For 2018, Mountain Equipment have introduced their Threshold collection. A range of kit designed for fast and light activities in the mountains when you want to get somewhere fast and push your limits a bit more.
For a change, I haven’t bought a Rab product, which most of my kit seems to be. When it comes to waterproofs though, I always swing towards Gore-tex, with Rab preferring eVent and Pertex fabrics. I’ve had eVent, and to cut a long story short, I still prefer Gore-tex.
With a lot of my activities and training I’m moving towards faster and lighter equipment, and with the end of Summer approaching, you need your waterproofs to hand. Its always a pain trying to find something waterproof you can run or cycle in when its chucking down, but still pretty warm out.
Enter the Mountain Equipment Impellor jacket. ME bill this as their lightest ever waterproof shell, and at 170g for a size large, it’s pretty light. Made from 3 layer Gore-tex Active 2.0 and with a minimalist design, there’s no frills on this jacket, with weight saved at every opportunity.
Fabric
Whilst we’re on it, lets talk about the fabric. The fabric is brilliant. Gore-tex has a reputation for fantastic waterproof products, and this ultra light version doesn’t disappoint. Despite being a 3 layer fabric, is still weighs in at 170g for a size large. The outer still feels pretty tough, and I’m confident that even with a few offs on my Mountain bike, it will take the brunt of it and brush it off. Obviously its waterproof, and it does a great job of keeping out downpours even over prolonged periods. After several hours out in torrential rain, it didn’t wet out like traditional running or cycling jackets would.
With most light jackets, the material tends to sound like a crisp packet whenever you move. This does have some noise with it, but not as bad as some others I have tried. There is very little stretch in the material, unlike some Pertex products, but the cut of the jacket makes up for it by ensuring it has an active design.
As for the breathability, well it does the job. I’d probably say this is one of the most breathable jackets I’ve used, with only Pertex 1.5 beating it. The trade off there is that Pertex is a lot less durable. Sure, you get a bit of condensation inside the jacket when you really push it, but that seems to evaporate away on sections where you ease off. Unless your sprinting all day, you shouldn’t get too sweaty under the jacket. I overheat easily in most conditions, even winter Mountaineering, but this jacket seems to regulate my temperature well even on warm, wet and humid days.
The only vanity issue is the jacket comes in just the one colour, “Nickel.” I’d describe it as Spacesuit silver which looks like you’re about to embark on a lunar mission.
Fit
The fit and cut of this jacket is aimed at the “active” market with very little room underneath if for mid layers. Its built to target those pushing faster in mountain environments whilst generating a lot of body heat, so extra layers whilst moving wouldn’t be needed by its intended market anyway. I’ve been using it for running and cycling, as well as fast walking/hiking across moorland and some Mountain areas.
I’m 80 kg and 6 foot tall, a size large fits me brilliantly with no excess material flapping around. Any smaller, and the jacket would be too tight on my shoulders for definite.
The cuffs and hem have only small stretchy elasticated sections, with the hem having no draw cord either. This does make it feel a little loose around the waist, but actually it also stops the jacket riding up whilst running, cycling or wearing a rucksack, a problem I frequently have with other light weight jackets.
For some the cuffs may be a little tight, and if you wanted to roll them up to help vent a little more, you’re going to struggle to move them above the forearm.
The back of the jacket is flush with the front, so there is no drop at the back for a bit of added protection. This isn’t a problem for me, but some people do prefer a bit of rear protection during their activities to prevent a soggy groin area. I find the hem is long enough to cover what I need in this jacket.
The hood is very simple with only an adjuster at the back to take in any excess. There are no front draw chords, and its designed to fit under a helmet rather than over. It secured in place by doing the front zip up, and once on, there’s no chance of it blowing off.
Design
This jacket is meant to be simple. No fuss, weight saving and minimalistic. You get one mall chest pocket which is probably big enough to cram in two energy bars. If you’ve a new style smart phone, good luck trying to get it in. The pocket though does have holes in it to allow for ventilation, so you may want to keep it open at some points.
The front zip if course is waterproof with a small storm flap covering it, but for some weird reason only the zip pocket has a cord on. The main one is just a small zip, so grabbing at it successfully when cycling with gloves on is a pain! I’ve actually ended up adapting it to add one on. The big plus for me is the packability. It packs down to next to nothing, rivalling some windshells for its pack size and weight. ME also kindly provide a stuff sack to shove it in to.
Overall
Originally priced at £200, I’ve seen this jacket around now for as little as £120. An absolute bargain. I have no doubt against other competitors in this price bracket, it will outlast and outperform them. Spare a few adjustments in the design, this is nigh on the perfect fast and light performance piece. The packability means I would have no issues shoving this in a rucksack as a “just in case” and not even noticing it was there until I unpacked at the end of the day. I’ve used it in downpours that Pertex products would wet out in. I’m sure you could use it in the winter too, in all but the most extreme conditions, if you’re not planning on stopping for long.
Mountain Equipment say:
Our very lightest waterproof shell is an ultra-breathable fall back for the most exposed situations. This minimalist shell balances a vanishingly small pack size against the reliable waterproof protection and exceptional breathability of the very lightest GORE-TEX® Active fabric. Unnoticed until you need it, the Impellor comes into its own flying over technical ridges or racing storms on remote towers.
Fabric: 3-layer GORE-TEX® Active 2.0 fabric throughout
Mountain Hood with internal wicking barrier and rear adjuster
Active fit with articulated and pre-shaped sleeves
YKK® WR centre front zip
Napoleon chest pocket with YKK® WR Zip and internal laser-cut vents
Semi-elasticated cuffs with internal wicking barrier
Semi-elasticated hem with internal wicking barrier
Supplied with mesh stuff sack
Weight: 170g
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