Looking for a UL Down Jacket

Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket for a full zip jacket. Not cheap but satisfaction and big smile garantied.
if you are willing to consider a pull over version, the Nunatak Shaka (Plus)is the best out there; just my opinion

If you prefer the diamond pattern over the checkerboard, you could always order the women’s version…!

http://gearx.com/product_info.php?products_id=480

Mountainsmith Super Down Jacket

It weighs about 14 oz, so it’s in a whole different weight category than the MB stuff. It is very warm, boasts baffled construction, and would definitely keep me warm standing around to 30. I’m a slim guy at 5′ 11″ and 150#. The medium fits perfectly – while I have an impressive “ape index,” the arms are plenty long enough.

I have a Feathered Friends Hyperion jacket with Epic shell fabric, it’s wind proof, quite warm, weighs 11 oz, but isn’t cheap.

The Western Mtn. flight mentioned back a bit weighs 10oz./med,11oz./lg. Patagonia’s down sweater weighs 9 oz…just about the lightest thing in down is Western’s flash vest at 3.5oz. The problem arises when you try to compare fill weights and loft of each jacket. Some of these makers just aren’t saying how much is in their product. The Montbell inner jacket you’re looking at has a fill of 2 oz. Go-lite’s cumulus weighs 12 oz. but has more then twice the fill at 5.36 oz.
Prolite has the Montbell 2005 jacket on sale at $99.98 and their scale says it weighs 7.9 oz. Good luck.

For sitting in 30F weather with a wind shell over the insulation, you will need about .7″ of single layer loft.

In addition to other poster’s fine recommendations, the Patagonia Down Sweater will also satisfy your criteria.

buying the women’s version is a good suggestion. While I personally own the UL Thermawrap vest (the synthetic version), my wife has the UL down jacket…fits me just fine and is very light.

Thanks, everyone for your suggestions! More things for me to think about…

Old threads never die…just about the nicest down product out there is the nunatak skaha with or without the hood.

I actually have a size large Mont Bell UL Down Inner Jacket that’s now too big for me (lost a bunch of weight).

I took it on one trip. If you’re interested, I’ll make you a nice deal so I can buy another one in my size.

Shoot me an email.

Hi Jason:

I love deals, but sorry, I wear a size Medium…

I’m on the lookout to buy one of these, also. One I’ve run across in a few places is the Moonstone Lucid.

Moonstone’s site seems to be down so I can’t look up the specs. I see one place selling it which lists the size M at 10.5 oz (they have only size S, but at $99!).

That’s at http://www.modernmountainman.com/catalog.php?type=product&id=64171

Moonstone’s site is down because Moonstone is gone. I read somewhere that they were bought buy Columbia and then eliminated (possibly due to the overlap with the Mountain Hardwear line?). You might still be able to find the Lucid. If you’re in Seattle, try Second Ascent. I saw a few Lucid jackets there for $100 recently.

As for the jacket itself, I have it and it’s nice. Size large is just over 11 oz. Let me know if you want any more info on it, although I’ve barely used it because I so rarely need something that warm. The Montbell jackets also look good, and the old models of the Inner Down and UL Inner Down jackets are on sale at Montbell’s outlet site for about $110.

I hadn’t heard of Moonstone’s demise. It sounds like one might find the Lucid at closeout prices, now.

How does the Lucid compare to the WM Flight jacket in terms of insulation value? The Lucid is 800+ fill power down but I can’t find any reports on what the fill weight is. It looks more like the Montbell jacket, though.

I expect that almost anything from Moonstone should be heavily discounted, if you can find it.

I’ve seen the Western Mountaineering Flight once, and it looked warmer (higher loft) than the Lucid. If you’re considering jackets in the Flight’s price range, check out the Feathered Friends Hyperion as well. It looks like it has a lot of warmth for it’s weight, and you can choose the shell fabric.

Hey Benjamin,
I’ll sell you the UL down inner jacket size medium (reviewed here) for $30 plus $5 shipping. (I have an older version in small that weighs a little less and I don’t REALLY need two :) The medium is in great shape.

Carol, I might be interested in buying the jacket if Benjamin doesn’t want it.

Hi Carol:

Thanks for the offer… but I am looking for something with a full zipper, rather than plastic snap buttons.

Or if Joseph doesn’t want it _ I’d love it!

Joseph,
e-mail me at carol@backpackinglight.com and let me know for sure if you want it.

Hey Ben:
I own both the UL Down Inner jacket and a WM Flight.

The MB is good to 30 easily if you layer a windshirt over it. I have never had a problem with the snaps, and it is fairly windproof even with the snaps. Layering a UL windshirt over it like a dragonfly makes it seem even more cacoon like. Packs down to about the size of an 8oz water bottle.

The WM Flight is unbelieveably warm. I feel like the Micheline Man in it and at 12 oz for a large, it is everything that all of the reviews claim it to be. I have been down to 15′ in it with a light shell and been toasty. Packs down to about the size of a 28 oz nalgene bottle. If you chose one or the other you would not be unhappy at 30′. Any colder and the WM Flight wins hands down and it has insulated had pockets, too.

I’ll 2nd Mitchell’s comments.

Just standing around or walking very slowly/leisurely, I find the MB UL Down Inner Jacket good to mid-to-upper 20’s w/o the windshirt (if there is very little wind). I’ve only been out for around 40minutes in those conditions without much movement, so perhaps some heat build up from previous activity was keeping me warm and toasty?

The snaps are not a big issue for me – enough of them for proper ventilation purposes and most of the time not too difficult to manipulate with thin gloves. I think i would prefer a zipper though (though, IME, some of MB’s zippers are a real pain to get started unless one pays close attention).

Don’t have the WM Flight, so can’t compare.

Thanks for your insights, MF and PJ. The urge to buy is always strong… but in my sober moments, I remind myself that I already have a perfectly good Thermawrap. MB claims that the synthetic Thermawrap and the down UL Inner are comparable in warmth (although some have written here that the UL down is a bit warmer).

Have both. Comparable in warmth, IME. Personally, use the Thermawrap more. Only use the down when it’s going to be dry.

Guess i’m not as sober as you are Ben.