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Gear Review | Black Diamond Boundary Line Mapped Jacket

Insulated shell for cold days

by Lorenzo Rieg 03/03/2020
The Boundary Line Mapped Jacket from Black Diamond is a ski jacket with lightweight insulation made from Lavalan wool fibres, which is processed using the body mapping process in the areas that tend to need more insulation. This makes it particularly suitable for colder ski days.

First impression

It's probably been about 20 years since I've used an insulated ski jacket, I've got too used to the onion principle with several layers. What's more, I'm not someone who gets cold easily and for years I've mainly been on ski tours, where I switch between different layers of clothing a lot.

However, a lot has changed since then, both in terms of insulation material and processing technology. The Boundary Line Mapped Jacket from Black Diamond is insulated where warmth is needed most, especially on the back and upper arms, while a two-layer construction with mesh lining is used in the other areas. In addition, the innovative Lavalan filling is not only lightweight and durable, but is also designed to make the jacket particularly comfortable to wear.

The jacket has a large, helmet-compatible hood, two nicely insulated hand pockets, a Napoleon pocket, a ski pass pocket on the left upper arm, generously dimensioned ventilation zips under the sleeves and a stowable snow skirt.

It should also be emphasised that Black Diamond pays great attention to environmentally friendly materials, from the wool-based insulation to the environmentally friendly impregnation to the in-house BD.dry™ membrane.  

Testers and test conditions

I am 183 cm tall and weigh about 75 kg. I tested the jacket in size L, which fits well. The cut is rather wide and casual, but not too big either. I go skiing a lot, but am mostly on ski tours. Over the last few months, I have mainly tested the jacket when freeriding (and due to the weak winter when skiing on the piste) in the ski resort, but I also took it with me on ski tours. I also wear it from time to time in the city or on the way to the office.

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Test report

The jacket is very comfortable to wear, fits well and does not restrict movement in any way. Only the hood is a little wide without a helmet. With a helmet, it fits well and allows you to turn your head without restricting your view.

Although the jacket is relatively thinly lined, it is still really warm. If I wear ski underwear and a thin fleece or merino shirt as a mid-layer underneath, this is easily enough even on cold days. This combination is also warmer than a pure hard shell with a down waistcoat underneath. In temperatures around freezing point, I have to wear the jacket directly over my ski underwear, otherwise I quickly get too warm. I also quickly get too warm in it when I'm more active, such as on a climb, although the Boundary Mapped Jacket is quite breathable and comfortable to wear.

Of course, the jacket really comes into its own in really low temperatures, be it on a windy chairlift or on an uncomfortable railway platform. Of course, it is also waterproof and the Cordura-like outer material has so far made a very robust and durable impression.

Overall, I quite like using them in the ski resort, especially on cold days. To be honest, it's a bit too inflexible for me on ski tours, as I like to wear different layers depending on the temperature and wind on the ascent. I therefore only take the Boundary Line Mapped Jacket with me on a ski tour in really cold temperatures.

Conclusion

I particularly like the robust yet flexible outer material and the cut. For me personally, however, the use of an insulated jacket when skiing is limited to cold days in the ski resort; for milder weather and on tours, I prefer several layers of clothing due to the flexibility. Extra points for the use of environmentally friendly insulation, membrane and DWR.

Advantages & disadvantages

+ Robust and crackle-free outer material

+ Pleasant cut

+ Nice and warm

+ Relatively favourable

- Hood quite large without helmet

- Less flexibility compared to pure shell jackets

Details

RRP €380,-

  • Breathable, waterproof, fully taped 20,000 mm/20,000 g/m2 BD.dry™ outer fabric with mechanical stretch and our revolutionary PFC-free GTT DWR coating

  • Washable Lavalan insulation made from mulesing-free wool, certified and made in Europe, for active, heat and moisture management adapted to the body zones

  • Helmet-compatible hood

  • YKK Aquaguard two-way zip at the front and on hand and chest pockets

  • Lift pass pocket with zip and large mesh throw-in pocket on the inside left for stowing skins

  • Underarm ventilation with zip

  • Integrated snow skirt on the inside

Here is the link to the Black Diamond website with further information.

The jacket was provided to PowderGuide by the manufacturer free of charge for testing. You can find out how we tested it in our test statement.

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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