Available in hoody and hoodless versions, the Cerium SL is Arc'teryx' Super Light insulating jacket. Filled with premium 850 fill power goose down, the warmth to weight ratio is nothing short of outstanding but the goodness doesn't stop there. In areas of high moisture, down gets swapped out for Coreloft synthetic insulation. This not only dries faster than down but also avoids adverse effects from moisture, which makes the jacket a viable on the go midlayer as well as being an excellent option for spring and summer overnight adventures. The amount of insulation stuffed into the Cerium LT is relatively low, so if you want a jacket to use into autumn and winter check out the Cerium LT and SV (lightweight and severe weather) which up the thickness of face fabrics as well as amounts of insulation but retain the same great design principles.
Face fabric on the LT is a wafer thin 7d Arato which has a DWR coating to repel moisture and is wind resistant, this gives it the versatility to be worn as a wind breaking outer. If you're regularly trekking through dense undergrowth we'd recommend going for something with a thicker, twig repelling face fabric but for general mountain use, save for the odd escaping feather, we haven't had any problems so far.
The hoody version of the SL lives up to its Super Light name at 215g in a medium. Despite the light weight you get drawcord hem and hood adjusters to seal all that lovely warmth in and the fit is long enough to offer great coverage over the midriff area. The cut is close but not figure hugging making this a comfortable jacket to slip on as well as allowing for a couple of layers to be worn underneath in colder weather.
The LT gets the same great packability as the other jackets in the Cerium range, with an integrated stuff sack in one of the two hand pockets taking care of compression and minimizing pack size down to something akin to a 750ml water bottle.
Looks wise this is one of the few down jackets I'll wear in 'public', it's so stylish that even my wife gives it the thumbs up. The low profile down chambers aren't too 'in yer face' and the contrasting trim around the hood and pocket zips are a neat touch.
We love the Cerium range of jackets here at Active Traveller, sure, they ain't cheap but we think they're a worthy investment for anyone serious about the outdoors.
