Last time Oi Polloi expanded their Nanga repertoire, we admired a selection of parkas and pants that would equip you for desert expeditions: there were pockets in abundance, breathable, lightweight trekking pants, secret water bottle carrying stashes, straps at intersections, and flame resistant materials – just in case the morning sun flare caught you out.
This time, however, the Japanese powerhouse has gone back to their roots: down jackets, in all different shapes and sizes.
There’s a lightweight down jacket, the Aerial Parka, which functions similarly to a Rab Microlight, but with a Japanese edge that includes centralised zip pockets and hidden slash pockets. Importantly, it’s in a bright turquoise, which is absolutely an under exploited colour in the world of coats.
On the other end of the price spectrum is the Aurora Light Down jacket. Crafted from the in-house Aurora-Tex, this jacket manages to be simultaneously huge yet light, a contradiction in terms not dissimilar to Schrodinger’s quantum cat. The Aurora Light Down is as mind boggling as a TARDIS and as consistently engaging; like the TARDIS, you’ll keep discovering new elements of the jacket’s long list of details until you pass it down to the next successor (your kids, that is, as it will last until they’re born, and maybe even their kin, too).
In the middle of the two sits a couple other down jackets, priced in the mid-range, yet equally absorbing.
Oi Polloi’s selection of Nanga is seriously impressive, as is the brand’s spectacular dedication to outerwear. If you want an investment piece and aren’t shy a penny, Nanga is a solid choice.
