Your warm layer has to keep you warm at rest stops, keep insulating when damp, and pack small enough for a day rucksack.
For active use, start with the Rab Xenair Alpine Light, a synthetic jacket in a men’s or women’s listing.
Choose synthetic where damp is likely and down for dry stops.
The Xenair’s insulation is light, so it is not a complete answer for a long stop in winter.
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Four jackets, five listings:
- Rab Men’s Xenair Alpine Light Jacket: synthetic; men’s fit; walking uphill and stopping
- Rab Women’s Xenair Alpine Light Jacket: synthetic; women’s fit; walking uphill and stopping
- Berghaus Men’s Vaskye Jacket: synthetic; men’s fit; stops where damp is likely
- Montane Women’s Icarus Lite Hooded Jacket: synthetic; women’s fit; stops where damp is likely
- Rab Women’s Microlight Alpine Down Jacket: recycled down; women’s fit; dry-weather stops
| Your day out | What to carry |
|---|---|
| You want synthetic filling you can wear while climbing and at stops | Rab Men's Xenair Alpine Light Jacket |
| You want the same design in a women's listing | Rab Women's Xenair Alpine Light Jacket |
| You want a hooded synthetic jacket that packs small | Berghaus Men's Vaskye Jacket |
| You want an insulated hood and stretch fleece side panels | Montane Women's Icarus Lite Hooded Jacket |
| Your stops are dry and you want down that packs small | Rab Women's Microlight Alpine Down Jacket |
The jackets
Rab Men's Xenair Alpine Light Jacket
You want a synthetic jacket to wear on the climb and put on at every stop
Rab Men's Xenair Alpine Light Jacket PrimaLoft Gold Active+ synthetic fillingClose-fitting hood, centre-front zip Read the full specification on AmazonRab lists the filling in two weights, lighter in the areas that run hot. It is made for use while moving.
The zip runs down the centre of the front, and the hood is close-fitting.
It suits cool climbs and brief halts.
Rab Women's Xenair Alpine Light Jacket
You want the same design in a women's listing
Rab Women's Xenair Alpine Light Jacket PrimaLoft Gold Active+ synthetic fillingClose-fitting hood, centre-front zip Read the full specification on AmazonThe maker’s page gives the women’s jacket the same filling, centre-front zip and close-fitting hood.
Choose a size from the women’s size chart.
Berghaus Men's Vaskye Jacket
You want a hooded synthetic jacket that packs small
Berghaus Men's Vaskye Jacket Synthetic Hydroloft Polyball fillingAdjustable insulated hood, front zip Read the full specification on AmazonBerghaus calls the insulation water resistant and the jacket very compressible.
A soft chin guard stops the zip rubbing.
The hood is insulated and adjustable.
Montane Women's Icarus Lite Hooded Jacket
You want an insulated hood and stretch fleece side panels
Montane Women's Icarus Lite Hooded Jacket PrimaLoft ThermoPlume and Silver synthetic fillingInsulated hood, stretch fleece side panels Read the full specification on AmazonMontane says its loose synthetic fill mimics down but keeps its warmth when wet.
The hood is insulated, and the front zip runs full length with an internal storm flap (a fabric strip behind the zip).
The outer fabric is water repellent, which is not the same as waterproof.
Rab Women's Microlight Alpine Down Jacket
Your stops are dry and you want warmth that packs small
Rab Women's Microlight Alpine Down Jacket 700 fill-power recycled downWomen's fit for dry-weather stops Read the full specification on AmazonRab lists recycled down, and says down gives the most warmth for its weight and compresses easily.
Keep this one dry.
Synthetic or down, by the kind of day
Synthetic filling is man-made fibre. Down is the soft under-feather of ducks or geese.
Rab recommends synthetic for damp conditions.
- Drizzle, mist or a rucksack that may get wet: synthetic, such as the Xenair, Vaskye or Icarus Lite.
- Cold, dry stops and a small pack: down, kept dry.
- One jacket for climbing and stops: the Xenair.
- A setback that keeps you still: keep every spare layer dry.
Wearing it over or under the waterproof
None of these jackets is waterproof.
In rain, wear the waterproof outside so the filling stays dry. Which one fits over the other depends on the size of both garments, so try them together.
A dry bag (a waterproof sack) keeps a spare jacket dry in the rucksack. That matters most for down.
Do you need one at all?
A warm fleece and a waterproof may be enough, provided they keep you warm enough for the forecast and the length of your stops.
A padded jacket adds filling and a wind-resisting outer fabric, which suits longer or colder stops.
A jacket alone does not make winter summit walking safe. Conditions, skills and the rest of your kit matter as much.
We compile and explain public route and safety information. We guide nobody and sell nothing on the hill.
What to pack with it
Pack the jacket with the rest of what to pack for a walk in Snowdonia, and add a merino base layer beneath it.
Winter conditions need more than a jacket, as anyone planning Snowdon in winter will find.
If you plan to be on the summit for Snowdon sunrise, pack the jacket for the wait.
A merino base layer goes beneath the jacket.
