This is a Montane Prism jacket. I have owned it for a year and a half. I bought it in a last minute panic just before my best friend's stag do, when I realised we were going to be camping in the woods and, having lived abroad for a few years, I seemed to have forgotten that British evenings can be chilly.

In their owns words:

The most versatile piece of insulation in the MONTANE® range, the Prism is an essential piece of mountain clothing whatever the activity. Using 40g PrimaLoft® SILVER ECO insulation throughout ensures that the Prism is warm yet lightweight enough to be worn on the move in cool conditions. Used and abused by Mountain Rescue teams across the UK, the Prism can be worn as a mid-layer within any shell system or alone as an outer jacket in drier weather.

A Review of the Montane Prism Jacket.

COST: 80 - 100 GBP ( 100 - 130 USD)

FEATURES:

The Pertex® microlight outer fabric that is completely windproof, really fast drying and is, to a degree water repellent
It is insulated with 40g primaloft® silver eco insulation throughout the body which is very "packable”.
The pocket areas around the middle are double insulated with 40g primaloft® silver eco giving this area 80g of insulation in total.
The rum are articulated arms for better movement and reach and this helps to reduced hem lift.
The hood is helmet compatible, fully adjustable and come with three point adjustment and a wired peak.
Comes in Men's and Women's versions.

Testing:

To say that I take this jacket everywhere is an understatement. Much to my wife’s chagrin, I even wear it in the house.

I have used it in England, Scotland, Italy, Spain, France, The Azores, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Thailand, in the wet and the cold, on the school run, hiking up a mountain, climbing in the Alps, paddling on rivers and lakes, sleeping, cooking and camping in the wild. I’ve lent it to my wife, my daughter and my mother. It has been used as a pillow and as a rudimentary booster seat in a hire car.

It packs down nicely so I tend to lob into my pack whatever I am doing. Frequently unfurling it, triumphantly, like a flag on a breezy summit as the wind begins to chill from the sweaty ascent.

In the Cairngorms, I wore a Helly Hansen base layer, the Prism Jacket and a lightweight shell. It was white out conditions on Meall a'Bhuachaille and I remained warm and dry. In the Alps I had a similar set up. Walking in the Azores, it was essentially the only thing I needed beyond a base layer as it coped with the odd shower of rain.

I like the fact that it is versatile, warm and roomy, ensuring no restriction of movement. Little touches like the fact that in packs into its own pocket to effectively become a small pillow, may seem gimmicky - it doesn't after all mean it packs any smaller - but I have actually found that to be useful.

It is also really soft - I honestly feel it is the snuggliest thing I own, like you might imagine your favourite fleece to be, only lighter, smaller and er... warmer. Little touches like the micro fleece covering at the top of the zip area only enhance this.

Conclusion:

Considering the I bought this jacket impulsively, with little consideration I totally lucked out. It has been an amazing companion. It has turned out to be so much more than I originally intended, extremely durable, warm, very soft and supremely comfortable. It just seems to tick all the boxes for me.

The only slight criticism is that I bought an XL, simply because the L felt as if it might be a little too short in the body when moving around. Having said this the XL enables me to comfortably fit other layers underneath when needed without actually being too bulky when I put a shell over it. So… maybe its actually a good thing after all.

shop for the Montane Prism Jacket (MEN) on Amazon >

Shop for the Montane Prism Jacket (Women) on amazon >