Black Diamond have added the Boundary Line Mapped jacket to their line-up this season and aimed it squarely at the genuine all-mountain skier, while keeping many features of their mountaineering tradition.
The unique selling point of this jacket though, is the use of wool insulation. Placing Lavalan (as the wool insulation is called) in strategic areas helps minimise weight by only applying it where necessary. The wool is naturally a little heavier than down or synthetic insulation, but not by much (the jacket is 1004 grams). And there are serious upsides to it.
Anyone who uses merino baselayers will be aware of their myriad properties; odour resistance, temperature regulation etc., but the one Black Diamond are keen to point out is moisture management. Wool is naturally wicking and breathable and creates a natural microclimate within the jacket. That's the pitch anyway, and in our testing it did seem very effective and should add a certain versatility which you wouldn't see in a chunky down jacket for example.
Rounded off with a BD Dry 20k/20k membrane and fully taped seams, plus pretty much all the standard features you'd expect, the Boundary Line Mapped has taken Black Diamond's big mountain ethos and applied it to a jacket that should really appeal to the all-mountain masses and to freeriders alike.
With a price comparable with much lower specced offerings, it begins to look like a bargain too.
