UKC

£25 Lightweight Down Jacket?

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Petarghh 21 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: saw one today, doesn't look too bad really, the down quality is poor and the fit isn't perfect, but it felt warm for what it was and comparable to the more expensive versions.
janiejonesworld 21 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: always useful when they advertise "lightweight" kit and then don't tell you what it weighs. hard to go wrong at the price though as long as your expectations aren' too high
 MikeLell 21 Nov 2012
In reply to Petarghh: Bought one in bright green today. I got the Large and fit seems OK. Should work well as an active layer over a base layer when it's stupid cold or fit over a couple more layers as a belay jacket. Off to Wales on the weekend, so if it's dry enough to try it out, will be able to report back.
 Blizzard 21 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

thanks to this posting they'll all be sold out by the weekend
 Denni 21 Nov 2012
In reply to Blizzard:

Loads on fleabay
OP neuromancer 21 Nov 2012
In reply to Blizzard:

Were you planning on buying them all out for some kind of hair-brained ebay scheme?
 MikeLell 21 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: Thought actually crossed my mind when I was in the shop, to buy a few more for Ebaying.
 Denni 21 Nov 2012
In reply to MikeLell:

The jackets and the gilets are on fleabay available from sports direct who I think, own F and T?
 ripper 21 Nov 2012
In reply to Denni: yep sports direct own f&t, also owns karrimor and also former 80s ski-wear brand nevica. f&t also have 'full weight' (ie. big and puffy) karrimor down jackets, and lightweight nevica ones (similar to the karrimor lightweight but with a hood).
 MikeLell 21 Nov 2012
In reply to Denni: Yeah that's right. F&T went rapidly downhill when Sprts Direct took over. Means they do some good bargains on the top end stuff if you look around though. They sell climbing hardware too. I stumbled across the jacket when I went in on the off chance they would have a size 3 Torque Nut, which they did.
 Denni 21 Nov 2012
In reply to MikeLell:

Always good to have bargains :0)

 TobyA 22 Nov 2012
In reply to MikeLell: Mike, can you be a star and weigh it? The more geeky accurate scales* you can find the better! I've been thinking about getting one of the Uniqlo ones, but these are even cheaper.

*I'm immensely sad and actually bought some electronic postal scales mainly for weighing gear, although I like to think it shows I take my UKC gear reviewing gig seriously!
 MikeLell 22 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA: Will do!
 MikeLell 22 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA: On kitchen scales it comes to somewhere between 310 and 320 grams (inside its own nylon stuff sack). If I can get hold of my Dad's precision lab scales I could get a much better reading and have a few other things I'd like to weigh.
 MikeLell 22 Nov 2012
In reply to MikeLell: Rab and Patagonia have similar looking garments with claimed weights of 340 g and 343 g respectively.
 martinph78 22 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: Thanks for the tip, I really wanted a gillet but couldn't afford one, this fits the bill nicely. It'll not be going out on the hills with me, I just want it for kicking around college/commuting etc.

Perfect!

A heads up, Go Outdoors are doing synthetic jackets (Hi Gear) for £19.99.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/product-search/text/Yukon+Jacket

Again, perfect for walking the dog/work etc.
Thanks.

Got one of the gilets. Another 4% off if you clear your cookies and go via Quidco.
 Ardo 22 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA: That is geeky!




(Don't tell anyone I asked, but which scales did you get?)
 kermit_uk 22 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

the karrimor gillets are £18 at the mo. Nice lightweight similar to jacket above but without arms. :-D
 TobyA 22 Nov 2012
In reply to nrhardy: Unfortunately from a Finnish shop (well the company is actually Swedish) but here in Helsinki. It's a bit like Wilkinsons and Halford rolled into one. They weren't desperately expensive as a I remember - perhaps 15 EUR-ish? They are wonderfully accurate from my review of the Marmot Plasma sleeping bag:

"The second major point is that the bag is light. The quoted weight is 864 grams for the regular (although according to my postal scales mine is a whole 3 grams lighter than that!), the stuff bag weighs and additional tiny 27 grams." http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3605

A three gram difference from the stated weight, just how good is that to know!
 TobyA 22 Nov 2012
In reply to MikeLell: Thanks Mike. The Uniqlo one is 100 grams lighter than that though! Hmmm, is that worth 30 quid difference...?
OP neuromancer 22 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA:

And it looks good enough to wear with jeans and smart shoes when it's chilly.

And for the same price you can have it hooded.

But £25!
 MikeLell 22 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA: 307.1 g for my Large Karrimor one. Have considered the Uniqlo jackets in the past. Would be interested to hear how people have found them.
In reply to neuromancer:

For a £20 hooded down gilet, have a look at:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=527203
 martinph78 22 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: Just ordered my Dad the jacket for Xmas, so thanks for the heads up

 Martin Bennett 22 Nov 2012
In reply to nrhardy:
> (In reply to TobyA) That is geeky!
> (Don't tell anyone I asked, but which scales did you get?)

Ssshhhh. I'm just as bad; because my "big" scale is only good to 10g I got one of these:

Designer Habitat Digital Electronic Slimline Glass Kitchen Scales

which you shoul find in a search on the well known auction site which for some reason no-one ever names. (Why is that, by the way?)

Scale arrived a few days ago and seems OK - it's 5kg capacity, has a reasonably large glass top, display is to 1g and it seems to repeat reasonably well - certainly good enough for postal/kitchen/obsessive gear weighing duties!

Mine was £8.99 but it seems now to have gone up to £9.99

 NottsRich 22 Nov 2012


Has anyone had any problems with their delivery service? The last and only time I bought something from F&T they used a courier called Yodel to deliver it, which failed miserably. In the same week this Yodel company also 'tried' to deliver a package from Australia to me, only to say they were unable to deliver and had it on it's way back to Australia before I could even get in contact with them (2 days after the date on their calling card, which I found in the gutter outside...)Rant over!

Basically F&T's choice of courier was enough to make me never buy anything from them again. I'm just interested to see if they're still using them and if there have been any problems? If not, it'll make a nice Christmas present for a friend of mine! Thanks.
 nniff 22 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

I bought a rope and rope bag from F&T a few weeks ago. It was ordered at about 3:30 on Saturday and arrived on Monday. Hard to find fault with that.
 Ciro 23 Nov 2012
In reply to NottsRich:

I ordered two jackets yesterday, just got an e-mail saying one was out of stock so they'll ship the other one and refund the difference. According to the website there's still other colours available in that size. I know they're trying to keep costs low, but can it be that expensive to have someone phone the customer and ask if they want another option?

 Gazlynn 23 Nov 2012
In reply to NottsRich:

ordered on Wednesday recieved today.

Very happy with the jacket considering it was £25

cheers

Gaz
 John_Hat 23 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

They are excellent, considering he price. I've had one for a year. Warm, confortable, stops the wind, all round pretty good.

It's not as nice as my "good" down jacket, but that was eight times the price, IIRC, so I would't expect it to be.

For £25 they are a bargain.
 snoop6060 23 Nov 2012
In reply to Martin1978:

Argh, sweet. Been looking for a down gillet for bouldering in. Just ordered one, £21 including postage. Thats a bargain even if its a bit crap.

Cheers for the link.
 ranger*goy 23 Nov 2012
In reply to NottsRich:
>
>
> Has anyone had any problems with their delivery service? The last and only time I bought something from F&T they used a courier called Yodel to deliver it, which failed miserably. In the same week this Yodel company also 'tried' to deliver a package from Australia to me, only to say they were unable to deliver and had it on it's way back to Australia before I could even get in contact with them (2 days after the date on their calling card, which I found in the gutter outside...)Rant over!
>
> Basically F&T's choice of courier was enough to make me never buy anything from them again. I'm just interested to see if they're still using them and if there have been any problems? If not, it'll make a nice Christmas present for a friend of mine! Thanks.

I've had a few deliveries recently by Yodel (including 1 today). I've heard a lot of gripes about them but mine have been straightforward and no problems. Probably depends on the driver.
 Andy Mountains 23 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

Cheers for the heads up, just orded mine
Yodel are fine if you are in when they attempt delivery.

If you miss the delivery, it's a Kafkaesque nightmare and you will quickly be enveloped in a cloud of hatred, rage, self-pity and depression.

Mine's out for delivery today, so we'll see...
 tim000 24 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: for a little bit more decathlon have trespass down jackets for £39 . similar to the karrimore ones.
 MikeLell 24 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: Wore mine out today for a bit on Cadair Idris.
- Just the right warmth level.
- Dind't get too hot while walking, so long as it's nothing too strenuous. - - Offers a decent degree of wind resistance.
- Only major gripe would be slight restriction on movement in the shoulder area, but this may have been down to my rucksack straps.

All in all, a well-spent 25 quid.
 Sharp 24 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA: Don't worry, it's not geeky till you buy another set of scales, to weigh your scales.
 Blue Straggler 24 Nov 2012
In reply to TobyA:
>
> *I'm immensely sad and actually bought some electronic postal scales mainly for weighing gear

A digression, but I have taken to weighing cameras, especially small 35mm compacts...
In reply to neuromancer:

Well, I decided to sully myself by fighting through the mounds of chav wear in Sports Direct, and found the down jackets and gilet. I'm afraid I wasn't very impressed. They're light because there's very little down in them, and the ones I saw has very little loft. There's no way they were ever worth the claimed rrp of £80; £35-40 tops.

If you're looking for something with a little insulation, then maybe okay.
 George_Surf 26 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

What's the sizing like? tight, technical or fairly loose? Im normally a medium, should i buy large if i want to use it for climbing and winter stuff to stop it riding up when my arms are above my head? i currently don't own a down jacket and need something fairly warm for belays and when things get chilly etc
 George_Surf 26 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

or would that synthetic 'hi gear - yukon' jacket be better at £30?

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-yukon-mens-insulated-jacket-p206175
 Gazlynn 26 Nov 2012
In reply to George_Surf:

They are quite tight (or I have put on more weight!!)

So I would order the large.

cheers

Gaz
 George_Surf 26 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

field and trek are also selling nevica duck down jackets for £30, these come with a (non-adustable) hood, which im sure is better than no hood. what are people's thoughts on the karrimor down vs nevica down vs hi-gear synthetic

I will be using it for winter mountaineering (as stated in my last post)
 Andy Mountains 26 Nov 2012
In reply to Gazlynn:
> (In reply to George_Surf)
>
> They are quite tight (or I have put on more weight!!)
>
> So I would order the large.
>
> cheers
>
> Gaz

Damn it!
In reply to neuromancer:

I got a medium, which would usualy be good for me, but is in fact a little bit tight across the shoulders/upper back, but I'll live wit that for £25.

A bit thinner (and lighter) than I was anticipating but will be good in my rucksac on winter walks.
In reply to George_Surf:

> What's the sizing like? tight, technical or fairly loose? Im normally a medium,

I'm normally S, and the M I tried on fit okay over a base layer and fleece. In other words, pretty close-fitting for a down jacket. So, if you want it for an overlayer, certainly go one size up.

But, as I said earlier, if the ones I looked at were the same as being discussed here (and, judging by the brand and price, I'm pretty sure they are), I think they're far too thin to be a decent winter overlayer; much more an 'active warmth' layer, as there's not much down or loft to them. Think 'Down Sweater', only colder.

If you want a bit more warmth, and a hood that will take a helmet, really do go and look at the Peter Storm down gilet for £20; it has a decent loft and isn't overstuffed. Not a full-on, sitting-on-a-winter-belay-for-hours sort of warmth, but pretty useful. Granted, it's got no arms...

And no, I don't have any connection with Blacks/Millets; I'm just an inveterate bargain hunter trying to do some proxy bargain-hunting... I know 'Peter Storm' is hardly a "real man's mountaineering brand", but every now and then they produce something half decent, even if they don't know why; why would their normal customers want a helmet-compatible hood, when it means it's not so great without a hood (and no adjustment)...? Not that Karrimor is a "real man's mountaineering brand" any more; mostly cheap, badge-engineered tat, apart from the stuff coming out of Japan.
archeryjones 26 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer: i work at field and trek, must say the quality on them for a karrimor is pretty decent, my only gripes with them is the overall fit of the jacket, seems to be cut very short round the bum, and the fill is a little bit too light for me personally, but to be fair at that price, they are a pretty decent bargain
 George_Surf 27 Nov 2012
In reply to archeryjones:

any chance you could take a look at the nevica hooded down jacket and compare it to the karrimor one in terms of weight, down fill, size etc. field and trek sell them too. that would be really helpful!
 ripper 27 Nov 2012
In reply to George_Surf: I had a quick look at both in a F&T shop and they seemed pretty much the same in terms of weight and fill. it wasn't a detailed analysis but apart from the hood, different trim and a slightly shinier face fabric they seemed very similar. Interested to see what Archery says though...
 George_Surf 27 Nov 2012
In reply to ripper:

ah right ok. seems a hood is a bonus then. you said different trim? is one longer than the other/ closer fitting? not too fussed about shiny fabric, so long as it's warm!
 ripper 27 Nov 2012
In reply to George_Surf: sorry, when I said trim I meant things like the logo on the front, and the fact that the Nevica one has contrasting edge piping, I don't remember the cut being significantly different. Do bear in mind the hood has no adjustment, not even a simple drawstring, and I found it quite big and baggy/gapey. Would be no good in a headwind without something else to keep it secured.
Removed User 27 Nov 2012
In reply to ripper:

Sounds like the hood has been designed to have the volume for going over a helmet.
 George_Surf 27 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

yeah a tight hood isnt too much of a worry for me because i will be wearing it under other coats which do have hood adjustment so if it fits over a helmet thats good, another coat's hood can hold everything all in. at the end of the day, it's a £30 down jacket.... got to be better than nothing right?!
 ripper 27 Nov 2012
In reply to George_Surf:
> (In reply to neuromancer)
>
> it's a £30 down jacket.... got to be better than nothing right?!

That's my thinking exactly. not sure about the hood going over a helmet though...
 Stabba 27 Nov 2012
In reply to neuromancer:
I have the bigger puffy £40 one (rrp £99!).
Warm enough but the quality is mince. Main zip broke within a month then a pocket zip.
OK to sit and belay at the bottom of a crag but wouldn't rely on it up a hill.
I agree with the Yodel comments - I've had stuff left in the recycling bin.

TBH I kinda expected this of cheap sweatshop sports direct clobber. Wish I'd never thrown out the old Mountain Equipment brown stinky, but it was 700 years old.
archeryjones 27 Nov 2012
In reply to George_Surf: will do, im in work tomorrow, but wont get a chance to post til thursday, although if it was me personally, i'd go for the karrimor stuff, the nevica ones look ok, zips just seem a little flimsy
 George_Surf 28 Nov 2012
In reply to archeryjones:

the only thing is i think is the hood on the nevica one would mean it's a warmer jacket...
 tim000 07 Dec 2012
In reply to neuromancer: had a look at these last week . picked one up to try on and was ingulfed by a cloud of down(ok , slight exaggeration) endded up getting a tresspass down jacket for decathlon . much better quality. £34.99 with the hood.
 Oceanic 07 Dec 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

I'm confused by these comments. Mine lofts well (taking into account it's weight) and doesn't leak down. It does the same job as a Polartec 200 fleece, but is much lighter.

Maybe there are good batches and bad batches?
 quirky 07 Dec 2012
In reply to Oceanic: Mrs Q bought one..i was sceptical but to be honest its a decent jacket..especially for the money. Its not as good as the other she looked at but that was £120 more expensive!!!
 tim000 07 Dec 2012
In reply to Oceanic: maybe i just picked up a duff one .
 Andy Mountains 07 Dec 2012
In reply to neuromancer:

Mine came the other day. Hardly a quality down belay jacket for winter conditions as it is very very thin (and light!), but a handy thing to have in your sack. But for the money a great buy!

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...