(Medium Insulation Garment) 2.0 Jacket is the one I’ve been
testing this year, a real “flagship” garment that offers really
superb performance.
The MIG features a fixed lined hood with elastic draw-cords,
adjustable in two directions, a two-way front zipper (all
outside zippers are water-repellent), and elasticated cuffs.
There are two spacious lined and insulated front pockets and
one inner pocket, two pockets on the upper sleeves with a
velcro patch for insignia, and one pocket on the lower sleeve.
The jacket also has arm pit zips for ventilation.
This jacket is a cracker; it’s multifunctional but not overly
bulky (650g in size M). The outer shell fabric is the excellent
Gore Windstopper, with the G-LOFT insulation inside which
maintains 85% of its warmth even when wet!
Helikon-Tex Level 7
Jacket (UK£139.00)
www.military1st.co.uk
Heikon-Tex (now fully-
launched in the USA!)
a re we l l k n ow n f o r
providing solid, well
priced garments, and
being Polish they know
just a little about cold
weather performance!
The new Level 7 model
is a lightweight winter jacket which provides insulation
and protection against frost, wind and light rain. Washable
Climashield Apex fill material prevents heat loss, enhances
moisture transfer from the body and provides thermal
insulation and ultimate warmth. Two chest pockets are lined
with fleece to provide protection from extreme cold weather.
The hood can be easily adjusted without removing hands
from the chest pockets via two drawstrings located there.
The Level 7 Jacket features the two large external chest
pockets, lined with fleece, with inner sleeve pockets, D-rings
with elastic straps, YKK zippers and hood drawstrings. Two
additional interior bellows pockets made of elasticated mesh
are ideal for drying damp gloves and keeping water bottles
from freezing on snow days. There is a fully adjustable
helmet compatible hood, hidden inside the collar with a
two-way zip and ergonomic pull-tabs, and both the inner
side of the hood and the collar are lined with soft fleece.
There is a bottom drawstring for cinching everything in
snugly and velcro adjustable cuffs prevent heat loss in
that area. A well thought-out and neatly designed thermal
strip along the two-way front YKK zipper provides better
insulation from the cold, and the jacket is rounded out with
an upper sleeve velcro panel on each arm.
As with all things Helikon-Tex this is a super jacket that has
all the features you’ll ever need along with great cold, wet-
weather performance. It’s also very well priced
which means you get a lot of “bang for your
buck” and these reasons alone earn it a place in
our recommendations!
KIT
Arc ’teryx Atom LT Jacket
(UK£149.00) www.tactical-
kit.co.uk
Arc’teryx are often viewed as a
“Gucci” brand and deservedly so
because everything they create,
for either the civilian or military
markets, benefits from the very
best in terms of design, materials
and construction and the Atom
LT jacket is no exception! It’s
an exceptionally lightweight
insulated mid layer that retains core warmth by blocking
wind and trapping warm air next to the body and can also
function as a wind resistant outer layer.
An insulated hood adjusts to securely fit the head and
face, and this is designed to follow side to side motion
without obscuring peripheral vision. Media ports inside the
hand pockets allow for internal routing of communication
cables. When worn under personal protection equipment,
comfortable side panels of breathable, stretch fabric prevent
overheating and provide ease of movement.
The Atom LT features Coreloft™ insulation which has a
very high warmth-to-weight ratio and resists compacting,
Polartec® Power Stretch® with Hardface® technology side
panels which are highly breathable and have excellent
stretch mobility. The insulated hood has a single pull adjuster
and articulation in the shoulders and elbows provides room
for a full range of unrestricted motion. There are two large
hand pockets with media ports to allow for internal routing
of communications cables and one internal chest pocket. A
vertically routed hem draw cord minimizes interference with
a duty or battle belt.
This is probably the most minimalist of the garments I’ve
chosen, but although it is indeed very light and packable
it is really superbly warm! This is the choice of our dearly
beloved “tactical athlete” so if you’re a fast mover then this
is the one for you!
pmcimagazine.com