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Walking, Hiking & Trail Running

Berghaus Ramche Micro Down Jacket | Review

Berghaus proudly boast that the Extrem 5000 jacket is built to survive the wildest weather the British Isles can throw at it

Sometimes in life, you won’t want to compromise. Granted, when you want to go and see that new Wes Anderson film, but your other half wants to see the latest Jake Gyllenhaal effort that’s meant to be like The Notebook, only more saccharine, that’s the time to compromise and opt to watch something with The Rock in it. However, when you’re buying a down jacket that you want to push to the extreme, compromise has no place in your vocabulary.

The Ramche Micro Down jacket from Berghaus is one such jacket. Weighing in at a tiny 310g you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a pretty flimsy layer, but it packs one hell of a punch.

“When you’re on an expedition involving ice climbing or Alpinism this lightweight Berghaus jacket is going to deliver next-level warmth.”

We’ve got a long standing affection for the Berghaus Ramche range, featuring the Ramche 2.0 in the 2016 Winter Outdoor 100 so it was with no small degree of excitment that we included the Ramche Micro this time around. When you’re on an expedition, this Berghaus jacket is going to deliver next-level warmth and without any burdensome weight whatsoever.

Its warmth comes from the Hydrodown. This is really smart, highly efficient insulation that has a hydrophobic treatment (courtesy of Nikwax), meaning it actively resists water. It can even continue to work for up to 16 hours when it does get wet.

The boffins at Berghaus have also used some intelligent body mapping, concentrating the down where your body needs the heat most and reducing it in areas where it doesn’t need it as much. This also ensures that there’s no unnecessary bulk where it’s not needed. The pods of insulation, called baffles, are also offset inside and out meaning that there won’t be any of those annoying cold spots caused by down migration.

For such a light jacket, the Ramche Micro Down delivers exceptional warmth. Photo: Chris Johnson.
The Hydrodown insulation, powered by Nikwax, still works for 16 hours if it gets wet - plenty of time to get somewhere dry. Photo: Chris Johnson.
Offset baffles ensure there are no cold spots. Photo: Chris Johnson.
Berghaus’ Reflect technology inside the Ramche keeps you 10% warmer by reflecting your body heat back to you . Photo: Chris Johnson.

On the inside of the Ramche Micro is Berghaus’ Reflect technology. This is a fine, breathable mesh fabric that actually reflects your body heat back towards you, increasing the temperature by 10 per cent but with virtually no cost in weight. Ingenious.

Throw in a helmet-friendly hood, hand pockets, and an inner pocket that’s ideal for small valuables, and you’ve got an insulated jacket that, pound-for-pound, is one of the best there is.

Berghaus Ramche Micro Down Jacket

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Selected for The Outdoor 100 Winter 2017

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