Summer insulation?

I have the Alpine Light jacket. I wish I'd got the parka. While personal warmth is relative, I found it fine when I wore it in Chicago at night in the single digits, as long as I was shoveling the driveway. I brought it snow camping as well. Worn over a smartwool microweight crew and icebreaker mondo, in the low 20s sitting around at dinner for an hour or so, I was chilled but not cold so I added the OR Fraction parka for warmth.

For the half-pound weight advantage, plus the warmth of down, it seems like the Alpine light would be the better value.

My biggest complaint is that I have a fairly average torso length (19"), but the large was just barely long enough, and the hem was just elastic with no shock cord to tighten it, leaving it loose enough that when windy some cold air could make it's way up, especially when bending to shovel.

How about a Western Mountaineering flash vest with a base layer and wind shirt.

I dont think thats going to be warm enough. I`d like to be warm sitting huddled in the 20s w/ cold winds and maybe some grapnel

Sorry, I thought you said summer insulation not shoulder season insulation. Where I hike it doesn't get that cold in the summer usually.Try the new western mountaineering flash jacket with hood.BTW what is "some grapnel"?

lol, that is summer in the rockies! (well the canadian ones at least).
Its usualy dry and warmer then that, but once you get up onto ice fields or the alpine, that is summer weather.
I think the Thremawrap parka is not going to be warm enough (I hear that it is about equivalent to 60g Primaloft?).
I`d love peoples sugestions as to where to go from there?

Grapnel – rain that is just on the verge of hail, usualy slushy and usualy more like rain then hail. It tends to freeze on you into an ice layer. I dont want to sit out a full on storm in it, but I`d like my insulation to be able to deal with a little wet-snowy-ice moisture.

If your budget allows, consider a Nunatak Skaha sweater, or Skaha Plus (has a hood). The MontBell EX Light is an excellent (though somewhat fragile) down sweater for use as a midlayer. It has 900 fill down and a very trim fit. I am quite cold prone but the EX Light, a merino base layer, and a wind shirt kept me warm at 40 F in 50 mph winds.

The OR Fraction parka is 60g of Primaloft. If it's the case the the Thermawrap's 80g of Exceloft is equivalent to 60g of Primaloft, and you were cold in that, you'll be cold in the thermawrap.

I just ordered a Montbell UL Down Inner Parka for 8,000'-10,000' Sierra Spring and Fall insulation. You've got a day left for the 25% backcountrygear sale, and Prolitegear just got some new stock in for $126.