Fjällräven SkogsÖ padded jacket £185

Used by Simon Ingram, retro-loving Trail editor Used for 1 year

I have a weakness for a really well-made bit of traditional kit. In recent years there has been a surge in more earthy-feeling artisanal brands, and leading the charge has been Fjällräven. The Skogsö is a feature-packed synthetic insulated jacket, and I love it. It's not the lightest, it's not a particularly thrilling colour and it doesn't pack down into its own pocket. But it feels absolutely bombproof, and the sort of thing I know will mature with age when it‘s been duffed up a bit. With an outer made from Fjällräven's customwaxable G-1000 fabric for increased weather resistance, it has an excellent hood, an array of pockets – six in all – ensuring plenty of space to stuff things and a synthetic fill that will stay warm even when wet. If I had one criticism, I’d say the fit is on the slack side, but this is a jacket for cold weather overlayering, not for wearing over a base layer. For me this is the difference between a Smart car and a Land Rover. They both have their place – but I’d rather face winter off-roading in the latter. Reassuringly robust. www.fjallraven.co.uk