Design your own Down Jacket
Have you ever wanted to design your own outdoor clothing? PHD Mountain Software gives you the opportunity to design your own down jacket, personalised to your needs.
PHD stands for Peter Hutchinson Designs, launched in 1998. They specialise in extreme warmth and extreme lightness, designing and making everything in Stalybridge, UK.
Your first decision in designing a jacket is the base jacket type, which defines the weight, temperature rating and base price:
- Ladakh — £200, 350g, -5°C
- Toubkal — £230, 460g, -15°C
- Svalbard — £325, 650g, -25°C
- Denali — £435, 800g, -35°C
That's a significant range, from a -5°C jacket right through to one that will survive the harshest conditions of -35°C. At PHD, customisation doesn't just mean choosing the colour of the zip — you get to customise everything, starting with the dimensions of the jacket. You can specify width, body length and inside arm measurements.
Once those options are set, your next step is to define the shell fabric. This determines the intended use of the jacket — is it an ultralightweight fabric, or something breathable but fully waterproof? The fabric you pick also defines the selection of colours available to you.
Fill power is next: you choose between 800 or 900 fill power, with 900 giving the same amount of loft for a lower weight and size of fill. You can also choose to have the jacket overfilled, giving several degrees more warmth but changing the fit.
Finally there are the features — some jackets come with selectable hoods (standard on others), and you can also choose where you have pockets: chest, waist, or both.
If you want a fully personalised down jacket, PHD's software gives you the ability to design one perfect for your needs and fitted to your own measurements.