Feathered Friends Ice Fall Parka

I have one. I purchased it around 2001 in preparation for a Denali trip which was cancelled, so I wore it about once. It is incredibly warm, and it is not a trivial parka. For travel, it packs about as small as a light sleeping bag.

Back in 2001, the fabric options were slightly different. This one has a shell of dark blue PTFE, which translates as generic Goretex.

Incidentally, the one time that I wore it was on a Mount Shasta climb. The weather, specifically the wind, was the worst that I had ever seen in 25 years on the mountain, and I was one of only three people that summited that day out of a hundred or so on the mountain. There is no doubt in my mind that I owe my survival and success to that parka.

–B.G.–

Hi BG,

Thanks very much for the info, what size and weight is your one.

I am in two mind as to get this jacket, FF advertise it as 34oz and an email from them put the Large at 38oz.

My other option is a PHD Hispar which is rated to -13F and weighs just under 25 ounce, the Hispar is lighter but not as warm as the Ice Fall.

TI really like the Event Shell on FF kit, I have it on my volant trousers and its very good.

Cheers,
Stephen

Yes, mine is a medium size, and I believe that it is about the 34 ounces that Feathered Friends currently advertises, even though mine is from a previous fabric era.

Also, you want to think about sizing. A serious parka like this is intended to be worn over some normal warm clothing, so its size takes that in account. My medium is just slightly larger that what I would have expected, but when it is very cold and the wind is blowing, if it is hanging down an inch too low, that is not a big deal. I could probably hide a family of four in it.

–B.G.–

Hi Bg,

Thanks again for the info.

If you where on the market for another winter Parka would you buy the FF again.

I have read online that there can be an issue with the double zip, how did you find it.

Cheers,

Stephen

Mine has a two-way zipper, and it works. In fact, it comes in very handy if I am wearing the parka and it gets too hot, I can unzip from the bottom halfway for ventilation.

I have an older Feathered Friends product, and I have no problem with their products at all. They are not cheap. If you are after a disposable product, then go find something cheap.

If I was looking for an ordinary winter parka, I would not need this much. However, for a planned trip on Denali, I knew that I needed a "no-fooling-around" parka. Back at the time, somebody had given this one a "7000-meter" rating, meaning that it was appropriate for climbing a peak of that height. There are 8000-meter down suits available also, but they get even more expensive.

I climbed a nearly-7000-meter peak once, and it was in summer, so I used an ordinary winter parka with other layers, and that worked. The Feathered Friends parka would have been handy then, but not absolutely essential.

If you were buying a winter down parka, which would you rather have? One that is 25% too warm, or one that is 25% too cool?

–B.G.–

Cheers Bg,

I hear you on the 25% :-)

My decision is whether to get a jacket thats 25% lighter and probaly 25% less warm or the one thats 25% heavier and 25% warmer.

Another factor that comes in also is the added protection that the Event shell of the FF piece offers over the Drishell of the PHD piece.

I have two PHD sleeping bags and a jacket and vest and they are amazing bits of kit.

Cheers,

Stephen

I dont thinkban event shell is needed at those temps

one reason why down jackets with wpb shells arent to popular is that condensation can be trapped in the shell damping the down …. A

"I dont thinkban event shell is needed at those temps"

Which are those?

Temperature might be part of a rating, but wind chill would be better. All I know is that when the temperature was around 0 F and the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn't even raise off the surface to get to my knees for 90 minutes, then I needed all of the warmth rating that I could get.

–B.G.–

Built in wpb shells in the down jacket

u dont see many jackets with them … Nor are they needed … The puffy will likely go over any wpb/softshell anyways

they also dry out quicker with them and trap less moisture

I'm not sure where the original poster is located.

When I purchased my Feathered Friends down parka, I intended it initially for Denali. However, I live in California. One of the things that we have to deal with is very changeable snow conditions. It can go from light snow to heavy snow to rain to heavy snow all within a few hours, so having a top shell layer that is waterproof (like Goretex) is not a bad solution. Of course, it can be quite wet inside a snow cave, and Goretex works there. I figured that the Goretex shell would not weigh that much more than a plain shell, so why not?

–B.G.–

Same reason why we dont see many gore tex bags … Moisture

in deep winter the thing most likely to get yr down damp is sweat …. A light very breathable shell allows the body moisture to travel through the down jacket …. While a less breathable wpb shell will likely have more condensation on the inside of the shell thus down

most alpinist forgo any wpb shelled wpb down jacket … Even ice climbers prefer a breathable dwr shelled syn layer rather than a wpb shelled one

i dont know any belay jackets that have a wpb shell in fact

for changing temps where wet snow slush and freezing rains are constant … I suggest that down is the wrong choice for anything longer than a weekend … In those cases bring a syn jacket …. Or a combo of down inner and syn outer

arcteryx fission line (3 jackets) (goretex)
MHW Alcove jacket (conduit SL)
MHW Sub zero Sl (Conduit SL)
MHW Absolute zero Parka (conduit SL)
Marmot Mountain Guides down parka (membrane)
TNF plasma Thermal

TNF`s summit series bags are all WPB
Marmot`s down bags come in WPB options
Sierra designs winter sleeping bags are WTB

and those are just the ones in the store I work at.

a vapor barrier layer worn close to skin is way more effective. if the dew point is inside your insulation it doesn`t matter, WPB or not your insulation is collecting water and freezing inside your insulation

condensation was probably the wrong work to use … lets call it lack of vapour transmission through the hardshell layer …

just go out and try climbing in it for a week…

or look at what mark twight, craig conally or andy kirkpatrick have to say everyone of them them explicitly does not recommend a WPB layer on either the insulating jacket (twight, conally, kirkpatrick) or the sleeping bag (twight, connaly)

none of the above are purpose built belay jacekts … note that the belay jackets that arcteryx has, the duelly … is NOT WPB … if anyone would get soaked outside, itll be ice climbers

The thick Dually Belay Parka has an amazingly high warmth-to-weight ratio and is inconceivably compressible. With super-resilient loft and unprecedented hydrophobic properties, the double layers of ThermaTek™ insulation are bonded to a lightweight DWR treated shell that won't hold moisture. Stuff sack included. Alpinist Magazine Mountain Standards Award.

i have the fission AR, and i DO NOT use it for ice climbing anymore, takes too long to dry and traps body vapor too much

ideally as you said a VBL next to base is best … without one, dont put that layer on the down jacket

if have waterterproof jacekts was so important … ask why people dont make sil nylon or completely impermable down jacekts … a WPB doesnt really breath at really cold temps in my experience

maybe its different in the himilayas … but here a WPB shell isnt needed here at all on yr insulating jacket … unless yr always dealing with freezing rain

"Same reason why we dont see many gore tex bags … Moisture"

Strange. My Feathered Friends Swallow Goretex shell sleeping bag (c. 1982) has never had such a problem.

I think there is a lot of difference between humans, and what works for me doesn't necessarily work for you.

–B.G.–

i sweat like a big … probably has something to do with it too …

Hi folks,

It will be mainly for use in Scotland and the French alps in winter. I am looking for a shell that is durable also.

Thanks,

Stephen

try ukclimbing.com winter section of the forum ..

those folks have a lot more experience with bivy situations in the alps in the winter

Thanks Eric,

Anyone complaining about condensation or 'lack of vapor transmission' who does not have 1st hand experience using an eVent jacket or sleeping bag really has nothing to add when it comes to the original post regarding the Feathered Friends Icefall. The current incarnation of the Icefall uses eVent. The degree of condensation on eVent is far less than with Gore-Tex. The difference is as stark as night and day. Nothing will save you if you're a profuse sweater, but otherwise, eVent will keep you much much drier.

eVent is not in the same league as Membrain, Hyvent, or Gore-Tex. It is actually permeable to water vapor.

I agree, I have the below event kit :-)

2 hard shells (Jack and trousers)
1 down jacket and trousers
1 bivy
2 hats
1 pair gloves

my event bivy still has condensation .. not a whole ton mind you, and definitely not as much as gore … but its definitely still there, fortunately i use a synth bag so im not too concerned

the gloves, i cant tell …

event jackets ive used, somewhat better than gore but definitely still get condensation …

one of these days someone will make a shell material that is as breathable as a simple nylon shell while being "waterproof" …

lets see how good neoshell is …

Anyone who thinks that others don't have something to add to a discussion because they don't meet their predefined litmus test might not be suffering from condensation, but is certainly suffering from condescension, which is almost as deadly in the winter I've been told…..