Topic
looking for down jacket
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › looking for down jacket
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Oct 23, 2010 at 1:34 pm #1264701
I'm looking for a super-lightweight down jacket with a hood, something like MEC's Reflex jacket. Except I want it to be a bit longer, so that it covers my bum.
Seems to be quite a few jackets at hip length (Klattermusen Bore, Rab Neutrino, Sir Joseph Koteka) but not a lot at bum length (ie. 34" or so long). I did see a North Face jacket called Vostok Parka, except it's a bit heavy at 1.5kg.
Any ideas?
Oct 23, 2010 at 1:36 pm #1657330how much down fill are you looking for … and what will you be using it for
Oct 23, 2010 at 2:32 pm #1657336It's for urban use. I want to be warm while walking around Toronto in winter, with only a light cotton shirt on. I'd like the jacket as a whole to weigh under 1000g. I don't know how much fill I need. How much fill would I need to feel warm at -20 (with only the light shirt underneath)?
Oct 23, 2010 at 2:49 pm #1657343"How much fill would I need to feel warm at -20 (with only the light shirt underneath)?"
This depends largely on body chemistry and your activity level. I would look for a garment that would fit the average temperatures of my locale. According to Wikipedia that would be 30 *F in January. Occasional cold stretches at 14 *F and -4 *F. Wind chill can push the temperatures down to your suggested temperature rating of -20 *F. At that point for an 'urban' jacket I'd be supplementing the garment and avoiding exposure as much as I could. You wouldn't be facing life or death conditions as someone would in the backcountry with an under-performing insulating garment. Likewise choosing a -20* garment will likely cause you to overheat during the majority of the winter which has it's own concerns in keeping you warm.
When living in Fargo, North Dakota, layering was the key to keeping warm when the wind chill would send the temps to -40* or colder. At that point the whole system was important. Gloves, Hat, Long underwear, and Scarf/Face-guards were essential in keeping you warm much more than the jacket itself.
Oct 23, 2010 at 3:03 pm #1657344Hi Eric, I meant -20 Celsius, which is typically as cold as it gets here in Jan/Feb. I move from outdoors to indoors several times a day, so I don't want the bother of removing layers. That's why I need the jacket to be warm enough for me to wear my regular "inside" clothing underneath the jacket. As to the length, I find that a cold bum really makes everything feel cold.
Oct 23, 2010 at 3:19 pm #1657348Search on "parka" rather than "jacket." The length is the real difference. All the major manufacturers have some version– North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Patagonia and MEC too, but "parka" is the key.
LL Bean makes a 650 fill parka for $89US.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/51588?from=SR&feat=srOct 23, 2010 at 3:38 pm #1657354Check out the Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Parka. I have the jacket and love it. Is nice looking and ridiculously warm. I have s fair bit of MH gear and highly rate it all for quality, last and looks. I don't think you'll find anything particularly light for those temps. It weighs about 1.2kg for a mens medium
Oct 23, 2010 at 4:06 pm #1657357I swapped out my Sub Zero Parka for an Eddie Bauer/First Ascent Peak XV. Higher quality down, an ounce or two lighter, and a lot warmer. On Sale right now
Get it in black for around-town use. If you can wait, theres the possibility that it'll go on sleep clearance in winter (that's what happened last year)
Oct 23, 2010 at 4:29 pm #1657359Thanks everyone for the suggestions. But these jackets aren't quite long enough to fully cover the bum, especially once you've cinched up the drawstring. The Peak XV and the Sub Zero are 29.5" long, and the LL Bean parka looks about the same (and the LL Bean lacks the drawstrings).
I need something around 34" long. The North Face Vostok parka is 35" long, but it's too heavy at around 3.5 lbs. The Eddie Bauer Kara Koram parka is almost long enough at 32" but it too is 3.5 lbs.
Oct 23, 2010 at 8:13 pm #1657382Cloudveil Down Patrol jacket has a dropped tail that covers my backside (6'2" tall w/ 22.5 inch torso)… Not the lightest or highest quality down, but a nice parka nonetheless.
Oct 23, 2010 at 8:28 pm #1657385.
Oct 23, 2010 at 8:39 pm #1657386I have sold ALOT of winter jackets for urban use. It can get to minus 40 here and I help people who work in the Mackenzie delta and on the arctic islands.( if your looking for a jacket with those criteria, I'm sorry but it doesn't exist. Don't constrain yourself to those things for a casual jacket. Your body can't stay warm with a cotton tee shirt as your layer, you can't trap enough heat next to your skin. the only jacket i know of that can do this kind of thing in Edmonton is called the snow mantra jacket.
If it's for urban use pick up a styled jacket. Look at sweet looking jacket like the Chillwack/Yorkville Bomber, Banff, Constable or the jacket.
Oct 23, 2010 at 9:10 pm #1657389length i believe is around 33+ in depending on the size .. you can ask bent gate
12 oz of 800 fill down … you could use this on any summer climb outside of the himalayas and antartica … and any winter climb in the lower 48
250$ on sale at bent gate … basically along with the EB FA Peak jacket this is the cheapest deep winter parka you ca buy (i dont include the mex reflex because its more a jacket) … one hell of a deal for 250$
its a top notch mountaineering/winter parka
and it even looks YUPPAY enough for toronto … lol
http://www.bentgate.com/mammutambler.html?productid=mammutambler&channelid=SHOPC
Oct 23, 2010 at 9:14 pm #1657390I am 6'5" with a long torso and find that the Montbell stuff in XXL is long enough in the torso for me. It is really light and I am sure the Alpine jacket would be more than warm for you in any situation. Other than that I would look at the Marmot stuff in a tall. It is about 32.5 but will be longer if you are smaller/skinnier.
Oct 23, 2010 at 10:44 pm #1657404del
Oct 24, 2010 at 6:52 am #1657426Rick, that Montbell Japan jacket is exactly what I'm looking for. Does it have a hood? I can't really tell from the image. I think "thigh length" or "mid-thigh length" correctly describe what I'm seeking. The words I used may have connoted a jacket a bit shorter than what I meant.
Now, are there similar jackets available from the U.S. or Canada?
Oct 24, 2010 at 2:49 pm #1657523del
Oct 24, 2010 at 3:10 pm #1657533Rick, I had a look at the English translation of the Japan site. Are you sure this is a winter jacket? It looks like the weight of the entire jacket is 285 grams. That sounds way too light to be a warm winter jacket.
Oct 24, 2010 at 3:25 pm #1657537del
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.