Montbell sources its high quality down as a by product of the food industry in regions with extreme temperatures. They specifically ensure that no down is purchased from live-plucking operations, prioritising ethically sourced, consistent quality and high fill power.

Birds in areas with a higher temperature fluctuation produce feathers that allow them to keep cool in the warmer months and cosy in the cold ones.

Fill power measures the fluffiness, quality, and insulation efficiency of down, indicating how many cubic inches one ounce of down occupies (800-fill means 1 oz fills 800 cubic inches). The higher the number, the more air is trapped, providing better warmth to weight ratio, greater compressibility and a higher loft.

800 fill power is a premium option and is often the highest most high-end brands will go up to (spolier alert - Montbell goes higher!).

Montbell's Superior 800 is their most iconic down jacket. Impressively balancing weight and warmth using premium quality down to outperform jackets with a much higher price tag. Great for keeping warm at campsites or for every day wear in the cooler months.

We've written another trail note on rain jackets HERE which explains how to choose an take care of your rain jacket.

We choose to stock three of Montbell's most premium, three layer rain jackets depending on your priorities.

The Montbell Versalite is the the lightest of the three and is the result of Japanese designers taking ultralight philosophy to the edge of possibility. Using Montbell’s proprietary three layer fabric, DRY-TEC, Montbell have reinvented what it means to be an ultralight, fully seam seeled rain jacket whilst offering superior breathability.

This jacket is the one ultralighters pick up in the shop and froth over. There are reddit threads about just how unbelievably light they are and thru-hike fans across the world. Perfect for fast paced movement like running and hiking.