The Oreus Jacket and Vest are the result of a 5 year development project to make what we believe to be the best mid-weight synthetic products currently available. Limited by the synthetic fills on the market we set out to develop our own, weaving fibres through heat reflective fabric technology. Now patent pending and unique to Mountain Equipment, Aetherm™ Precision Insulation is warmer than anything of equivalent weight as well as being more breathable and more packable.
The Oreus is already well proven with prototypes seeing heavy use everywhere from the Karakoram to Patagonia and the Alps with rave reviews from our athlete team, many of whom are carrying these products instead of lightweight down due to their warmth, functionality and greater resilience in difficult conditions.
Crucially the Oreus Vest is one of the most versatile pieces of kit you can own, suitable for everything from super alpine climbing in the high mountains to ski touring in the Alps, hill walking in Scotland or rock climbing on high crags. They can be worn as an outer layer, as a super warm mid-layer or thrown over the top of everything. The warmth, fast drying performance and low weight and pack size are equally beneficial for almost any activity in the mountains.
A hugely useful layer on its own the Vest can be combined with the Oreus Jacket to give an impressively warm, resilient and flexible system in really severe conditions.
Features:
Insulation
- Groundbreaking Aetherm™ Precision Insulation offers the warmth and comfort of down with the ruggedness and weather resistance of synthetic insulation
- Uses 100% recycled Polyester and a reflective layer to increase warmth
Materials
- 100% recycled PLASMA 10D inner and outer fabric with FC free DWR; incredibly lightweight and breathable
Patterning & Design
- Fit designed to maximise thermal efficiency
Pocket Configuration
- 2 YKK® zipped handwarmer pockets give access to essentials
- 1 YKK® zipped chest pocket
- Large inner drop pocket for gloves and other items that need to be kept warm
- Inner drop pocket doubles as an integrated pack pocket and features twin karabiner carry loops
Centre Front Zip
- 2-way YKK® moulded centre front zip with insulated rear baffle to minimise heat loss and wind ingress
- Easy to use with gloves on
Waist & Hem Construction
- Dual tether hem drawcords provide adjustment and increase thermal efficiency
Further Features
- Designed and developed in the UK
- Built to last. Backed up by our Product Lifetime Guarantee
- Mountain Equipment is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation
- Supplied in a recyclable protective plastic bag
- Mountain Equipment information swing ticket printed on FSC-approved paper from sustainable sources
Buyers Guide - How to choose an Insulated JacketEveryone knows that to keep warm you need to insulate yourself from the cold. THE most effective insulator is air, more importantly – dry air. The more dry air you can trap against your body the warmer you will feel.
Put simply; down insulation offers the most warmth for weight (when dry), it is highly compressible and with proper care will maintain it’s shape and loft for many years. Synthetic insulation is predominantly made from polyester (many of which are now recycled), it is easier to care for and will retain most of its warmth when wet.
In our generally warm wet climate here in the UK, the versatility of using an insulated jacket as part of a layering system means you can get the maximum use of all garments throughout the year. If you buy your clothing to allow for layers underneath/on top then you can happily use your insulated jacket under a waterproof of really grim days or simply as an outer layer on crisp cold dryer days. There are specialist products on the market from Grangers and Nikwax you can use to add water resistance to your down garment.
Baffles are sewn into a jacket to keep the insulation in place. Most common are baffles that are sewn through creating little “pillows” of insulation. These are used in lighter weight garments and ideal for activities, as where the stich lines are there is little insulation. Box wall construction is generally used on jackets that have more loft and are designed for colder environments as baffles are stitched to ensure there is a continual depth of insulation.
It is important to understand that a jacket will not generate warmth by itself – it is your body that creates heat either through movement/exertion or by eating and drinking. The jacket will then trap the warm air to keep you insulated. When it comes to a down garment you can use the amount and quality of the down in the garment as a guideline. As we mentioned above, the more loft: the more insulation and loft is measured and described as fill power. Higher quality down will have a higher fill power. Check the weight of down alongside the fill power too as the more down there is physically in a garment the better it will insulate, it may just be a little heavier and less compressible. For synthetic garments the weight of the insulation is measured in grams per square metre to help understand how much insulation is inside the jacket and therefore how warm the jacket may keep you. The higher the weight; the warmer the jacket.
Finally, how a jacket fits is critical to how warm it will keep you out on the hill. A jacket that is too big will allow all that lovely warm air your body has worked hard to warm up to leak out of the base or get squeezed out of the back if there is too much room. Conversely, insulation cannot work efficiently if it is crushed, so a jacket that is too small will not work. If you are planning on wearing layers underneath, it is worth taking this into account when trying on before you buy. Different manufacturers pattern their garments differently so make sure you buy the right one for your shape – not necessarily the colour you like best!
Hoods are a vital part of how your insulated jacket will keep you toasty warm whether it is on a belay stance or sitting around a campfire on a cold starry night. An astonishing amount of heat is lost through your head and a well-fitting hood will ensure the majority is kept within your jacket.
Look for down products containing down that is RDS approved or the Mountain Equipment down codex allowing you to trace the down in your garment back to source to ensure animal welfare has been taken into consideration during production. All of our key brands offer a variety of insulated garments that are made from either recycled down or recycled synthetic insulation and some even have outer fabrics made from recycled nylons and polyesters. Just ask our staff or look in the product descriptions if you are buying online.
Outdoor Gear Chat Podcast
Listen to Wayne and Cathy chatting to Doctor Down from Mountain Equipment.