Supreme quality and big mountain aspirations are the name of the game for Norwegian sounding but British based company Jottnar and the Ragnarok is perhaps the pinnacle of that ethos, being built with a self-proclaimed no-compromise approach.
There aren't many ski jackets out there that aim their tentacles squarely at very cold skiing but the Ragnarok does just that with a chunky quantity of 'only the best for you sir' 900 fill power hydrophobic goose down in a 93/7 down/feather ratio. If all this sounds Greek to you, in simple terms this is the best of the best down insulation that will keep you as warm as toast in a toaster turned up to 11. If this doesn't sound appealing, then maybe the Ragnarok isn't the right jacket for you, but the ex Royal Marine founders of Jottnar aren't stupid and are making it in limited numbers so they clearly know it will appeal to the few rather than the masses. The down used in the jacket has been treated with a hydrophobic coating to repel water and therefore maintain thermal effectiveness when wet, but in specific zoned areas synthetic Thermolite insulation has been used to improve your chances of staying as warm as a warm thing if the jacket should wet out.
Under the arms you'll find long pit zips which have thoughtfully been mesh lined to prevent snow ingress and are large enough to quickly dump any excess heat. There's a full complement of pockets including chest, hand, lift pass, internal and a large mesh dump pocket for gloves and hats so you definitely won't be wanting for space to stash your bits and pieces in.
Jottnars proprietary SKJOLDR waterproofing offers impressive performance in a relatively rustle and crinkle free material with an outer face that's soft to the touch and supple enough to be comfortable. Seams are fully taped, and zips are waterproof, combined with the decent 20,000mm hydrostatic head the Ragnarok is a great option when the weather closes in. We tested a large on a medium frame and there's great freedom of movement, partly because of the extra space, but we have no reason to suspect the medium would be any different. The hood is 'full polar mode' style with the zip rising above the nose into its zip garage, the semi wired brim is also generously proportioned to offer full protection from the elements as well as helmet compatibility.
If you're heading off to ski lift accessed terrain in the more northerly resorts of Canada, the northern fringes of Europe or Asia, or simply at very high altitude then the Ragnarok provides a cosy and high performing safety blanket.
