Montane Anti-Freeze 2.0 Jacket

Medium weight down jacket that offers a good balance between warmth and portability.

This jacket weighs about 550g (19oz) in size large. It contains 200 grams (7oz) of 650+ fill power down encased in a 50 denier polyester shell. By way of comparison, the Rab Cirque — another down jacket of roughly similar overall weight — has 260g (9oz) of insulation encased in a 30 denier shell. The Montane is therefore not as warm, but is made of tougher outer material.  

The Montane Anti-Freeze 2.0 has two roomy hip pockets which are in an elevated position, though not enough to clear a rucksack hipbelt. There is also an internal chest pocket. All pockets are zipped. The jacket has no hood.

As shown in the photo above, the jacket packs down well. It comes with a separate stuff sack which you have to be careful not to lose. I thought mine was missing until I tried the jacket on and found the sack in one of the pockets. Some jackets pack away into their own pocket, which is a more practical arrangement.

But on the plus side, the Montane's stuff sack is seam-taped so it should be waterproof. It is of course important to keep a down jacket dry since wet down loses its insulating properties. You don't want to open your rucksack at the end of a day's walking and pull out your insulated jacket only to find that it has gotten wet in the rain.

I found the stuff sack to be a little too short, meaning you have to stuff the jacket down really tight to get enough room to roll the top of the sack closed. I might replace it with a suitably sized Exped dry bag.

The jacket is warm, but not quite as warm as I expected it to be with its weight of down, particularly in windy conditions. I suspect that the stitch-through baffles leak warmth. Some other jackets avoid this problem because they are constructed in such a way that the inner and outer shells are not stitched together at the baffles.  

I am 6 foot 1 inch tall with a 41-inch chest. The large is an excellent fit, close but not too snug. According to Montane's size guide the large is rated for a 42-inch chest so the sizing seems spot on. The sleeves come down to about mid-way between my wrists and my knuckles.

This jacket comes in black, blue (with light green trim), or grey. Green as shown in the product image accompanying this review no longer seems to be available. I have the black. It is not shiny like many other down jackets, which makes it more presentable for everyday wear. Grey zips add a bit of contrast to the black without being garish. Overall I am happy with this jacket.