Montbell Alpine Down Parka (not “Light”) & new Montbell stuff

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Pretty sure they are legit shops. They are listed on the Montbell international site.

The shop staff didn't seem to know what it was either but my Chinese isn't very good so it's hard to say.

I can only extrapolate from Richard's iclo rating of the old jacket compared to the Alpine Light and Permafrost. The ratios don't quite add up but it would seem the old Alpine Parka had about 180-200g of down. Actually, looking at the Mirage pictures it looks to me like the Mirage is cut from the same pattern as the Alpine Parka but in a lighter fabric and possibly underfilled with the higher fillpower down. Either way it's a puzzle why they don't sell it here. It would cost less than the Mirage, be at least as warm (probably) and be more durable (which is the reason I hesitate on the Mirage).

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That's a good point, so maybe the only real difference is the shell fabric and the fillpower. So less warm, less

I have one of the Alpine Down Jackets in an XXL from years ago. The specs for the jacket used to say that it had 6oz of down for whatever their standard size is. It is box baffled and very puffy and warm. Having tried on some jackets that have 4oz of down I think that the jacket has well more than 6oz of a similar size just based upon loft.

I know a guy at the local Montbell store (only one in the US, as far as I know). He said that 1000FP down as been available for a long time in Asia, but bringing it to the US was a much bigger commitment which is why we are just now seeing stuff like the Plasma 1000 and Patagonia 1000FP belay jacket.

It seems to be the case that Montbell releases products first in Asia and will eventually bring them over to the US after a year or more. For example, the Tachyon jacket was available for awhile in Asia and only got to the US last April. Now my friend says that they have a sub 1oz EX Light wind VEST. It's not on the US site but they say it's in the store. It's also on the Japanese website: http://en.montbell.jp/products/goods/list.php?category=53000

They have/had some goofy stuff: the shortsleeve down jacket, the kneelength down pants…

Now Katabatic and Zpacks need to get on it and start buying 1000FP wholesale…

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