Recommended Price: £199
Weight: 640g (men’s large)
The Whitehorn is a new insulated downjacket from Mammut, with a few innovative features. The 115g of filling in the main part of the jacket is recycled 650 fill power goose down, but the shoulders are filled with a recycled synthetic insulation – which should boost durability when worn with a pack as well as aiding performance in damp conditions.
Not only are both fillings recycled, the face and lining fabric is too; the Pertex Quantum Eco has been treated with a durable water repellent finish – PFC free, to complete the impressive environmental credentials on offer here.
The most surprising feature is that the jacket is reversible – i.e. it can be worn inside-out. On my test jacket there isn’t a huge variation between the two colours which were slightly different shades of blue, but the design is different on each side too – the side with the baffles has zipped handpockets with a very comfy microfibre fabric inside, whilst the other smooth side has pockets with press studs and an additional chest pocket. Of course, either way round, you can use the pockets on the inside as well as the exterior. A slight downside of the reversibility is that there is no flap behind the zip, as obviously it would be on the outside if you reversed it.
I’ve found this jacket to be very warm, really ideal for putting on at rest stops (or belaying if you climb); the styling is excellent and it looks good for heading to the pub in those cold evenings too. It’s fairly bulky and reasonable weighty for a down jacket, and a waterproof hardshell over the top tends to be quite a tight fit – but the Whitehorn is really best worn when it’s too cold to rain in any case. There’s no hood, though that’s not a problem for me as a I prefer to wear a hat.
The Whitehorn jacket is available in four colour combinations and five sizes, in both men’s and women’s versions.