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What is the Alpine 850 Lite?
Good question! This jacket is your new best friend when it comes to winter belays and icy mountain conditions. It has an excellent warmth to weight ratio and is highly packable, ideal for seasonal multi-day tours. The Alpine 850 Lite uses a sustainable, ethical construction that consists of recycled material and responsibly sourced down insulation.
What is it made of?
The Alpine 850 Lite uses a 100% recycled 10D Pertex® Quantum Eco outer and inner lining with a PFC-free DWR, filled with 140g (Size M) of HyperDRY™ down.
Insulation: Filled with 140g (Size M) of HyperDRY™ down, this jacket provides maximum insulation and warmth for exposed mountain activity. The down has a fill power of 850+ and is R.D.S and Track my Down™ certified, reassuring you that it has come from sustainable, ethical sources.
HyperDRY™ down is down insulation that has been treated to add water repellency. The treatment is PFC free, makes the insulation up to 40 times more hydrophobic than untreated down and four times faster drying. HyperDRY™ treatments also use 25 times less water and five times less chemistry to achieve the same level of performance as conventional methods.
Can't quite catch the lingo? Here's a quick break down.
Fill power - Fill power measures the warmth and efficiency of the down, alongside its ability to loft/fluff up. A rating of 850 fill power means that 1oz of this down fills 850 cubic inches of space when fully lofted.
R.D.S - The Responsible Down Standard ensures that the down is sourced from happy birds who haven't been plucked and have been well cared for.
Track My Down - Track My Down is a portal that can be accessed through SourceTRACK™ to learn about the fill used in your individual jacket. It allows you to find the source region of the down, verified third-party tested final fill power, cleanliness, content analysis and links to reports and certificates. To access this information, you will find a SourceTRACK™ lot number printed on the garment's hang tag, which you can enter into the Track My Down website.
Hydrophobic - Hydrophobic down dries out and lofts quicker, resisting moisture from light rain or sweat and condensation that may build up inside the jacket during intense mountain activity. PFC free Hydrophobic finishes like HyperDRY™ are not fluorinated, and therefore don't cause damage to the environment like previously used fluorinated treatments - an excellent feature for more eco-conscious adventurers!
Outer/Lining: This jacket's outer shell and lining are constructed with recycled 10D Pertex® Quantum Eco with a PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent).
Pertex® Quantum Eco provides a lightweight, soft feel and helps improve the efficiency of the insulation by trapping still air. It's 100% recycled yet still has a fantastic level of performance, like regular Pertex® Quantum fabric, providing effective windproof protection and optimised heat retention.
The fabric is coated in a PFC-free DWR, which encourages light rain or snow to bead off the fabric. Just like the Hydrophobic treatment, PFC-free DWR is much more sustainable than regular water repellent treatments, as it doesn't use harmful PFC's that cause damage to the environment.
What are its features?
Montane has constructed this jacket with a stitch through midi baffle construction. Midi baffles use less stitching than narrow baffles, which helps to improve heat retention as there are fewer holes in the material for air to pass through because less stitching is required. Stitch through baffles also help prevent down migration as the down stays inside its individual baffle for an equal spread of warmth.
It has a pre-elasticated hood that offers more stretch and flexibility when needed, yet it is still snug around the head. Climbers will be pleased to know that this hood is suitable to wear underneath a helmet. The packable 10D material and lightweight insulation still feel comfortable when compressed underneath, so even for longer ascents, you'll feel fantastic all the way to the summit.
At the front is a full length YKK® zip. The zip is really easy to navigate with numb fingers or gloves, and glides up and down smoothly for easy use. It has an internal storm flap to help keep out wind and rain, so you'll still have good coverage even when partly unfastened for a bit of ventilation.
Two roomy hand pockets provide space to store small belongings like a GPS device, snacks and energy gels, while an internal drop pocket allows you to safely stow away valuables such as a mobile phone or keys.
Cuffs are pre-elasticated, allowing better mobility around the wrists for technical ascents, scrambles or handling equipment. The elastic draws in gaps around the wrists when it's not being flexed, helping retain as much heat as possible. You'll also find a drawcord to cinch the jacket around the hips, keeping the breeze and nasty weather out at the hem.
The Alpine 850 Lite comes with a Stuff Sac for storage. Stuff Sacs are literally meant to be stuffed! Randomly stuffing the jacket into the bag is much healthier for the insulation, as it prevents folds and creases from developing. Folding the jacket to store it away for longer periods would create cold gaps in the down, causing the jacket to be less efficient.
Features:
- Midi baffle construction
- Pre-elasticated under-helmet hood
- Full-length YKK® front zip with internal storm flap
- Two zipped hand pockets
- Internal drop pocket
- Pre-elasticated cuffs
- Rear hem drawcord
- Supplied with a Stuff Sac