The Montane Black Ice 2 jacket is a beast of a down jacket that has been designed to cope with the worst conditions that you would expect to find when winter mountaineering. The filling is the amazing Primaloft Gold Insulation Down Blend that mixes a high quality siliconised synthetic fibre with water repellant natural goose down to achieve maximum insulation even in the wet with quick drying properties. This hybrid filling will retain 95% of its warmth when wet, has the same warmth as 750+ fill power down and dries 4 times faster than all down fillings. This makes the Black Ice jacket the perfect choice for our cold, wet and miserable UK winter conditions.
All this fabulous filling is protected by Montane's own Freeflow Ultralite outer fabric that in itself maintains a Hydrostatic Head (measurement of waterproofing) of 600mm making it water resistant yet highly breathable. FreeFlow is also used to line the inside of the hem and the hood to provide extra storm protection. Box wall construction is used over the main body to maximise the loft and insulation of the filling and a classic stitch through construction is used in the sleeves to reduce bulk and improve freedom of movement. The Black Ice 2 is lined with PEAQ Down material which is highly breathable, comfortable next to the skin and fast drying.
Montane make good hoods, too many hoods on too many jackets are big, baggy and un-head-compatible. The hood on this jacket is brilliant, it is fully helmet compatible yet adjusts down superbly to actually fit your un-helmeted head. A good stiffened visor uses a foam insert to retain the form and has a wire at the edge to get the perfect shape to mould it around your goggles/glasses.
Storage is taken care of by two fleece lined and YKK VISLON zipped hand pockets, an internal zipped pocket and an internal mesh water bottle pocket to keep your liquids liquid and not frozen.
The Montane Black Ice 2 jacket has a longer back length as it is designed to be worn as an outer jacket, these extra few inches of warmth make a massive difference especially when climbing as the hem wont lift to expose the sensitive lower back area to the cold. If this super warm jacket proves too hot or you need to carry it as emergency insulation in your pack it is supplied with a waterproof stuff sack and packs down to about the size of a loaf of bread.
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FREEFLOW Ultralite 38g/m² outer shell that is weather resistant to a minimum of 600mm hydrostatic head
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250g of PRIMALOFT Gold Insulation Down Blend fill, consisting of 70% 90/10 high quality goose down, blended with 30% PRIMALOFT synthetic fill fibres
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PEAQ Down lining that is exceptionally comfortable next to the skin, highly breathable and fast drying
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Classic boxwall construction throughout the main body to eliminate cold spots
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Stitch through baffle construction on sleeves to reduce bulk and improve freedom of movement
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Articulated arms for reach high movement and tailored specifically to reduce hem lift
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The blend of down and synthetic insulation combines the warmth and packability of down with the fast drying and ‘warm when wet’ properties of synthetic fill
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Fully adjustable helmet compatible hood with three point adjustment
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Hood visor stiffened with a foam insert and a wire on the lip for adjustability
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FREEFLOW Ultralite lining inside hood for additional water repellency
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Internal elastic loop and hook on rear hood compression drawcord allows hood to be rolled down and stowed away whilst not in use in windy conditions
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Internal zipped security pocket and fine mesh water bottle pocket
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Two fine microfleece lined hand-warmer pockets with YKK VISLON zips
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Full length baffled two way YKK VISLON front zip for ease of use with a backpack or climbing harness
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Soft fleece beard guard next to chin and mouth for extra comfort
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Part elasticated hook and loop adjustable cuffs with grab tabs for ease of use with gloves or mitts
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Internal waist drawcord adjustment for close fit around the body
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FREEFLOW Ultralite hem lining for additional storm protection
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Adjustable hem to prevent spindrift entry and heat loss
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Own waterproof storage MONTANE dry bag