What is the L.I.M Mimic Hood?The L.I.M Mimic is a super lightweight insulated jacket with a difference. It uses insulation containing graphene and a micro-baffle construction, making it extremely packable, but still offering essential protection in changeable weather conditions.
What is it made from?Insulation: The most intelligent part of this jacket is undoubtedly the insulation. Haglofs use their own Mimic Platinum Ultracluster Graphene throughout the jacket. This is a fully synthetic insulation designed to mimic the warmth characteristics of down. Rather than being a big sheet of insulation, it's in little clusters like down; this means it traps exceptional amounts of warmth but also packs down to a fraction of its original size and weighs very little. If it gets wet, it'll dry quickly and will still provide warmth (unlike down). Graphene is then added to evenly disperse your body heat around the jacket, reducing heat-loss through various areas of the jacket. As well as evenly dispersing heat, it allows the jacket to insulate you far faster than a conventional alternative. As if that wasn't enough, Haglofs mix a little recycled polyester in there as well to boost warmth.
Fabrics: The L.I.M Mimic makes use of a 10D ultra-lightweight recycled polyamide fabric. This outer fabric is down proof which will help ensure that none of that lovely graphene insulation finds it’s way out of the face fabric. It also makes use of a rip-stop weave, so if the worst does happen and you do tear the jacket, it will be a straight tear that is much easier to repair. This outer fabric has then been treated with a DWR to help with water resistance.
What are its features?Mimic platinum technology takes care of the insulation, powered by graphene it offers almost instant warmth when you put the jacket on. A nano baffle lightweight construction and Ultra-lightweight 10D outer fabric make the jacket incredibly packable, perfect for stashing in your pack when you don’t need it. Two hand zipped pockets take care of storage, whilst an elasticated hem and sleeves keep the jacket securely fitted to you, holding in that crucial warmth. The elasticated hood ensures your head stays nice and toasty. All this and the jacket packs down into its own pocket for storage.
Where does it fit in the layering system?The L.I.M Mimic has been designed as an ultra-lightweight outer layer, although many will wear it as a midlayer due to its versatility. It’s fitted enough that you should have no trouble popping a shell over the top if the weather takes a turn for the worst.
- Recycled polyamide 10D outer fabric
- Mimic Platinum insulation with Graphene
- Elasticated insulated hood
- Two zipped hand pockets, one with a reversible zip to pack the jacket into
- Elasticated cuffs and hem
How Should Your Insulated Jacket Fit?
Insulated jackets are pedantic little things. Too tight and you'll compress the insulation and limit the warmth capabilities of your brand new jacket, too loose and you'll spend hours warming up the dead space inside the jacket. Getting the correct fit isn't just about aesthetics, it will determine how warm you are.
The Incorrect Fit
Too loose: A jacket which is too loose will keep you relatively warm, however it will take far longer to do so and will waste large amounts of your precious energy. An insulated jacket works by trapping the natural heat that your body gives off in the fibres of the insulation; this creates a micro-climate inside your jacket, keeping you warm and toasty. If your jacket is too loose, heat will be able to escape through the hem, the sleeves and the neck of the jacket; it's a little like sticking the heating on in your car with the windows cracked open - it will heat up, just incredibly slowly.
Too tight: A jacket which is too tight is arguably worse than one that is too loose. If your jacket is far too tight, the baffles can compress to a point where the insulation can't loft effectively, limiting the amount of warmth it can trap. Essentially, it won't work!
The Correct Fit
It's a tricky one to explain, but it's somewhere in the middle. You've first got to consider how many layers you'll tend to wear underneath; will you have just a t-shirt then the jacket, or possibly a baselayer, midlayer and then the jacket? When you've figured out your layers and you've popped your insulated jacket over the top, you shouldn't have any dead space inside. The cuffs and hem should be comfortably sealed around your waist and wrists with room to move. You should be able to lift an arm up above your head without the hem of the jacket lifting more than an inch or so, and the sleeves should be long enough that when carrying out the same motion, they aren't mid-way up your forearm. Your shoulders and chest area should have enough room so that your hands can touch behind your back without feeling restricted.
Additional Information
Lastly, consider which activites you'll primarily be carrying out while wearing the jacket. Are you primarily using it as a winter climbing piece, or an everyday/dog walking jacket? You'll find that technical climbing jackets tend to feature a shorter cut, while urban and casual jackets feature a longer cut to offer additional warmth with less mobility.
To see examples of what a badly fitting and correctly fitting jacket looks like, click here.