Variance in Montbell sizes?

[Jeffs Eleven]

Ok so I got my wife a phat Permafrost jacket form Montbell for xmas. She's small so i figured- Montbell, right? (FF too $$$$) I called MBAmerica and they said no dice on getting Japanese stuff over here :(

Too big! Went to the local the closest shop (OMC) (it could be worse) (:)) and ahe tried on a whole slew od Montbell jackets.

One thing I found out- all the down jackets are bigger than the Thermawraps!

She put on smalls of UL down, alpine light, UL tech and her Permafrost (from Xmas) they were all too big. She put on a Thermawrap and it fits like a glove- best fitting jacket she has.

Javan, Konrad y'all's (that's right, two apostrophes in the same word!) girls have this experience?

Too bad the loft is .00014" or whatever on the Thermawrap… Man I wish that Permawrap fit her!!

Other than FF stuff, who makes the smallest clothes. 5 foot, sub 100 pounds?

ANYONE, please!

[James holden]

Jeff

you need to go down to XS … i bought a EB FA jacket for someone around the same size in petite XS … fit great … take a trip to your EB store … regular XS may fit as well depending on the size …

you could also try teen/kids clothing … tell her she looks younger in it ;)

also note that the larger down jackets are often made for layering, while the thermawrap jacket may not be … for some reason women don't seem to like baggy jackets for layering … something about looking a bit rotund …. hmmmm

[Konrad .]

whatup Jeff! I'm gonna echo Eric in that Eddie Bauer/First Ascent will probably be your best bet. Their petite option really lets you tune in the fit if she has a short torso. Problem with children's clothing is not the sizing, but the build quality…I don't think i've ever seen 800 fill power used in kids jackets…its usually 650 tops.

For synthetics, we've had good luck with Outdoor Research XS, but again this was for primaloft gear…They don't make any high quality/lightweight down pieces AFAIK

No personal experience, but I see a lot of women around Boston rocking the north face thunder jacket…it appears really trim/fitted, probably because its just as often marketed as lifestyle fashion piece in addition to its outdoor capabilities. However, I know its a pretty decent balance of warmth/weight, and I bring mine (male version) out to the back country all the time. If you can find one locally, you might want to give it a try.

Goodluck, and would love to hear the results!

[Don Selesky]

"One thing I found out- all the down jackets are bigger than the Thermawraps! "

Generally, the inner layers are cut trimmer than the outer layers, with the shell/parka designed to fit over intermediate insulation layers.

[Jeffs Eleven]

I def need to check out EBFA if they have petite. The thing is- even with XS sizes, most are too big still. I'll look into it

I really want to find her a winter weight puffy (puffay- for Eric) but she is so slim, that they are too loose, even for layering needs.

Kids clothes are like Konrad said, lower quality and boxy.

We checked out the Thunder but didn't look too hard cause we were shopping for winter weight. We got the Thermawrap just because it fit so good we weren't gonna pass it up. and it was on sale! (E-OMC website- hit it up)

I guess for our upcoming trip she's gonna go- Arc'T Rho shirt, ThermaWrap, MH Compressor and an R1 in there somewhere. (under jackets, over jackets? ideas?) and then some bomber TNF shell she has. Leg will be UA Cold Gear tights, REI thicker thermal pants, Arc'T shell pants.

Thoughts? (3nights around Crater lake. End of Jan)

Don't you want a down jacket UNDER a synth? Wouldn't that mean that the Thermawrap should be bigger than the down, not smaller?

[Link .]

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[James holden]

jeff …

you want down under synth if possible because
– thats for optimum moisture management as vapor travels outwards and the dew point will likely end up in the synth
– synth on the outside protects the inner down from external moisture
– its just plan warmer as you have the most insulating piece next to you

you just hike in a windshirt … add the synth if you feel cold or for quick stops … add the down for longer stops or camps

IMO they should both be lightish jackets …. i guess it depends what temps you're expecting

i usually use an exl under an atom lt

edit … just to add that for a 3 day trip it prob wouldn matter what you layered on top of the other …

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