Rab Mythic Down Vest Review 2024

Ultralight and compact, this boost of warmth offers top of the range performance in a versatile package. It’s a great choice for cool, spring days out on the hill.

PROS

• Featherlight
• Compressible – will fit into a pocket
• Core warmth is great

CONS

• Pertex Quantum can be delicate for climbing.
• No chest pocket

Rab are no strangers to insulation (they do call themselves the Masters of Insulation) and it is steeped in their heritage. So, it comes as no surprise that the insulation range is wide. A browse through the website will show they offer a high range of insulation for various adventures. There are six items in the Mythic range including a pair of down shorts! I would say it’s a vest version of the Alpine Light Jacket

The Mythic Vest is similar to the Alpine range with its hybrid construction using high quality down in the core and Primaloft synthetic insulation in the higher wear areas such as the shoulders which also tend to get wetter when the weather turns against you. This makes sense and has worked well in the very wet late winter and early spring conditions I’ve been using it in.

In terms of fit, I would say it’s a performance fit but there is enough room to use it over a mid-layer. I’ve been using it with my Rab Vapour Rise and it’s been a great combination – I’ve used this combination for trail running, fast hiking, climbing (more on that shortly) and commute cycling to the climbing gym. It’s been a pretty unbeatable combination, so if you already own a Vapour Rise then this will compliment it perfectly. If you don’t then the investment will be worth it, although the Mythic Vest, at £200 it is the top of the range vest for Rab. I have not been cold at all using this combination for most of the activities I’ve been enjoying this season. 

On those colder days I have been using it over my Paramo Endura Fleece under my Paramo Alta III jacket, quite honestly I’ve been too hot when climbing up hills and had to stop to take it off! My favourite combination has been the Vapour Rise/Mythic Vest and an ultralight wind shell for when any rain becomes a little more persistent. I’ve used this for all my running and hiking activities all winter and I’ve not had to take an outer insulation layer. It has, however, been a very mild winter here in the UK so it’s been the Mythic x VR combo. 

A great combination, the Mythic Vest and Vapour Rise complimented each other really well. Winter fast hiking on The Chevin, Yorkshire.

The main, core insulation is provided using high quality European Goose Down with a Nikwax Hydrophobic treatment. Nickwax + treatment is a sustainable treatment with a good heritage in providing, fluorocarbon-free, water-resistant treatments, so good choice. It does work and you need to understand that the treatment does not mean the vest is waterproof, it just means that the down will resist water ingress for some time and help it dry out quicker. The shoulders are insulated using the well tested and proven Primaloft Gold, I like this as it means that the areas that get the wettest dry out the fastest and that the shoulders can compress easier when using a pack. The Mythic Vest has been very warm for the conditions I’ve been using it in and it has often gotten very damp. When that happens an hour on the radiator has dried it out perfectly. 

The baffling is square, through stitch. The squares are big enough to allow full lofting of the down whilst retaining the down in place without it ‘clumping’. The collar is also down-filled. As it’s stitched through I have noticed a small amount of down leakage at the stitched areas, but this is minimal and is quite normal on this type of baffle.

Not one of my best ideas and definitley not an activity you should use the Mythic Vest for! The fabric needed some patching up after this.

The outer is 100% recycled Pertex Quantum, which is super light and offers excellent wind and water resistance. It feels a little delicate and although Rab states that the fabric will take some abrasion knocks I have managed to tear it. To be fair to Rab though, I was engaged in some extreme thrutching and chimneying on a windy and damp day and found myself in ‘Extremis’ where the thin Pertex outer on my fancy down vest was the least of my problems! I went home to lick my wounds and make some repairs to both my ego and the small holes that had appeared. I used the stuff sack and double sided tape to make some repairs (the days of the gaffer tape look are well behind me these days). So, I think in future I will just use it for belays or a warm layer to pop on when having a brew in future and not climbing in – I’m not going to be letting an ice screw anywhere near it! Rab has invested in an excellent repair service so should be able to take on any repairs you may have.

I was able to fit the Mythic Vest into one of the compartments of my Aeon 5L waistpack – there was still plenty of room for more kit. Almscliffe crag can be just seen in the distance just right of the jacket.

As I said the Mythic Vest comes with an included stuff sack which is plenty big enough and comes with a couple of carabiner friendly loops. The jacket is highly compressible and I have been able to stuff it into the chest pocket of my Rab VR (although I can’t zip that up) for when I’m on the move. It easily stuffs into the hand warmer pocket (which I can zip up) or a waist or hiking pack. Nice that it does that and I have a couple of synthetic vests that I can’t do that with.

Finishing touches include a YKK front zip, two zipped handwarmer pockets and a single-handed hem cinch. Elasticated under the arms offers a nice warmth trap and there are some reflective logo flashings on the bottom. The Rab Mythic Vest has been my go to insulation piece for the entire winter and early spring season and I’m looking forward to using it on my summer adventures too. 

The Rab Mythic Vest comes in sizes S – XXL. The SRP is £200 and it is worth the investment.

There is a female specific version which comes in sizes UK 8 -16 and two colour options.

It can be bought directly from Rab UK and specialist retailers.

Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.