Berghaus has recently launched a number of new down and synthetic insulated jackets. The Summit-Nomad and Trail-Nomad jackets are available in both male and female designs. They are part of a wider collection of new apparel for four-season hiking, which also includes shell, softshell and legwear. I have been testing a women’s Summit-Nomad Down Jacket in a size UK10.
Features of Berghaus Summit-Nomad Down Jacket:
800-fill power hydrophobic goose down (Responsible Down Standard – RDS – certified)
Reflect Technology
Ripstop nylon fabric
Insulated fixed hood
Internal zipped chest pocket
2 zipped hand pockets
Elasticated cuffs
Drawcord adjustment at the hem
Stuff bag
PFC-free DWR treatment
Sizes: UK8 to UK18 (and a men’s version)
Weight: women’s UK 12 is 420g; men’s large is 480g
Price: £300
Buy: Berghaus.
My thoughts: Berghaus Summit-Nomad Down Jacket
My first thoughts are that the jacket has an excellent weight to warmth ratio. I have an older Berghaus jacket with an 800-fill down and it is much bigger in terms of volume and puffiness.
The fit is nicely neat but not so tight that I can’t add some base layers. It’s actually a flattering female-specific design, which is difficult ask when designing a warm puffer jacket. I also really like the colour.
The torso is maybe a bit short in length for me – and I would have liked it to be a few centimetres longer.
The fabric inside and out feels soft and silky. The outer fabric is ripstop nylon, which I known from previous jacket is hardwearing. I have noticed a few tiny feathers escaping the seams on the arms and hopefully the holes where the feathers escape do not get larger.
Of course, there will always be the debate between choosing down or synthetic insulation. The argument is that down is warmer until it gets wet. Berghaus use their hydrophobic goose down which means there is an element of water-repellency should the jacket get wet.
Even so, synthetic insulation usually performs better when a puffer jacket gets soggy. My usual tactic is to add a waterproof jacket over the top of any insulated jacket when it rains.
The advantage of hydrophobic goose down is that you can wear the jacket – and stay warm – when the air is damp, or you are caught in rain.
The hydrophobic down in the Berghaus Summit-Nomad Down Jacket got a good testing recently when I was caught in very heavy rain for about half an hour. I did not have access to a waterproof jacket so I had to hope the down jacket kept me warm.
I was really surprised that it did. At first, the rain rolled off the outer fabric due to the DWR but the wet was prolonged and it then soaked into the jacket and down. I was delighted that I stayed warm and cosy inside the jacket.
I continued to wear the jacket once I reached the dry inside of my campervan and, for review purposes, I kept wearing it to see if it stayed cosy and then dried out. It did. There was a bit of a musty wet down smell due to the wet but this went once the jacket dried.
I have been pretty impressed by how well the jacket performed in the heavy rain and I would say it is similar to my synthetic insulated jackets. It should be noted that it does take longer to fully dry out compared to synthetic insulation.
Berghaus has added Reflect technology, which is a mesh that uses an aluminium coated matrix to act as a reflector to prevent radiative heat loss. Put another way, this technology aims to reflect back the heat we each generate and therefore keep the wearer warmer.
There is a two-way front zip that scores a big plus-point for me. The zipped hand warmer pockets are great and it’s always useful to have an internal zipped pocket. I can fit my large iPhone in this pocket.
One extra detail that I really like is the large area of soft fleece at the top internal side of the jacket. This feels really soft against the skin when the jacket is fully zipped up.
The hood fits really well and it can be adjusted to give an even snugger fit when needed.
One strange issue is that when sitting in a quiet place while wearing the jacket – currently we have no heating in the house so I have been wearing the jacket while working at my desk – the fabric makes a sort of squeaking sound. This happens when I move my arms so the fabric is rubbing against fabric. I can’t hear this sound when walking or moving outdoors in the jacket, but only when in a quiet room.
Aside form the squeaking, the jacket is fantastic. I have worn it in wind, damp and for walking and generally spending time outdoors (and inside a cold house). It offers excellent warmth but doesn’t feel over-sized or too puffy.
The price is a bit eye watering but I know from experience that Berghaus jackets are very long-lasting. I have had several jackets for many, many years that I still wear.
Other jackets in the Berghaus collection
Trail-Nomad Synthetic Down Jacket is sold for a suggested price of £190. It is designed with Thermore Ecodown Fibers LOFT synthetic insulation, which is made from fibres spun from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Other features include a hood, 2 zipped lower hand pockets and an internal zipped chest pocket
Additional insulated jackets in the range for autumn/winter 2024 include the men’s Ridge-Nomad Hybrid Jacket (£230), which features a combination of hydrophobic duck down around the chest and midriff and Thermore Ecodown Fibers LOFT synthetic insulation in the arms, shoulders and hood.
The men’s and women’s Tephra Stretch Reflect Hoody (£200), Jacket (£190) and Vest (£150) also feature in the full Berghaus autumn/winter 2024 collection, which is now available at berghaus.com and from selected specialist outdoor retailers.