Refugium Jacket - Men's

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

I got the jacket for Christmas 2009. The battery pack was not part of the gift, so I needed to order that separately. About a week after I got it all together, there was a series of single digit days.

I used the jacket as a vest under a London Fog raincoat. The first day, the temp was 8 when I left home for my 1/2 mile walk to the commuter train station. I was perfectly warm, and lowered the control from 2 to 1 about halfway into my walk.

WOW.

Coming home, the temp was about the same, but the wind was blowing making the wind chill below 0. Again, with the jacket's control set at 2-power, I felt not the least bit cold (save my uncovered face). I literally found myself laughing out loud.

While the ensemble is expensive, if you have the need to be outside in all conditions, this jacket should fill the bill.

As I've mentioned, I'm using it as a "vest" under a long raincoat. I will be interested to see its utility in the spring when I can use it alone.

This would make a great gift for a mailman.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

I love being toasty warm on freezing days-- getting up at dawn, warming up the car, going out for firewood, watching games-- it's all more relaxing now because I know I won't freeze. This was my key Christmas gift and I am very grateful to my wife and kids! The only thing I'd change and there is probably a way for me to fix it, is the wiring by the switch is bunched up and it is a little hard to zip past that area, but I think I will be able to solve it.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

I would have expected a jacket made by mountain hardware to be designed to fit well for someone physically active in mind, however this is not the case. This jacket is designed with a lot of extra room in the middle. Also forget the 8 hour battery life. The jacket is only useful at medium or high heat. So expect around 3 hours of useful life per charge. Otherwise this jacket is fantastic for Chicago's cold winters. I now enjoy walking and running as if it was spring in Chicago.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

The jacket is a HUGE upgrade from my earlier experiences with The North Face's MET5 jacket. Mountain Hardwear did it right! The jacket delivers a good amount of heat and works great under my Mountain Hardwear Synchro Jacket. Its light and fits close to the torso, as it should, so the heating elements can provide their full effect. The battery pack in the back takes some getting used to and it tends to pull the jacket down a bit because of the weight. The inital charge took almost 8 hours and that is normal according to Ardica. Its easy to charge, so no battery pack removal is necessary... just plug into the USB cable in the side pocket. Heat controls are easily accessed and seem very durable. I stand outside for several hours working with horses and coaching team sports, so the extra warmth provided by this jacket is awesome! I cant wait to try the jacket while snowboarding!

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

I received my Refugium jacket several weeks ago and immediately tested it watching my daughter's cold, windy, wet soccer game a few days later. Unlike the other shivering parents along the sidelines, I was toasty warm with my jacket only at the "medium" heat setting.

One can purchase this jacket without the battery pack. Let me assure you, sans battery, there is no good reason to buy this coat. It barely passes the style hurdle and looks and works best under a parka, which is how I used it last weekend at the aforementioned soccer game. The Refugium is thin, with very little insulation and the torso portion is quite short, barely reaching belt line. The heating element covers the front of the torso and the back shoulder blades with NO heating elements in the arms. It works to keep your core warm but I would have been freezing without an outer layer to block the 25 mph wind that day.

The manufacturer claims, I believe, up to 8 hours of use at the lowest setting, 3 hours at the highest setting. At the lowest setting, I could barely feel the heat. Maybe good to take the chill off on a mild day, but that's it as far as I can tell. I had the jacket at the medium setting for an hour and the high setting for the second hour, at which point the indicator showed the power was 2/3 spent. Bottom line: It's good for 3-4 hours in real-world conditions. Plug it in and you're ready to go in a few hours. While the battery quickly returns to around 3/4 full within the first hour of charging, it takes another few hours to top off the tank. Flashing lights on the front of the coat say when it's done.

I can't speak about the durability of this item but it seems well constructed, especially the battery pack, which rides in a special pouch between your shoulder blades and is not so bulky or heavy as to be a nuisance. I barely noticed it at all.

I intend to use this product when outdoors viewing sporting events, parades, any sort of low movement activity. This product would be too hot in any sort of aerobic activity, even with the heating element turned off.

Is this jacket a bit extravagant? Well, yes, but so is an internet-enabled smart phone. As a middle-aged guy tired of freezing all winter here in Michigan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I'm not disappointed, except for the lack of style. I would recommend it to those who don't mind the price tag. But honestly, MH, is this the best you can do, styling-wise, on such an expensive piece?

My daughter and wife borrow my jacket all the time, and I think it will make their Xmas wish list, if that tells you anything!

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

Just started using the jacket. Got it so that I would not have to worry about regulating warmth while snowboarding and skiing. Before purchasing, I thought that I might not like the jacket because there are fewer heating elements than I thought I would like. However, it turns out that the jacket can keep you quite warm. In fact, I have yet to turn it on the maximum heat setting. Interestingly, I actually was inspired to get this jacket to give to my wife for her birthday who is perpetually cold, but her birthday is not for a few more days. I anticipate that she will enjoy the jacket tremendously.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

I am very happy with the jacket and have given 6 for gifts and everyone is happy. I was even able to play a comfortable round of golf in 38 degree weather and actually swing the golf club,

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

Winter is here and I love being able to hit a switch for additional warmth. We have heated seats in our cars...why not in our jackets too? Whether I'm watching my son's soccer game or just out and about in the cold, this jacket's insulation can only go so far, but with the additional heat...outdoor comfort has been taken to a new level. I love being able to crank it up to max heat for a little shot of comfort in a Montana winter.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket - Men's:

The heating system works quite well; the charge will last for more than a day, and the jacket warms up quickly. The heating elements are concentrated in just a few spots, but when you're zipped up the warmth spreads as it should. The battery will (slowly) charge a cellphone or MP3 player, too, but not at the same time. The jacket itself is well-made, but feels a bit delicate for serious outdoor trekking. The only serious downside so far is a lack of useful pockets other than the handwarmers; a spacious interior pocket, and a couple more sealed pockets, would make this an essentially perfect product.