Insulation + Gear Review: Mountain Equipment Prophet

I was going to write a detailed review of the Mountain Equipment Prophet jacket but then I remembered it’s been discontinued so it’s more a case of if you can find one, buy one, but we’ll get to that later. So instead, this writing is more of a general overview of my experiences with different types of insulation and how I’ve ended up at the Prophet (and it wasn’t just that it came into work as a sample so I got it pretty cheap). Skip to ‘Review’ to find the review of the Mountain Equipment Prophet.

Overview

My first foray into the vast world of insulating layers besides different weight fleeces, was a Berghause Primaloft jacket that was very similar in spec to the classic Montane Prism. It had a Pertex Microlight outer and Primaloft eco filling at I’d guess around 40 g/m, a none helmet compatible hood, two pockets low down on the body and it was quite a nice forest green colour. It was also pretty weather resistant, with fresh DWR it shrugged off a light shower easily and snow was never a problem. Neither was wind, unless I left the zips on the pockets open. The Pertex outer was great, it dried quick and also had very good ‘ripstop’ qualities meaning small holes didn’t often turn into tears.

I wore it until the main zip exploded and all the repair patches started coming off. For the activities I was doing at the time (standard fell walking and wildlife watching) it was perfect, warm enough for 3 season stops out on the fells (down to around 0 C, -7 C with wind chill) and great for under a shell whilst watching wildlife in the rain. It was also perfect for nipping to the shop/pub with just a t-shirt underneath. I’d definitely recommend a jacket of this style to everyone, you don’t realise how much you wear it until you have one. Good alternatives at the moment are the Montane Prism, Arcteryx Atom LT (not quite as warm due to the fleece side panels) and the EE Torrid Apex (less weather proof, slightly more insulation but ultralight!). After two years of hard use there was definitely a loss of loft and as I was venturing into the higher Lake District fells in winter I needed something warmer for stops, especially when filming as stops could often be an hour or more. Enter the wide baffled down jacket.

In terms of raw warmth in dry conditions down is unmatched, but dry conditions that are cold enough to warrant a down jacket are not that common in Cumbria. On these days though there wouldn’t be anything else I’d rather be wearing when huddled behind a tripod, it weighs nothing and is considerably warmer than any synthetic that’s the same weight. Mines a Salomon one that uses 700 fill power down, has no hood and looks similar to a Arcteryx Thorium AR but cut about two baffles shorter with a much lighter face fabric, it feels around 10D both inside and out. Plus its bright blue and quite short in the body making me feel like a french alpine guide which is a bonus.

I do miss it having a hood, especially in cold winds and also the wind can creep through some of the stitching. I found the jacket to be useable in the Lakes (with good layers underneath its been down to -10 C with wind chill more like -17 C) but it did require more looking after and thinking about than a synthetic alternative, with it spending many hours draped over a radiator with me tediously picking the clumped down apart after getting it too wet and then having to use it again the next day. I have found it very useful when wild camping either laid over the top half of my bag or zipped up and then pulled over the end to boost warmth around my feet.

If I was to get a new down jacket for Lake District use I would be looking for something that prioritises weather resistance over weight. The Mountain Equipment Lightline for me is the definitive heavier down jacket for Lake District use, it also comes with the added bonus of allowing you to blend into any Northern city centre crowd almost as well as a North Face Nuptse. The Lightline outer is very weatherproof and the amount of down is more than enough most of the time. This does mean the Lightline does come into slightly heavier than alternatives but it’ll keep going longer than most.

After a couple of wet winters my down jacket is now kept for boosting my sleeping bags temperature rating and walking round the village on dry winter days. I’ve replaced it out on the hill with, for me, the ideal insulating layer for spring, autumn and winter in the Lakes.

The Review

The Mountain Equipment Prophet is a bit of an odd jacket on first glance. It contains 80 g/m of Primaloft gold all over, which sits in-between the more commonly found 60 and 100 g/m, the Mountain Equipment Fitzroy for example is 100 g/m. It is often referred to as being rain ‘resistant’ but it has fully taped seems and ‘Gore’ written on the sleeve so it looks more like its waterproof, but that Gore is followed with ‘Thermium’ which adds to the jackets quirks. Theres little in the way of clear information on what exactly Gore Thermium is but its widely thought Thermium is a version of the more commonly seen Gore Infinium with taped seems.

As the name suggests Gore Thermium’s role is to ensure the insulation in the jacket/trousers performs as efficiently as possible. It does this by using a membrane that prioritises breathability over waterproofness. It features a significantly lower hydrostatic head than Gore’s standard waterproof membrane but a much higher breathability rating, this allows the effective transport of moisture through the jacket to allow the insulation to stay dry when worn over wet layers or when active. In my experiences so far I’ve found this to work very well. I’ve worn the Prophet over the top of a wet Buffalo Special 6 on rest stop and taken it off again to find my buffalo basically dry and the same with the Prophet with the lining fabric being completely dry. The Prophet is also very weatherproof; with it easily shrugging off a few hours of snow and I haven’t felt any wind sneaking through, even with the pockets unzipped. It also copes well with rain, I’m yet to have any come through but I’ve only worn it for periods less than a hour in heavy rain. During a particularly heavy rain storm the shoulders did start to wet out and a heavy pack may have started to push some moisture through.

The cut of the jacket is ideal for me, it’s boxy enough to get layers underneath but yet trim enough to not have lots of empty space. I’m 6 2/3 and I’ve got a size large, it fits well and is long enough to cover my bum and not ride up at the front. The arms are also cut well and allow great movement without riding up. They are also nice and long, great for me but if you have shorter arms they may be too long, the velcro on the wrists would keep them out the way though.

The hand pockets are high enough to be out the way of the rucksack/harness and the chest pocket is very useful and large enough for things such as snacks, head torch or spare gloves. The jacket also has synch points on both sides around the bottom and then the hood has adjustment points on either side and one at the back. One thing to note, which Colin Henderson also mentions in his review, the cords can end up quite long once synched in. This can mean they blow around a lot in the wind and can hit you in face/camera which can be annoying, this is easily solved however by taping the excess so it sits closer to the hood. They adjust on the side of the hood using adjusters inside the fabric that use simply squeeze to allow adjustment, these are easy to work with gloves on.

The hood is excellent both with and without a helmet, I have quite a big head and it adjusts nicely with just a beanie on. After being out in the recent very cold winds I think the hood is just as good as the one on my Paramo Aspira smock, which I previously thought was easily the best hood I’ve seen on a jacket. The peak on the Prophet works well and can be straightened easily after being stuffed away.

The jacket packs away into its right pocket that features a two-way zip and weights just over 500g in size large. The 10D outer feels surprising durable but a little crinkly, it’s survived dog claws no problem so far but it may start to show wear if worn against rock for extended periods. The main zip is a double zip which can be useful.

In terms of warmth it’s great for its weight and its robustness means the warmth is consistent no matter the conditions. A down jacket of the same weight will be warmer but for winter use in Lake District the Prophet makes it easy to stay warm in a small and light package. I’ve found it warm enough for short stops in all temperatures this winter but if I was stationary for extended periods (1hr or more) something like the Mountain Equipment Citadel (200 g/m) or the classic Patagonia DAS (133 g/m in arms, 170 g/m in core area) would be a better choice on the colder days. Overall I definitely recommend the Prophet as a final layer to your layering system for the Lake District and beyond.