Updated for this season, the Changabang jacket, a well-loved favourite of ours, offers all round 4-season protection for those of you who fully expect to be out in the gnarliest conditions all year round.
Its superbly tough 3-layer Gore-tex Pro 80D fabric provides abrasion resistance and just all round durability while climbing, mountaineering or walking. The face fabric is made up of twisted Nylon yarns maintaining its tough, durable properties whilst remaining supple and not overly stiff.
The guys at M.E. have used all of their Storm Construction techniques during the design and build of the jacket. Everything from seam construction, placements and taping; to face fabrics selection, bar tack reinforcement and storm guarded YKK Aquaguard zips have been carefully selected and designed. This season, they have added in quite a few super-smart features - The laminated cuffs now include a velcro that doesn't allow water to freeze in it, meaning they'll stay tightened up in the coldest conditions. The inner pocket is also now laminated and laser cut to further reduce stitching and weight. The face panel is also now seamless for added comfort.
To ensure a comfortable fit for all-season activities the Changabang is built around Mountain Equipment’s “Mountain Fit” block so it has enough room for extra winter layers without being too big and baggy when worn over a base-layer in summer. The sleeves are pre-shaped and articulated to allow for a more natural and unrestricted movement and the superb Mountain HC Hood is fully helmet compatible with a wired peak; it's also fully head compatible if you're just wearing a beanie. This season they have added Cohaesive cordlocks to add to its streamlined structure. For winter pursuits the Changabang features a snow skirt to stop snow or spindrift from blowing up inside the jacket, but if you don’t need this feature it can be easily unzipped and removed.
The Dual Tether Hem Drawcord allows for greater fit customisation whilst also eliminating the risk of snagging things like ice axes and crampons. M.E have engineered all 4 of the pockets on the front of the jacket in accordance with their Stratum Storage System Construction which increases the internal pocket size by as much as 25%; so there is stacks of room for maps, gloves, hats and whatever else you like to store in your pockets.
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3-layer Gore-Tex Pro 80D fabric throughout
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Helmet Compatible Hood is fully adjustable with Cohaesive cordlocks
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Seamless face panel
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'Mountain Fit' with articulated and pre-shaped sleeves
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Storm construction techniques used throughout
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2-way YKK moulded Aquaguard centre front zip
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Stratum Storage; 4 large laser cut and laminated pockets with YKK moulded Aquaguard zips
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Ski-pass pocket on sleeve
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2-way YKK WR underarm pit zips with laminated and bonded entry
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Zip-out internal snow skirt
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Adjustable laminated cuffs and dual tether hem drawcords
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Laminated and laser cut inner pocket with YKK zip
Care and maintenance
To keep your outdoor clothing and equipment in tip top condition and performing to its maximum we recommend the use of Nikwax products. We have been using Nikwax products since day one (26th March 1986) and have found them to be totally reliable, dependable and effective. Today’s Nikwax treatments contain environmentally friendly elastic water-repellent polymers that bond to fabric fibres, leaving the spaces between open and breathable. These stretchy polymers are able to stretch and move with the fabric so they stay put for longer and work better.
Nikwax treatments will not change the look or feel of the fabric and they are all water based, environmentally safe, non-flammable and contain no nasty Fluorocarbons. Nikwax products can be used to clean, re-proof and revitalise all your outdoor technical clothing and equipment.
Waterproof breathable clothing has a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish applied to the face fabric during the manufacturing process. The DWR forces water to bead up and roll off the surface therefore preventing the fabric from absorbing moisture. If the outside of your jacket is soaked in a layer of cold water, the warm damp air within can’t escape and will condense on the inside. This makes the jacket feel cold clammy and can make you think that it’s leaking. The DWR finish is not permanent and needs to be maintained and revitalised to optimise performance.
This three layer waterproof jacket should be cleaned regularly with Nikwax Tech Wash; I wash my jacket about once a month, or more often if it gets really filthy. Regular washing with Tech Wash will maintain the DWR for longer and remove salts and oils that can contaminate the fabric, and it will keep your lovely jacket clean and smelling fresh. Washing can be done in a machine according to the manufacturers care guidelines (on the internal label). First clean out any detergent and conditioner residue from the machine dispenser and then add the required amount of Tech Wash and away you go. Hand washing is also suitable but be sure to rinse the garment well.
When you notice that rain/water is no longer beading up and rolling off it’s time to re-proof. Nikwax TX Direct will re-instate a long lasting DWR to completely rejuvenate your jacket. Re-proofing can also be done in the machine once a garment has been washed. Just add the TX-Direct and use the same programme you used for washing. You can also use the spray-on product on a damp garment that has just been washed.
You wouldn’t buy a Ferrari and never have it serviced, so make sure you regularly wash and re-proof your quality kit.