What is the Microlight Alpine?
So, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the Microlight Alpine, where have you been? This thing is ten years old! Over the past decade it’s been tried, tested, and loved and has become firmly established as the iconic lightweight down jacket for climbers, hikers and mountaineers. It’s a micro-baffled, lightweight, hydrophobic down filled jacket that is perfect for just about any outdoor activity. It’s hugely versatile and reliable and works superbly as an insulating layer as part of your overall layering system.It’s now been ten years since the original and Rab have refined and improved the latest Microlight Alpine with some subtle and evolutionary changes to make it even better; but, more about those changes later.
What is the Microlight Alpine made from?
Outer fabric: The outer and inner fabric of the Microlight Alpine are made using Pertex Quantum. This tightly woven, water repellent fabric offers protection from the elements, so it’ll shrug off light rain and snow but it’s not waterproof! Please bear in mind that the fabric is lightweight so use your common sense; if you are going for a scramble or even thrashing about in the brambles, cover it with something appropriate, a shell jacket or lightweight softshell would be ideal. The Pertex fabric is also really slippy, so the Microlight Alpine will glide easily over or under additional layers, so it doesn’t restrict movement.
Insulation: Because the fabric is so light it allows the down inside to fully loft to ensure you get the most out of that luxurious insulation. Loft is a word used to describe the downs ability to expand, basically how “fluffy” it can become. The more “fluffy” down is the more warm air it can trap and the better it will insulate. The universal measure to determine how fluffy your jacket is called “Fill Power”. Technically speaking fill power is a measurement of the amount of space one ounce of down will occupy in cubic inches when allowed to reach its maximum loft. So, the Microlight Alpine has a fill-power of 750, which means that one ounce of that lovely RDS certified down will expand to fill 750 cubic inches of space. Basically, the higher the Fill Power the warmer a jacket will be. You may have noticed that I called the down “RDS” down, this stands for Responsible Down Standard, and means that the down comes from well cared for and happy geese As well as being fully RDS certified, each and every cluster of down has been treated with special Nikwax Hydrophobic stuff to ensure they resist moisture, retain more heat, loft better, and dry much quicker than untreated down. This does not in any way make this a waterproof jacket, so always carry a shell jacket…because it will rain!
What are the Microlight's features?
This is where we get to all the exciting new stuff, let’s start with the biggest improvement; it’s overall fit. The old Microlight Alpine was made by stitching the front panel to the back panel to create a simple 2-dimensional tube shape. This new version features a vastly improved 3-dimensional fit with the addition of side panels to create a body-hugging shape to ensure that all the lovely down insulation is as close to your body as possible to minimise heat loss. The more space inside a jacket, the less efficient the insulation will be; basically you’ll need to work harder to heat up the space as well as the insulation. With this new microlight Alpine, there’s still room to move around and add layers underneath, however the new shape is more efficient and more flattering…it just looks better! Up top there’s a fully insulated and well-fitting hood that will, at a push, fit a helmet underneath. The hood also features little stretchy stitch lines to keep it snug at the back if you’ve not got a helmet on. Finally, a laminated brim with a flexible polymer peak stops it all flopping down over your eyes. For storage options, you get two nicely sized hand warmer pockets and a chest pocket. Updated cuffs for this year ensure maximum insulation around the wrists yet allow you to fit bulky gloves comfortably underneath, a soft stretchy fabric cuff effectively seals in the warmth and keeps out the weather. Right down at the bottom you get a draw cord on the hem to maximise the warmth and to help seal out the cold drafts.
How does the Microlight Alpine fit?
As an insulating layer, it is designed to be a close, snug fit, yet features enough room to layer up underneath on the particularly chilly days. The rear of the jacket features a slightly dropped hem, while the new and improved fit means it wraps around the contours of your body far better than the old version.
Where does it fit in the layering system?
The Microlight is a lightweight, breathable and packable down jacket. Use it as an appropriate insulating layer depending on your activity level and the weather conditions. It works perfectly well as a standalone jacket on those crisp, dry, freezing days or as a cosy casual jacket. Layering is not a precise science and there is no one perfect system that will suit every person, situation or the weather conditions. Some of us feel the cold, others, like me, get hot very quickly, but for more advice on using layers please check outthis video.
Summary
With a clean, uncluttered and minimalist design, this lightweight insulating piece is the perfect winter midlayer/outer layer for all mountain activities. It also performs brilliantly as a piece to wear for everday duties and the occasional pub stop after a day in the hills!
- Packable
- Lightweight
- Ideal as a mid or outer layer
- Wind resistant
- Warm down insulation
- Hydrophobically treated
- Two hand pockets
- One chest pocket
- Upgraded fit, cuffs and hood