Montane Icarus Stretch Micro Jacket

Product Information

The big advantage PrimaLoft has over standard down is that it’s able to insulate even when it gets wet.” We identified some issues with the zippers used on the original garments. Unfortunately some of the zippers delivered from YKK were faulty. This has been resolved now and we have switched the zippers going forwards to a sturdier zip." Of course, there’s only so much you can learn from a presentation. So, we were soon coerced into a giant snow globe that resided outside. The floor inside was caked in ThermoPlume insulation, and once we were sealed within the snow globe some fans came on, sending the white stuff all around us in a whirlwind. Remarkably, the insulation felt almost unrecognisable from down This caught our attention when it was first unveiled at the massive ISPO gear exhibition in Munich last winter, and we’re excited that the wait for its release is finally over. This new version, PrimaLoft ThermoPlume has all of these same traits, however the fibres have a slightly different structure. Sounds like a small and insignificant change, but it’s actually far from it. The consequential impact of changing the structure of the fibres is big.

Previous versions of PrimaLoft have rated well in our past Outdoor 100s. It’s a soft and silky synthetic fibre that looks and feels almost exactly like down fill and that isn’t far off the thermal efficiency of it either. And it even has one big advantage over standard down, which is that it’s able to insulate even when it gets wet. On the plus side, one of the main benefits of these synthetic fills is their performance in the wet. Whilst I haven't yet been able to test it in a full mountain soaking, it has done well in the rainy and windy conditions I have managed and hasn't exhibited any of the 'clumping' you'd typically experience with down. Keeping it light and clump-free helps the Icarus maintain its warmth even when damp. That clearly has benefits for active mountain use in the rainy UK. Round two to synthetic, then. Essentially, ThermoPlume is manufactured with small, silky tufts of fibre plumes that collectively form a loose fill insulation. This enables it to replicate the lightweight warmth, softness and compressibility of natural down. The insulation can then be blown through traditional down-blowing manufacturing equipment, thus simplifying the manufacturing process and enabling designers greater freedom.