Montbell Alpine Light parka

I use my alpine light parka for everything colder than summer and up to and including mild winter. So I use my Montbell Ex-Light yest in the warmest few months of the year, and then the Alpine Light comes out for early spring, fall and moderate winter use.

It's hard to really put specific temperatures on this, but very roughly I'd say comfortable hanging out around camp to around freezing. Once it gets colder than that, if I'm not active then I'll probably need to be heading for the tent soon.

Dan, thank you for your response, I just placed my order for a Alpine Light parka. Thanks again! John

I get cold easy so take this for what its worth.

With a mid-weight base layer and a 100 wt pullover, if I am moving I am good into the 20sF . If I am sitting around I'm good to about 35-40F. Below that I layer with my Marmot Baffin. Below that I don't do do lightweight :)

I've used mine sitting around camp into the low 20's w/o no ill effect :)- it is layered w/ a base layer, mid-layer (R1 usually) and a windshirt- also a warm hat, gloves and down booties

the Alpine Light is cut fairly roomy so you can layer a fair bit of clothing under it, I have a Ex-Light jacket that I've wanted to try under the AL, but haven't the opportunity

Mike, I'll be using the same system as you, I also have a EX-Light and had planned on layering it under the Apline Light when the temps drop. Good to hear it it has plenty of room to layer underneath.

So I've only started owning down in the last 3 years and initially I bought the ubiquitous Patagonia down sweater but it wasn't actually that warm, placing in temps where it can be wet, so I then swapped to a synthetic vest, and moved to much beefier down jacket – the Montbell Alpine Light hooded jacket (they call a Parka).

If you've not owned much thick down, and come from a synthetic experience as I had then the surprise is the way it takes much longer for heat to build, unlike synthetic which is a more instant-heat, thick down feels cold initially and for quite some time it feels like its not going to be warm but then after say 15-20mins it builds and builds to a roaring heat which needs conditions to be cold or you to be inactive to withstand. I found if I were active I could NOT wear the said Parka above -10C/14F and at at -5C/23F even if I had the zip fully open and the hood down I could not keep it on above -5C/23F, too much heat in the arms and the inside getting damp from sweat.

On the lower side with it zipped up and hood up I could keep active in it about -20C/-4F and lower than that I really had to layer with fleece below and something above. I got good insulation layering with a baggy windproof over the top, I had a Paramo Fuera and it was not squishing the loft much at all but it was usefully trapping air so made it warm plus made it tougher so could wear a long time in the -20C type temperatures.

It squishes into a 3L dry bag which weighs little which is rather impressive for its warmth.

That forms my travelling winter system, a fleece, windproof and the down parka, I can fly from Pacific through Chicago to New York and that combo does sunny 60F down to -F. If only the boots were simply to resolve :^)
Inactive, well I can sit in my house with tshirt under the Montebell, when temps are around 10C/50F and its about right so it helps pay for itself via not paying my local utility as much :)

Overall, one of the best investments I have made, I did manage to get it for $140 a little over a year ago, I looked again about a month ago and couldn't spot any sales so good luck.