Rab Microlight Jacket Review

Rab Microlight Jacket Review
Trim-fitting ultralight three-season down jacket with a great shell and
basic feature set, but its numerous horizontal seams allow down fragments
to leak out.
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by Will Rietveld | 2009-11-03 00:05:00-07
The Rab Microlight Jacket has a Pertex Microlight shell, 750+ down fill and weighs 11
ounces (size Large). Rocky Mountain goats in the background, Rocky Mountain old goat
in the foreground.
Introduction
An ultralight three-season down insulated jacket with high loft down, very light shell
fabric, a minimal feature set, and weight under 14 ounces is an essential part of an
ultralight or lightweight backpacking kit for summertime backpacking in the mountains

or shoulder season camping most anywhere. Down insulation provides the most warmth
for its weight, so it's the insulation preferred by backpackers and mountaineers in all but
very wet conditions. An array of jackets is available - differing in fabrics, features, and
amount of down insulation - so there's a jacket to fit most hiker's needs and preferences.
Look for a Backpacking Light State of the Market article on ultralight three-season down
insulated jackets in Spring 2010 that will present the options and assist with the selection
process.
Description
The Rab Microlight Jacket, as the name implies, utilizes Pertex Microlight fabric for the
shell. Microlight, like other Pertex fabrics, is made of microfine filament yarns with an
extremely close weave, and they are calendared to make them windproof and downproof.
The fabric's high density weave also enhances insulation by trapping more air inside.
However, Microlight at 1.3 oz/yd 2 is a bit heavier than Pertex Quantum at 0.9 oz/yd 2 .
Microlight features DWR+, which is a unique durable water-repellent treatment which
encapsulates each filament of the fabric with a hydrophobic polymer. This treatment
gives excellent water shedding, and since it is not a continuous coating, breathability is
not impaired. Another unique property of Pertex fabrics is their ability to disperse water.
Where most nylon fabrics wick moisture directly through the weave, Pertex spreads it
over a broad area by capillary action, so it evaporates more rapidly.

Front and rear views of the Rab Microlight Jacket. Features include a full front zipper,
stand up collar, two side pockets, and zippered chest pocket.
The Rab Microlight Jacket shares several design elements with its siblings, the
Microlight Alpine Jacket (hooded), and Microlight Vest. All have sewn-through 1.5-inch
horizontal quilting to hold the down in place, two hand pockets, one zippered chest
pocket, and elastic piping on the cuffs and hem.

The Microlight Jacket has two unzippered handwarmer pockets (left), and one large
zippered chest pocket (right) that doubles as a stuff sack.
The down insulation in the Microlight Jacket is 750+. I asked Rab why they don't use 800
fill power down to keep up with the competition, and their response emphasized the "+"
sign after the "750," meaning their down has a minimum of 750 fill power, and is closer
to 800 on average. Rab prefers to use a very conservative rating rather than inflate it for
marketing purposes (not that others do...) so they call it what it is at the very minimum.
From a consumer point of view, it still begs the question: "Is it, or isn't it, comparable to
'800 fill' used by other manufacturers?"
Performance

Rab Microlight Jacket worn while backpacking on a cold fall day.
I tested the Rab Microlight Jacket on several summer and early fall backpacking trips in
the southern Colorado mountains, where I camped at elevations up to 12,500 feet (3,810
m) and encountered snow, wind, rain, cold nights, and lots of beautiful scenery. I wore
the Microlight Jacket as an outer layer on cold days, as a midlayer with a shell over it for
extra warmth and wind protection, and in my 30 F (-1 C) sleeping bag to extend its
warmth on below freezing nights.
The jacket has a trim fit, both in the body and sleeves, so it will only layer over a base
layer and a thin sweater. Sleeves are set-in at the shoulders and are plenty long.
I really like the jacket's roomy hand pockets, which will hold a bunch of smaller items in
camp and keep them handy. The side pockets are not zippered and the elastic band in the
binding has minimal stretch, so items can fall out if the pockets are overloaded. I found
the zippered chest pocket handy for holding my digital camera to keep it dry and secure.

The jacket's Pertex Microlight shell is very wind resistant and functionally waterproof
(see next photo).
I tested the jacket's waterproofness by placing a puddle of water on the shell for an hour,
then checking for leakage. Nothing came through! Water eventually soaks through the

seams in many jackets, but the Pertex Microlight shell on this jacket didn't allow any
water to soak through.
The Microlight Jacket is warm down to about freezing at a low activity level, and warm
down to colder temperatures when worn as a midlayer while hiking or skiing. From past
experience with a Pertex Microlight windshirt, I find the fabric not very breathable
(because it's calendered), but breathability is less important in an insulated jacket shell.
Overall, the Microlight Jacket is extremely versatile (as are all ultralight three-season
down jackets) and it saw a lot of use. I wore it during the day as needed, every evening
and morning in camp, and inside my sleeping bag.
Although the Microlight Jacket's 1.5-inch horizontal quilting is stylish and holds the
down in place, the numerous seams also provide an easy route for down to escape. This
microfleece top is covered with down fragments after wearing it under the Microlight
Jacket in a sleeping bag overnight.
Comparisons and Assessment
Two jackets closest to the Rab Microlight are the Patagonia Down Sweater and Mountain
Hardwear Nitrous Jacket. The following table compares their specifications;
manufacturer data for size medium are shown.
Jacket Shell Fabric Insulation Features
Rab
Microlight
Pertex
Microlight
750+
down
2 unzippered hand
pockets, zippered chest
Weight
(oz)
Cost
(US$)
11.3 190

Patagonia
Down
Sweater
Mountain
Hardwear
Nitrous
(nylon) pocket, elastic cuffs and
hem
Polyester 800 down
Polyester 800 down
2 zippered hand pockets,
drawcord hem, elastic
cuffs
2 unzippered hand pockets
with flap, zippered chest
pocket, drawcord hem,
elastic cuffs
11.0 200
11.0 220
Compared to the closest competition, the Rab Microlight Jacket holds up well. Its Pertex
Microlight shell is a plus, the down insulation seems to be comparable (see explanation
above), and it's a better value. Of course, this is a limited comparison; there are numerous
other jackets on the market with different constructions and feature sets.
Overall, the Rab Microlight Jacket is perhaps a little more versatile than many of its
brethren because of its medium level of insulation, trim fit, lack of a hood, and its
pockets. This combination allows the jacket to more easily be worn as either an outer
layer or midlayer, in a variety of outdoor sports, as well as for sport-casual dress.
However, its numerous horizontal seams allow down fragments to exit. Also, the binding
on the hand pockets does little to keep items from falling out; I would prefer to see an
elastic piping like that used on the jacket's cuffs and hem.
Specifications and Features
Manufacturer: Rab (http://www.rab.uk.com/)
Year/Model: 2009 Microlight Jacket
Style: Full zip hoodless jacket
Fabrics:
Outer shell 30d 1.3 oz/yd2 (43 g/m2) Pertex Microlight with DWR
finish, lining is a generic 30d downproof nylon
Insulation: 4.4 oz (125 g) of 750+ fill power down
Loft: Measured two layer loft is 1.5 in (4 cm)
Features:
Weight:
MSRP: US$190
Sewn through construction with 1.5-inch horizontal quilting, down
filled stand up collar, full front #45C YKK zipper with one slider and
storm flap under zipper, two hand pockets, one zippered chest pocket,
elastic cuffs and hem, 1.25-inch dropped tail, jacket stuffs into its chest
pocket
Size Large tested, measured weight 11 oz (312 g), manufacturer
specified average weight 11.3 oz (320 g)

Citation
"Rab Microlight Jacket Review," by Will Rietveld. BackpackingLight.com (ISSN 1537-
0364).
http://backpackinglight.com/cgibin/backpackinglight/rab_microlight_jacket_review.html,
2009-11-03 00:05:00-07.