Ajungilak is the Inuit word for “warm greeting” or “comfort” (good luck with the pronunciation). It’s also the word that’s printed on the inside of the Mammut Eigerjoch down jacket. That seems fitting, because when you put this jacket on, it does feels like a warm greeting.
Ajungilak is also the name of a Norwegian company that has been making sleeping bags for extreme climates since the mid-1800s and was acquired by Mammut Sports AG in 2001. The technology has come a long way in the past 150 years since the reindeer and kapok-filled sleeping bags, but the goal of providing efficient insulation against the bitter cold remains unchanged. Mammut now utilizes this technology in their award-winning sleeping bags as well as their top-of-the-line down jackets.
The Eigerjoch down jacket (above), named after a high Alpine pass lying between the Mönch and the Eiger mountains, is another jacket in Mammut’s Eiger Extreme line of equipment. This line represents the pinnacle of their offerings, designed and tested by world-class athletes and certified for the most extreme conditions on the planet.
I’ve owned down jackets from The North Face and Mountain Hardwear and always had the same complaint: Most down jackets utilize several stitched compartments to keep the goose fill from shifting around, and this creates the “puffy jacket” look. This also renders the insulating layer very inconsistent, with virtually no down fill in the areas of stitching.
Mammut employs an innovative double-chamber baffle construction which eliminates such cold spots. There is an inner and outer layer of insulation with the chambers taped, not stitched, and offset to eliminate the cold spots created by conventional chambering. Simply put, where there is a taped seam for a down fill compartment, there is another compartment overlapping it like a shingle to maintain a uniform layer of insulation.
The Pertex Endurance shell is filled with 90/10 800 goose-down fill for warmth in the coldest of climates while maintaining light weight and excellent packability. The jacket includes a separate stuff sack which can easily fit into a small alpine backpack. I pack mine in the Mammut Nirvana Pro25 while skiing in the backcountry for emergency purposes or as an extra layer when the temperatures dip. Mammut also uses synthetic Fiberfill and a technique called ‘body-mapping technology’ on the underarms and back to help with moisture transfer to keep a comfortable body climate while exerting yourself.
Extra long integrated Lycra hand gaiters are always a welcome addition, in my opinion. Lycra is thin enough to fit comfortably under your gloves and still provide the needed overlap to prevent snow or wind from penetrating your sleeves. Another nice feature not found on the competitors’ down jackets is a built-in “mini skirt” with silicone-embossed logos that keeps the adjustable hem of the jacket in place and helps prevent annoying snow and wind intrusion.
The hood, with its three-point adjustment, can be worn with or without a helmet. Without a helmet on, the hood can be cinched down to fit over a beanie cap and further adjusted to maintain peripheral vision, all while reducing the opening to a goggle-sized aperture. The front hand pockets and single chest pocket have down fill on both the interior and exterior, creating a warm insulated zone to prevent your iPhone from freezing and to defrost your hands when you remove your gloves.
There are two large mesh interior storage pockets that are perfect for keeping your gloves and hat warm when you remove them. The fit and finish of all Mammut gear is very high-caliber and appreciated by those who work and play hard in the backcountry. With this jacket, you no longer have to worry about keeping warm, allowing you to really enjoy the outdoors. Life is short; follow your pursuits and don’t let the cold weather keep you indoors.
Bottom line: The last two winter seasons where I live in the midwest have been the coldest on record, with temperatures regularly in the -25° F range. This is my go-to jacket when mother nature is being a bitch. The Eigerjoch is like an oven you can wear over your outer shell like a belay jacket, or underneath as a heavy insulating layer. I also like it by itself for those apréz ski moments, wandering the sleepy streets of Rossland, British Columbia, with your brother looking for the liquor store after an epic day of tree skiing. Sorry, I digress.
I own several Mammut products and they continue to exceed my high expectations with attention to detail, design, and construction. My review of the Mammut Nordwand Pro Jacket and other upcoming reviews will shed more light on Mammut’s fantastic products. Don’t shy away from the retail price of $500; a little online reconnaissance and you’ll find them on sale at Backcountry.com or Sierra Trading Post. And if you spend any serious amount of time outdoors in cold climates, it’s hard to put a price on warmth. Additionally, Mammut products are covered by a lifetime warranty for added peace of mind.
Features:
| Item no. | 1010-12640 |
|---|---|
| Colours | orange,cyan,black |
| Fabric | Pertex® Endurance |
| weight in g | 710 |
| Recommended retail price | $ 500.00 |
- Innovative double-chamber construction to avoid cold bridges
- Filled with 90/10 goose down with 800 cuin fill power
- Water-resistant outer material
- Fiberfill Body Mapping inserts on the back and underarms for optimised moisture transport
- Two inside pockets made from elastic mesh material
- Lycra® hand gaiters
- Three-point hood adjustment system with horizontal and vertical elastic drawstring
- Ergonomic adjustment of the hem width with a mini-skirt to prevent the hem from riding up
- Contains non-textile parts of animal origin (down or leather)
- Regular fit
(Specs and feature image courtesy of Mammut.ch)
