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What is the Microlight Vest?
The Microlight Vest a micro-baffled, lightweight, hydrophobic down-filled vest that is perfect for just about any outdoor activity. It’s hugely versatile and reliable and works superbly as an insulating layer as part of your overall layering system.
What is it made of?
Insulation: Providing the warmth inside the Microlight Vest is a fully recycled 700 fill power down with a Nikwax hydrophobic treatment. Only the highest quality down is collected, washed, sterilised and reused for Rab's jackets, providing exactly the same performance as new down but with far better environmental credentials. One of the main negatives to using down is that if it gets wet, it stops insulating you. Rab have combatted this by coating each and every cluster in a Nikwax product, meaning it dries faster, absorbs less water and lofts better than an untreated alternative.
Fabrics: Surrounding all this luxurious down is a recycled 30D Pertex Quantum fabric. This fabric weighs very little and features a durable water repellent coating, providing a little weather-resistance if you happen to get caught out. Inside, a similar recycled 20D nylon is used but in a lighter, softer variant.
What are its features?
For storage options, you get two nicely sized handwarmer pockets for your usual bits and bobs. A close-fitting insulated collar keeps draughts off your neck, while a drawcord seals in warmth around the bottom of the vest.
Where does it fit in the layering system?
It can either be used as a warm midlayer with a shell/softshell over the top or an outer layer when the weather is on your side.
- Recycled fabrics
- Recycled down insulation
- Hydrophobic Nikwax treatment
- Two hand pockets
- Adjustable hem drawcord
How to wash your down products
Having spent years talking to people about down products, whether that’s a jacket, sleeping bag or even a pair of slippers, very few have had the confidence to go ahead and wash the product on their own, especially when they have just spent an arm and a leg on it. This small guide is here to explain that it’s not as daunting and utterly terrifying as it first appears.
Step one: Before you even get near that washing machine, wipe off any excess mud or dirt that may be lingering on the surface of the jacket, as this will clog up the washing machine, eventually rendering it useless.
We recommend the use of Nikwax Down Wash Direct for down products as it’s one hundred percent environmentally friendly and will wash and re-proof the garment without the use of bleach or any other nasty chemicals. What household washing agents can (and often do) is remove the water repellent coating on the fabric of the jacket, whilst also damaging the delicate array of feathers inside.
Step two: We’ll assume in this instance that you’ve been washing other products prior to your down jacket and have used a bleach based detergent. Therefore it’s a good idea to run the washing machine for half an hour or so without anything inside to rinse it clean before adding the Nikwax or putting the jacket in. Also, don’t forget to remove the detergent drawer to give it a wash inside, outside and behind, as detergent can clog up and still enter the washing machine if not cleaned out thoroughly. This ensures that any remnants of detergent are removed and that the Nikwax products will work effectively.
Step three: Set the washing machine to a cold wash (check the garments care label, most tend to be around 30°C) and as delicate as possible. Most washing machines have a “wool” cycle which is ideal.
Step four: If using Nikwax Down Wash Direct, place 100ml in either the tray or directly into the washing machine inside a small pot/ball. If you choose to use another washing product, place the appropriate amount in the machine in the same way.
Step five: Set the washing machine to run on a slow cycle, allowing plenty of time for the jacket to soak up the cleaning/re-proofing product. Most washing machines will have a pre-set time for different washing cycles.
When the cycle has finished be prepared for a shock, your precious bit of kit will come out looking like a soggy ball of material. But don’t worry, you haven’t ruined it, it’s just that all that fluffy down insulation has become water logged and has clumped together. The trick is to now get all that down nice and dry to reinstate its superb insulating properties. Simply hanging it up in a warm place will not work that well. It will take days to properly dry and you will have to constantly break up the clumps to get it thoroughly dry. The best way is to use a tumble dryer; either a domestic one for smaller items or a commercial drier for sleeping bags.
Step six: Pop the garment into the dryer and make sure to select a low heat; a high heat runs the risk of melting seams and fabrics within the garment. It sounds weird, but shove a few tennis balls into the drier with the garment; the tennis balls will bounce around and help to break up the clumps of down. Every 20 minutes, pull the jacket out of the dryer and lie the jacket down on a table. Run your hands over the jacket until you find a 'clump' or ball of down; tease apart this down clump and spread it evenly into the baffle. Once you're confident you've pulled apart every clump to the best of your ability, stick it back in for another 20 minutes. Keep repeating this until there are no more clumps left.
Step seven: When the cycle has finished and you are sure that you have got the garment as dry as possible, hang it up in a warm dry place, an airing cupboard is ideal, for 24 hours. This drives out the last of any dampness and allows the down to loft fully. Take it out and give it a good shake and, hey presto, it’ll be as good as new.