UKC

Got around £200 for budget
what do people recommend?

so far its a toss-up between:
Rab Neutrino Endurance jacket
or Mountain Equipment Astron Hooded Jacket?

several people i've spoken to have said pros/cons for softshell/down.
what is the general opinion on here?

In reply to spot77:

that it totaly depend on what you will be using it for.

In reply to Mokkel:
Mainly walking/mountaineering

In reply to spot77:
I wouldn't swop my Rab for anything when belaying, but walking, unless you are off to Nepal...
Also think how cold YOU get. I have had ice on the outside of my base layer (with no other layers) while others are 3/4 layers thick.

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In reply to Aminal:
im usually cold all the time, so the Rab jacket is looking pretty good right now.

In reply to spot77:

I have the astron hooded jacket and i have to say it is amazing. Its so light you dont realise your wearing it, its also really stretchy; so i can wear just a baselayer, or a heavy weight fleece and still have the same amount of movement.

I live in the southwest, so its hardly ever cold enough to need a down jacket a lot of the time, but if your up in scotland and feel the cold quite badly, then the astron might be a bit too thin.

In reply to scorpia97:
whats the astron like waterproof wise?
some people ive spoken to have said softshell's are rubbish against the rain ect..

In reply to spot77: They're totally totally different things, it's like asking whether you should spend your £200 on boots or on axes for winter climbing. What do you want it for? Where do you want it for? What do you own already?

And why can't you spend £100 on a softshell and £100 on a down jacket or synthetic layer?

In reply to steve456:
yeah fair point there,
realised its abit of a silly thread, made sense when i posted it at the time haha.
just hillwalking really, wanted something instead of/to go under my shell instead of endless fleeces/baselayers.

In reply to spot77:

Ok, and there you have your answer.

You'll pay a huge premium to get a waterproof down jacket. The Neutrino Endurance isn't waterproof and will turn to damp goo when it rains to an extent that you're worried about a softshell letting water through. If it's going to rain, get a synthetic primaloft or similar jacket. There are plenty of big warm ones for a lot less than £200, just as there are a lot of good powershield softshells for a lot less than £200 (have seen the Rab Baltoro Guide knocking around for just over £100 for example).

In reply to steve456:
okay thanks for the advice, sounds like a synthetic jacket and a less pricey softshell is the way forwards for me.
thanks