RAB Women's Neutrino Jacket Review

The nice www.outdoorkit.co.uk website shop has sent me a lovely new down jacket to review!

The excitement at finally having a functioning down jacket, after spending three months of this winter shivering in an ancient, empty jacket is hard to explain. This coat is probably everything I would ask for in a down jacket. I've been mainly using it as a belay jacket at spainsh sport crags, which whatever people tell you is not always a baking hot day! It's has been windy and overcast this winter so temperatures haven't really been getting very hot.

As a belay jacket, this coat has many great features. For a start, it has a 800 fill loft meaning that it is super warm, but not so puffy as to encumber movement. It has great big pockets for stuffing your hands in to keep them warm whilst waiting in between redpoints as well as room for hand and rope whilst belaying. It also has a handy inner pocket for a mobile or something that you are worried about getting cold. 

Making full use of the pockets on a chilly afternoon at Terradets

It has a nice big hood which will fit over a helmet, and a simple velcro adjustment system so that you can still look up whilst belaying.

Just move the strip of velcro down and you can look up

Probably my favourite feature is that fact that it has a super long length in the back, meaning that my bum stays warm when I'm belaying. You may think this is insignificant, but it is bloody amazing!

No-one likes a belayer with a cold bottom!

Although the zip is maybe a bit stiff,I like the double sided zippers so that you can poke your belay device out without having to hoik up the front of the coat and get a cold belly!

Double-ended zips so that you can poke your belay loop out

The fabric is really tough and hard wearing and has coped with being dragged through spiky spanish shrubbery, as well as surviving many a drizzle without becoming a sponge and ruining the loft (the water actually beading which suggests it will survive worse weather conditions as well).

It's worth bearing in mind that the sizing seemed relatively large,
so whilst I normally go for a size 12 jacket to fit thousands of clothes under, the size 10 was actually perfect, and on top of that it is so warm I didn't need as many clothes anymore!

Buy it here!
http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/product.php?product_id=811

On top of my enthusiasm for the women's jacket, my boyfriend has the men's jacket so I can vouch for that being pretty fantastic as well!

http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/brand/rab_15.html

https://www.facebook.com/outdoorkit 
https://twitter.com/outdoorkit