Advnture Verdict
A superbly designed mountain maestro of a down jacket, which performs very well at extremes and is made according to the highest environmental standards possible. It’s a serious investment, but one that’s worth it if you spend a significant amount of time playing out in the cold months, especially at altitude or in areas where the mercury plunges.
Pros
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Super-warm box wall construction and premium 800FP down
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Great eco credentials
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Hybrid construction for improved moisture-resistance
Cons
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Down fill not hydrophobic
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No dedicated women’s version
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Expensive
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First impressions
The Klattermusen Bore 2.0 down jacket is a real beast of a coat, designed for hunkering down in winter weather or to throw on during stop-start activities at high elevations. That makes it ideally suited to climbing and mountaineering, so it works well as a belay jacket for alpine routes. The premium 800+ goose-down fill offers superb warmth for weight and good compressibility (it packs into its own pocket), while the box-wall baffle construction minimises cold spots. To counteract down’s notoriously poor performance in damp weather, the Bore 2.0 has synthetic Primaloft filled reinforcements over the shoulders and arms that make it more resistant to moisture than most of its rivals – though it’s worth noting that the down fill itself is not hydrophobically treated.
Klattermusen are also known for their eco-friendly approach to kit design, and this jacket is no exception. The down fill is bluesign approved and certified by the Responsible Down Standard, while the face fabric is made from 100% recycled polyamide, with a fluorocarbon-free durable water-repellent finish.
• RRP: £650 (UK)/$790 (US)/€790 (EU)
• Fill: 800+ RDS-certified goose-down
• Sizes (unisex): XXS-XXL
• Weight (men's size M): 800g/28oz
• Colours: Blue Sapphire/Deep Sea-Raven/Raven
- Before you buy, get the lowdown on best down jackets and puffers available right now
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- Down vs synthetic fibre: each has its pros and cons, but which will work for you?
In the field
Though we hardly tested this jacket to its limits – you’d need to take it on an expedition to one of the world’s big ranges to do that – it came with us on various mountain missions and cragging days across Snowdonia in Wales over a number of wintery weeks. We found ourselves reaching for it whenever things got really chilly, appreciating its meticulously designed features, including an oversized, insulated hood with three-point adjustment that will easily fit over a climbing helmet yet moves with the head well, so as not to obscure your vision. The front zipper is also fully thermally sealed between both inner and outer baffles, completely blocking draughty gusts. The outer flap has handy snap poppers, so if you want instant warmth you can pull it out of your pack, get the jacket on and quickly do it up, even if wearing thick gloves or mitts.
In terms of drawbacks, there are few apart from the hefty price tag. It’s just a slight shame that there’s no dedicated women’s version of the Bore 2.0, although it is a unisex fit that goes down to an XXS.
