Rab Mythic Ultra Down Jacket First Impressions
The timing of the arrival of this jacket couldn’t have been better. The forecasters had been warning of arctic weather arriving throughout the UK and as the temperature plummeted the Mythic Ultra down jacket was delivered by a chilly looking postman.
My first thoughts were how light the package was. Once unpacked I popped it on and headed straight out into the below freezing Peak District weather.
On that first outing I could see what a high quality garment this was. I’ve worn numerous Rab down jackets over the years and this is a step up in fit and design. The construction includes stitch through-baffles on the arms and hood and offset boxwall baffles around the core. A two-way front zip for use with a harness and low profile concealed zipped hand pockets and chest pocket.
Most of all it feels very warm and cosy. The cut allows the down insulation to hug the body maximising that lovely cocooning feeling that only down insulation can provide.
Rab Mythic Ultra
Rab have been making down clothing and sleeping bags since 1981 when Alpinist Rab Carrington began making down filled sleeping bags and jackets in his Sheffield attic. Over the last 40 years the company have kept up their reputation for making high quality down clothing. Rab say their goal was to create an alpine down jacket with their best ever warmth to weight ratio. A lot of research and development has gone into the design of the Mythic Ultra and it shows.
There are four factors that enable this jacket to be so warm for its weight; The quality of the down, the lightness of the fabrics, the inclusion of a TILT lining and the fit.
Down Quality
The down insulation is high quality 900FP goose down. The FP stands for fill power and the number indicates how much the down will loft The higher the number the greater the warmth for weight. The cheaper down jackets will use 600FP, a high quality jacket might be filled with 800FP. 900FP is much rarer and is much warmer for its weight. The result of using a 900FP down is a jacket that is lighter, warmer for its weight and more compressible. The down is coated in a Nikwax fluorocarbon-free hydrophobic finish which gives it some extra protection in damp conditions.
Outer Fabric
The outer fabric is 100% recycled Pertex Quantum ripstop. It’s a very lightweight fabric and this helps the down loft more effectively. However the trade off is that the fabric feels quite delicate. You wouldn’t wear this jacket for climbing offwidths. Having said that I previously wore a Rab Infinity jacket with the same fabric everyday on two month USA climbing road trip and it survived unscathed.
Womens Mythic Ultra
Tilt Lining
This was Rab’s first jacket to use a TILT lining. TILT stands for Thermo Ionic Lining Technology. It works like an emergency blanket reflecting radiant heat back towards the wearers body. It does seem to work and I’ve experienced the instant warmth TILT provides while using a Rab Solar Ultra sleeping bag.
The Fit
So yes the Mythic Ultra contains high quality down, uses lightweight fabrics and has a TILT lining but the fit and design needs to be right to allow all that lovely down to work as effectively as possible. If the down isn’t capturing the warmth given off by your body it’s not going to be effective at keeping you toasty.
The XL fits my 6.4 frame perfectly and the sleeves are long enough for my lanky arms. I have climbed in this jacket and the re-curved and articulated sleeves allow the arms to be raised with minimal hem lift. The offset boxwall baffles hold the down close to the body and the core. Stitch through-baffles on the arms and hood reduce weight and allow for mobility.
I’ve become really fussy about the hoods on my jackets and they can be make or break for me. The Mythic ultra has a down-filled elasticated hood with concealed internal adjustment and a stiffened peak. The hood fits my head well without a helmet but expands to fit over my bulky Petzl Meteor.
Rab Mythic Ultra
Conclusion
I think this jacket is perfectly judged; it’s just on the upper limit of usability for the UK (anymore down and it would have been too warm for UK use) but also being warm enough for some overseas use.
So what would I use this for? Scottish winter pack backing ie the Cape Wrath Trail. On Kilimanjaro or trekking in the Himalayas including Everest base camp. I’d take it ice climbing in Norway or the valleys of the European Alps. It would be great up on the Cairngorm plateau during one of those rare arctic deep freezes. And I’m definitely taking it on my next trip which is a winter road trip in the deserts of the American South west.
You can buy the men’s version direct from Rab here and women’s version is here – Women’s Mythic Ultra Jacket
Or you can buy from our favourite outdoor shop here – Outside
Alex
Beyond the Edge Ltd is based in the Peak District, easily reached by train from London and within easy travelling distance from Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and other Northern towns and cities.
We are one of the UKs most experienced providers of climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation training courses.
Most of our courses are run in the Peak District National Park which has some of the finest rock climbing, bouldering, walking and hiking in the world.
