Named after Montane Athlete Tom Ballard's now legendary 'Starlight and Storm' Expedition. A collaborative effort between Tom and Montanes' expert technical designers, the Starlight Pull-on is the ultimate 'Fast and Light' technical insulation layer.

TOM SAYS

The idea of the Starlight Pull-On comes from my own experiences during my Starlight and Storm project a few seasons ago. When attempting to solo an alpine North Face the first obstacle to overcome is what to take with you. Lightness is the key to moving fast in the mountains. If you take bivy gear then nine times out of ten you're going to use it. I could have done with a Starlight Pro Pull-On during my cold bivy after I had topped out of the Via Comici on the Cima Grande. Perhaps I would have shivered less! You might notice the hood. Or lack of. The idea is that since most second layers have hoods we can save some weight and dispense with it. The warmth is where you need it most, the core. You can wear it as a second layer much like a regular (but warmer) sweater. Or part of a layering system. The Starlight Pull-On should be with you always. It's so light and packs down so small that you won't even notice it in your pack. Until that moment when you start feeling cold and you'll be glad to slip it on.

DESIGN PERSPECTIVE LIAM STEINBECK - Materials Manager:

Following Tom's 'Starlight and Storm' Expedition, plus a lifetime of experience tackling the most challenging Alpine environments possible, the feature-set required for this piece was fairly obvious. We obsessed over materials and combinations to ensure maximum performance. The resulting garment is, while very specifically developed, hugely versatile as a super lightweight layering piece.

Material R&D for the Starlight Pull-On revolved around several key considerations:

• The climber’s needs and wants: Tom needing a super light and efficient insulation layer.
• The environmental conditions they plan on playing: Moving fast over technical alpine terrain in the dead of winter.
• Montane’s design philosophy of engineering innovative, lightweight functional clothing: Enabling our athletes to go “Further Faster”.

When developing fabrics for technical end-uses a delicate balance needs to be struck between lightweight, durability and performance: The Starlight Pull-on uses our FEATHERLITE™ XV a 15 Denier nylon rip-stop fabric, weighing a ridiculous 32 grams per square meter. With a product as technical as this it would have been a crime to compromise on the lining, so we didn’t! Using the same specification inside and out. A durable water repellent finish was added to shed snow, spindrifts and light drizzle or the occasional shower. Down proof through its densely woven construction and calendered back side, windproof to protect warm trapped air within the garment. Insulated with 90/10 HyperDRY™ water-resistant goose down at 800+ fill power for maximum warmth for weight with a minimum pack size. Down remains the best insulator for weight, packability, and now with the HyperDRY™ finish can withstand a much wider range of adverse conditions, ensuring the best just got better. The Starlight Pull-On, while very specifically developed, is hugely versatile as a super lightweight layering piece. It should be with you always; so light and packs down so small that you won't even notice it in your pack. Until that moment when you start feeling cold and you'll be glad to slip it on. Discover the full range of Montane Men's Jackets >