User Review: MontBell Eldo Jacket

MontBell Eldo Jacket
Above: The current Eldo Jacket, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed December 18, 2007 by Johnny Brewer

Rating:
Fabric: Polkatex (Montbell proprietary fabric)
Fill: Exceloft (Montbell proprietary fill)
Price Paid: $170

I was first turned on to MontBell about a year ago by a friend. I bought one of their down sleeping bags and loved it. When I went looking for a jacket, I tried to find 2 things: warm and light/compact. This jacket delivers on both!

The jacket weighs only 13 ounces and I can barely tell I'm wearing it. There is hardly any bulk to this jacket and the fit is perfect. It stuffs into an included stuff sack that's about the size of a Nalgene bottle.

As for warmth, it's just as warm as my 650 down jacket. The exterior is MontBell's proprietary Polkatex with a DWR finish, which is awesome. I am not sure you could buy a better jacket of this type. If you are looking for warm and light, definitely consider this jacket. The only drawback I can see is the lack of a hood.