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http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/OWNER%20REVIEWS/OR%20-%20MontBell%20EX%20Light%20Down%20Anorak/ http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/OWNER%20REVIEWS/OR%20-%20MontBell%20EX%20Light%20Down%20Anorak/
REVIEW OF MONTBELL EX LIGHT DOWN ANORAK
BY JUSTIN JACKSON
OR
February 24, 2016
TESTER INFORMATION
NAME: Justin Jackson
EMAIL: [email protected]
AGE: 31
LOCATION: Roseboro, North Carolina, United States
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 6' 0" (1.80 m)
WEIGHT: 180 lb (81.60 kg)
I have been Hiking/Backpacking since I was 14 in the Boy Scouts. I prefer Ultra Light gear and a daily pace of 15 mi (24 km) to 25 mi (40 km) but enjoy leisurely day hikes as well. My base pack weight is usually about 12 lbs (5.44 kg) excluding food and water. I usually pack dehydrated meals or any food that is 140 calories per ounce or more. Most of my backpacking is on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. I aspire to thru hike the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail one day.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Mont-Bell Co LTD
Year of Manufacture: 2015
Manufacturer's Website: www.montbell.com
MSRP: USD $219
Size Reviewed: Large (Available sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL)
Colors: Red Brick, Black, Blue
Listed Weight: 6.2 oz (177 g) *note: This is for a medium without stuff sack per MontBell.
Measured Weight: 6.45 oz (183 g)
Measured Weight(in stuff sack): 6.65 oz (188.5 g)
Large Sizing: Chest 41 in (104 cm) to 43 in (109 cm) / Sleeve 35 in (89 cm)
My Measurements: Chest 40 in (102 cm) / Sleeve 32 in (89 cm)
Insulation: 900 Fill Power Down 2.3 oz (65 g)
Fabric: 7-denier Ballistic Airlight rip-stop nylon
Packed size: 4.1x6.6 in (11x17 cm) *note: will compress more
<b>Product Description:</b>
The EX Light Down Anorak is MontBell's lightest hooded down jacket. It's 7-denier ballistic airlight rip-stop nylon is designed with a sewn-through design and packed with 900 fill power down. This material and design allows for a strong, ultra light yet warm design. It is a pullover hoodie design with a half zipper which makes pulling the anorak on and off a breeze. It has an Eskimo style hood without a draw string;however, the elastic band around the hood did an excellent job of trapping heat and keeping me warm. The only pocket, a kangaroo pouch, conveniently has the waist draw string in it which keeps the string away from snagging on anything while hiking. The waist draw-string is located in the bottom center of the pouch. The inside fabric wall of the pouch is not insulated. The ends of the anorak's sleeves have elastic bands on them just like the hood, they are about 2 in (5 cm) in diameter. It comes with a nylon stuff sack that is 4.1x6.6 in (11x17 cm) and it closes with a draw string. It can and will compress smaller than that when packed into your backpack. Some more sizing information which were measured with a cloth measuring tape: My sleeve length measured from my base of neck to 1 inch past my wrist is 32 in (81 cm). The Large Anorak measured from the seam where the hood meets the shoulder to the end of the sleeve is about 33.5 in (85 cm). The fabric goes through a standard DWR treatment which makes the it water resistant. For those feather friendly conscious people it is nice to know, "Montbell never purchases down from operations that practice "live-plucking" methods. We only utilize down plumes and feathers collected as a by-product of water fowl raised to meet the demands of the food industry." - www.MontBell.com.
INITIAL IMPRESSION
Initial impression out of the package was wow this is light and the fabric sounds crinkly. I was worried the fabric was going to rip easily being this was my first jacket with this type of fabric. Honestly it sounded cheap (boy was I wrong!). I zipped down the zipper which moved smoothly and free from fabric snags. It was easy to slide the anorak over my body and put it on. The anorak fit perfectly, I just had a t-shirt on at the time. The front pocket or kangaroo pouch is huge and I also discovered that is where the waist drawstring is located. I was surprised there was no down insulation on the inside wall of the pocket. The hood felt like it fit around my head good, and low enough in the front so a strong gust of wind would not blow it off. It is not too low though as to block my vision. The elastic sleeve bands felt like the perfect size for me to slide some gloves under them if needed and not worry about the sleeve riding up. All in all I was very pleased with the anorak. It was exactly what I wanted it to be, warm and ultra light. I was optimistic about my reservations regarding the fabric and pocket which you will see in my field use later in the review.
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FIELD USE
<b>Field Use 1 Report</b>
Location: Roaring Fork Falls, North Carolina
Date: January 5, 2015
Temperature Range: 20 F (-6.6 C) to 30 F (-1.1 C)
Weather: 2 in (5 cm) of snow on ground, No precipitation, Scattered to broken cloud layer, Partially sunny, Wind 0 mph (0 kph) to 5 mph (8 kph)
Hike Type: Day hike
Hike Distance: 6 mi (9.6 km)
Elevation: 2980 ft (908 m) to 3265 ft (995 m)
My first field report of the Anorak was hiking at Roaring Fork Falls in Western North Carolina just East of Asheville, North Carolina. My base layers were a Mountain Hardware Wicked Lite Long sleeve T-shirt and Patagonia Long-Sleeved Fjord Flannel Shirt. I was actually a little warm so I took off the flannel shirt and put it in my pack. This was my first indication that the anorak does an excellent job of retaining my heat. I left my flannel off for the rest of the day and was perfectly comfortable. I never felt a draft from the non-insulated kangaroo pouch. I stopped several times to take pictures along my off trail trekking through the woods up the side of the waterfall. Even while not moving for extended periods of time (30-45 minutes) I did not get cold at all. I was surprised because I sweat quite a bit when I hike regardless of the temperature or attire. My Mountain Hardware Wicked Lite T was definitely saturated but I was still warm. The coat did not show any signs of down getting wet or packing up from my sweat even with my backpack on. The down was a bit matted down from my packs contact on my lower back but that is to be expected. When I got to the top of the waterfall I decided to keep hiking up to the peak of the mountain it was on. I was blazing my own trail through the snow the entire time so I was brushing up against branches and bushes. I kept nervously checking the jacket to make sure it was not ripping at all. To my satisfaction neither the rip-stop nylon nor the stitching ever ripped, it lived up to it's name! It is safe to say the jacket passed with flying colors so far.
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<b>Field Use 2 Report</b>
Location: Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Park, Mile Post 897-852
Date: March 16-19, 2016
Temperature Range: 24 F (-4 C) to 76 F (24 C)
Weather: Day .5-2 (Clear Skies, No precipitation, Wind 5 mph (8 kph) to 25 mph (40 kph)) Day 3 (Light to heavy snow, Wind 5 mph (8 kph) to 35 mph (56 kph))
Hike Type: 3.5 days
Hike Distance: 45 mi (72 km)
Elevation: 2300 ft (701 m) to 3542 ft (1080 m)
This was the real test and the Anorak proved itself again. I would wear the Anorak every morning/evening at camp, when the sun was usually already down. Sitting around eating I never felt cold. It was between 25 F (-4 C) to 38 F (3 C) during these times It did an excellent job of blocking the wind and cold temperatures. With the windchill the temperate was 5 F (-15 C) to 23 F (-5 C) on my last day, covering 16 mi (25.8 km). I had on a Patagonia lightweight merino base layer and the Anorak. I was quite comfortable all day. The combination of the distance and multiple climb and descents on this day made for a sweaty base layer. As before the Anorak down part that was in contact with my backpack(REI Flash 45) got matted down, wet from sweat and the down bunched to the bottom of their sewn pouches but never appeared saturated or wet. For about 7 mi (11 km) there was moderate to heavy snow fall (about 3 in (7.6 cm) in 3 hours). I had the Anorak exposed as my outer layer for about an hour in this. Parts of the rip-stop nylon got wet but the down did not appear to get wet at all. I was nervous to get the down wet due to the heavy snow so I put my rain jacket on just in case. At no time during my trip did I feel cold from the lack on insulation on the inside of the kangaroo pouch. I think this is mainly due to the wind just pushed the pouch close to my body and not open. I however could see where if wind hit it at the right angle you could feel a bit of a breeze. I love how small and packable the Anorak is, it barely takes up any space in my pack.
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THINGS I LIKE
- Ultra Light (6.2 oz)
- Warm
- Blocks wind
- Durable fabric
- 900 count down
- Very packable
- Waist draw string location (in pocket so no dangling cords, mitigate possible snags)
- Stylish
THINGS I DON'T LIKE
- No draw string for hood (although personally I don't mind this but some might).
- The down can get packed down a lot if worn while backpacking due to pack pressure and my sweat.
SUMMARY
In summation the MontBell EX Light Down Anorak does exactly what it has been advertised to do. It is an Ultra light down Anorak that did an excellent job of keeping me warm and the down did not get damp from my sweat. It packs down small, not to take up too much room in my pack. I always use the stuff sack it came with, it makes going through my pack or pulling it out much easier I use and will continue to use the Anorak as my go to down jacket unless extreme colds dictate otherwise. I have not tested it in negative F temperatures yet to see where this point is. I find no issues with the simplicity in its design.
SIGNATURE
Justin Jackson
This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
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