UKH

I'm being hopeful and assuming we wont be all in locked down hell and finally looking to upgrade my 10 year old too small hoodless belay jacket that wont zip up with something slightly less shit. 

anyone got any experience with these: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/m-mountain-trekking-padded-jacket-comfort-5-c...

obvious downside is that the hood probs wont go over a helmet and they arent thaaaat warm.

Any other suggestions for cheeep ?

other option is second hand off ebay i guess 

In reply to GraMc:

and can you get the cuffs over gloves i wonder?

In reply to GraMc:

I've not had a play with one of these; may be new for this year.

You're not likely to find anything cheaper than £30 for a 125g/100g synthetic. But I'd also think about arm raise, pocket position, if it has a double-ended zip, etc. There's no volume adjust or closure for the hood.

You need to be aware of their sizing; get one at least one size bigger than your 'normal', and, if you want to wear it as a real belay jacket, over all your other layers, at least two sizes bigger.

I've had one of their little £40 down jackets for some years, and it's okay for short stops when skiing or walking, but I wouldn't want to stand around in it in real cold for long.

The great thing about Decathlon is their returns policy (besides price and reasonable quality). If you don't like it, return it; check their T&C's 

In reply to GraMc:

if its the same one as i tried on, its great value, fairly basic, sized small and a bit  thin for my liking for a belay jacket, but 30 quid !

i've got a 2nd hand montane flux in med for sale (one small patch on shoulder), different class but heavier and not new !

In reply to GraMc:

If you really want to go the skintflint approach you can get the same jacket for 20 quid https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-mountain-trekking-hooded-padded-jacket-... and get one of these for 15 to boost it up wearing it underneath https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-mountain-trekking-padded-jacket-comfort... or a gillet, Try the stack first in case you need a size up for the outer.

Probably the most warmth for your buck you'll get with £35

In reply to GraMc:

At that price buy 2, sized to go together.

Uniqlo are also good.

In reply to Mr Lopez:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-mountain-trekking-hooded-padded-jacket-...

I've got one, £20, 400g - had it a couple of weeks, I like it but it's quite sweaty and the material in the arm 'moved' when I pulled a damp arm out, I would probably have been better with next size up but trying to keep the weighting my rucksack down

The down version £40 - 300g,  is excellent for cragging but you would need to keep it dry in winter

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/trek500-men-s-mountain-trekking-down-jacket/_...

if I was buying again is get a medium down and a large padded to work together

Hoods are basic

You could try this cheap and cheerful belay jacket for scottish winter, I'm never that worried about tearing it, and it packs up reasonably small!

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-ski-jacket-100-black/_/R-p-144129?mc=83...

In reply to Mr Lopez:

Gillets not a bad idea, I do have one lying about. Two layers might be starting to get a bit faffy mind.

Anyone have any ideas about something a bit more decent than decathlon, anyone got experience with Alpkits synthetic jackets?

In reply to Cloughy:

Could be a decent option! Does the hood get over a helmet / cuffs on and off over gloves?

In reply to GraMc:

If you're at anything above decathlon prices,  just go onto ebay and buy a secondhand Rab / ME jacket. Probably find something like a Xenon for £75.

In reply to GraMc:

The hood is a bit small, but will go over my helmet (grivel stealth) and waterproof hood. I would struggle to get the belay jacket hood to fit if I was also wearing a mid layer with a hood.

I can get the sleeves over my gloves with a bit of wrangling too. Might be worth ordering and trying it on with your winter layers at home though?

In reply to GraMc:

I have one and it’s bloody brilliant.

Got it to replace a Patagonia nanopuff and it is warmer and more functional somehow. Probably won’t last as long but 1 year in still going strong. I would suggest sizing way way up, I’m a tallish women and normally wear men’s size small in most things but the medium was too small in this, went for a large.
 

It goes over my helmet but I have the lightweight black diamond one that is quite small. Same with gloves, it’s not warm enough for a winter belay jacket for me so have just used it for chilly trad with thin gloves, goes over fine but maybe not big gauntlet type ones.

In reply to Mr Lopez:

Good finds. Their website is still poor at finding what you're looking for...

In reply to GraMc:

I’ve got an Alpkit Katabatic and it’s a nice comfortable and warm for weight jacket. It’s breathable too for higher excretion activities. Not cheap category though.

Another option to consider is Keela’s range. An oft over looked company IMO.

I’ve got a Sherpa Convertible Jacket and love it for mt biking in exposed hills and cold weather. Also had it out in lashing rain and it performs very well remaining warm and dry, and it’s more windproof than the Katabatic which suits me.
 

I really like primaloft and with this jacket being convertible to a gilet makes it superb for changing conditions. Was my go to mtb jacket last winter and will again be this one.

I picked mine up for only £30 (£110 RRP) off off the sale rail last year at their outlet shop making it a real bargain. Only change to this years model red version was I’ve got black zips and new ones are grey! The shop assistant just said that’s the designers for you. They wanted grey zips for 2020!

Note that Keela don’t advertise their sale items online so worth phoning to check if they have anything size wise if you have a model in mind. They are very helpful.

Edit: https://keelaoutdoors.com/product/sherpa-convertible-jacket/

In reply to GraMc:

The Alpkit Katabatic is brilliant. I stayed relatively warm in -14 with just that and a baselayer. There is a warmer model that they do too. 

Not sure that it would be warm enough for a belay jacket though as I was moving about somewhat rather than being stuck on a belay for a prolonged period.

In reply to JohnO1978:

Think it's a bit too light for me for scottish winter, looking for something 100g insulation +

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

My old one is actually a keela and lasted well, but was always too small and cuffs too narrow.

This just reminded me how useful having a two way direction zip is for using with a harness! I presume the decathlon jackets don't do it, but they are Soo so much cheaper than a proper rab etc

In reply to GraMc:

They used to sell a Simond belay jacket that some mates had used to pretty reasonable effect, one who preferred it to his Rab Proton (or whatever), but that looks like a much less good jacket all round. No adjusters on the cuffs, no two way zip, rubbish hood. There might be some of the original model floating around e-bay or similar sites?  

Wouldn't swap out my Citadel for anything else now, the first jacket that has kept me properly warm for extended belay stints. Worth paying a bit more for the luxury in my experience.

In reply to GraMc:

i have it in yellow, paid 8e for it here in france! it sees plenty of use, but its much more of a summer alpine/dry tooling belay jacket than a scottish winter one. i do take it out ice climbing but generally only in good weather.

simmond is their higher quality and higher tech brand for mountaineering. at a quick glance they do this, which is probably much better at still a great price, but i have no direct experience of it. 

https://www.decathlon.fr/p/doudoune-synthetique-d-alpinisme-homme-alpinism/...

In reply to GraMc:

Try the sale rail in TKMaxx.

In reply to phizz4:

Sadly, it's very rare to find anything decent in TKM these days. Admittedly, I did find a Montane Prism just before lockdown, but it's very, very rare. I think SportsPursuit have mopped up the market for decent kit.

In reply to Webster:

This looks good actually, two way zip and more likely decent hood for a helmet could make the extra 30 quid worth it

In reply to GraMc:

Ebay all the way. Lots of dentists from Surrey keen to sell last year's unused jacket to upgrade to something else which they'll sell on next year. I got a couple of Montane Prisms off there for £50 each (one for me, one for my brother) and a Rab Photon for roughly the same price. The Prism is great for "summer climbing" (i.e. rock climbing in November) whilst the Photon is great for winter climbing when it's really cold. Not down, so warm when wet.

In reply to C Witter: sport pursuit have a fjern belay jacket, might be a bit ott though, Citadel kind of size but toasty..

In reply to Šljiva:

We just got one of these, amazing for the price. Pretty beefy though, for serious weather only

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

An impressive discount. Have to admit i had it in mind more for outdoor socialising this Covid winter but it is a belay jacket and seems to tick all the boxes for that. 

In reply to Webster:

The linked simond jacket is more akin to nano air or similar, very much active insulation and not really a belay jacket at all 🙃

In reply to Šljiva:

Great spot this looks amazing for the price!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

How did you find the fit on it? I notice it says it's designed to be worn over other layers? I'm universily a medium in shells, but sized my rab down jacket up to a large, patagonia fit I probably would stick with medium

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Another shout out for keela. 

In reply to GraMc: I’d say go for your normal size.. it’s not a tight fit!

In reply to GraMc:

I have had one for a decade. Nae bad but not all that warm. Upgraded last winter to something beefier and use the other one to kick about garden/town