What is the Apex 8000 Down Jacket?
The Apex's primary reason for existence is to allow you to go to places that only a small percentage have before. Whether that's a Himalayan peak or the outer edges of Earth on polar expeditions, it'll provide warmth and protection where other jackets fail.
What is it made of?
Insulation: We'll start with the insulation, as that is undoubtedly the most important aspect of the jacket. Montane stuff an enormous 500g of 850 fill-power, water-resistant HyperDry goose down into the Apex. HyperDry down tackles the issue that natural down suffers from; when it gets wet, it loses almost all of its warmth. HyperDry down is unique in the fact that it uses a fluorocarbon-free treatment to add a water resistant coating to the down itself. Tests show that this down will last 80% longer than other water resistant down on the market in the industry standard DWR shake test. The down used is audited by Allied Feather and Down, meaning they're able to trace the down right back to the source, making sure it's from birds who have lived a happy, free-range existence and that have been slaughtered in the most humane way possible. All of this down is held in place in a boxwall construction, meaning there are virtually no cold spots which would usually occur with a stitch-through construction.
If a massive 500g of down wasn't enough, you also get an additional 60g/m2 of PrimaLoft Gold with Cross Core technology across the back and shoulders. Cross Core, in simple terms, mixes the already proven and incredibly high performing PrimaLoft synthetic insulation with Aerogel. Originally developed and used by NASA in their aeronautical applications, Aerogel is made from 95% air and is the lightest solid material known to man. This incredible material boosts the warmth of the jacket substantially without adding more than a few grams of weight.
Outer fabric: Surrounding all of this insulation is a Pertex Quantum Pro fabric. Quantum Pro is highly water resistant, highly wind resistant, tough and yet extremely lightweight. In this iteration, it features a durable water repellent coating on the inside and outside for maximum weather resistance. A Ripstop version of this fabric is used to reinforce high wear areas such as the forearms, elbows and upper back. Finally, a comfortable Peaq lining is used for the inside which slides easily over additional layers. So, as you've probably worked out, this jacket is build to withstand some abuse!
What are the features?
Starting at the top, you've got a helmet-compatible hood with three points of adjustment and a protective baffle which keeps snow out of your face and traps additional warmth. The massive adjustment allows you to get a snug, comfortable fit whether you're wearing a helmet or not. The height of the collar on the hood is positioned so you can use an oxygen mask comfortably, and an internal neck baffle traps extra warmth.
Moving down, you've got an extra tough YKK zip that can be unzipped from the bottom for ventilation, to access a harness or when you need to answer the call of nature, or from the top to simply remove the jacket. If you do need to ventilate more than just the front zip, there are zips under each arm which are also two-way, giving you plenty of options. Behind the zip you've got not one, but two insulated baffles to prevent large amounts of valuable heat escaping. If the worst were to happen and the zip got broken, there's velcro patches on the outer zip flap to act as a backup.
Pockets wise, there are two fleece-lined hand pockets with large YKK zips and storm flaps, two napoleon pockets, one with an electronics cable exit, two internal mesh drop pockets which are designed to fit 500ml bottles and a zipped internal chest pocket with an electronics clip.
Other features include a compression stuffsack, a storage bag (like a sleeping bag), glove-friendly cords and zip pulls, an adjustable hem with a cinchable drawcord, an internal waist drawcord, external glove or mitt forearm attachment points, internal stretch cuffs with the left side having a space to see your watch face, velcro adjustable cuffs and stretchy internal mitts with thumb loops.
How does it fit?
It's sized fairly large to fit over all your other layers and features a long cut for ample overlap with salopettes or other legwear.
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Boxwall construction
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Allied Feather & Down traced insulation
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850 fill power
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HyperDry treated down
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Water and wind resistant Pertex outer fabric
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Reinforced in high wear areas
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Helmet compatible hood
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Long cut
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Included compression & storage sacks
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Plenty of pockets
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PrimaLoft Gold insulation in back and shoulders