an incredibly versatile cold-weather down jacket, perfect as a mid-layer or a standalone belay jacket. The 750+ fill down keeps the weight and pack size very respectable for a jacket of this calibre.
What is the Anti-Freeze Jacket madefrom?
Insulation: The largest contributing factor to the Anti-Freeze’s pack size and weight is the quality of the insulation. Montane use 750+ fill power water-resistant HyperDry goose down to provide high amounts of warmth without the weight penalty associated with lower fill powers. The down is coated in a fluorocarbon-free hydrophobic treatment to improve the down's performance in damp conditions; this means it will dry faster, won't absorb as much water and will loft better if it does happen to get a little soggy. This does not make the jacket waterproof, and we would still not recommend using this in heavy rain without the use of a shell. All of the down used by Montane is also RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified, meaning the birds have lived a happy and free-range existence before the down was collected.
Outer Fabric: Montane use the ever-reliable and high performing Pertex Quantum 20D fabric to hold all this lovely down in place. Pertex Quantum is light, weather-resistant and extremely packable, making it ideal for high mountain adventures where you'll be layering and de-layering more frequently and will need to pack the jacket away. This fabric is coated in a DWR (durable water repellent) to allow rain to bead and roll off the surface. The combination of the high quality down and the lightweight Pertex outer fabric means the jacket weighs just 512g (size Medium).
Inner Fabric: The inner lining is made from FEATHERLITE Mini Rip-stop, a nylon liner with a great next to skin feel and smooth touch to make layer addition/removal a breeze.
What are its features?
The Anti-Freeze features a helmet-compatible roll-away hood with 3-point adjustment and a stiffened peak, a full length two-way ykk zip with internal storm flap and articulated arms for high reach movement. These features make the Anti-Freeze a great climbing/belaying piece in cold conditions.
Other features of the jacket include a single zipped chest pocket and two zipped hand pockets, along with an internal mesh drop pocket, pre-elasticated cuffs for easy glove compatibility and an adjustable hem with cinchable drawcord. All of this can be stuffed nicely into the included waterproof storage bag from Montane.
How does the Anti-Freeze Jacket fit?
The Anti-Freeze features a relatively long, slim fit, designed to be low bulk and fit close to the body, or to be layered with other non-bulky garments. It is intended to be used for faster-paced mountain activities. There is enough space to fit layers underneath the jacket if needs be, or a shell over the top if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Where does this fit in the layering system?
The Anti-Freeze is primarily going to be used as an outer layer, however thanks to the slim fit and lightweight outer fabric, you're able to slip a shell over the top without an issue. It can also be used as an over-layer when stopping to belay, have lunch, coffee etc.
- Articulated arms for high reach movements
- Roll-away technical hood with 3-point adjustment and stiffened peak
- Full-length two-way ykk front zip with storm flap
- External zipped chest pocket
- Two zippered hand pockets
- Internal mesh drop pocket
- Pre-elasticated cuffs
- Adjustable hem with cinchable drawcord
- Waterproof Montane storage bag
- 750+ fill HyperDRY down
- Pertex Quantum 20D outer fabric
- Active Mountain Fit
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.