Just got a new jacket…
I like to be prepared when I hike and that includes having an “emergency” jacket in my pack even on nice fall days. It often could be in the 30s or 40s after sunset and I feel like I should have a “what if I sprain my ankle” jacket, even though I know I’m not going to wear it 99% of the time. Like a rain jacket. You’d feel pretty stupid the one time you need it after leaving it in the car.
For winter snowshoeing, I dress “light” so I don’t sweat, but need a warm hoody to put on immediately when stopping at a summit or in the wind.
I’ve been in a quandry. My solutions to both problems took up a lot of pack space. A fleece or a thermal lined soft shell both pack large for an emergency layer. And the heavy 650 fill down hoody for winter use also packs big. I have a Marmot Zeus 800 fill jacket (like the Patagonia down sweater) that I wear all the time. Great around town/car jacket for dry winter days. But, without a hood, it’s not ideal for hiking purposes.
So, I’ve been waiting for a sale on the new Marmot Quasar Down Hoody. I don’t think Marmot stuff is any better or worse than other brands, but I am confident in the fit of their clothes, so it’s an easy choice.
Marmot Quasar Hoody (men’s version)
Marmot Quasar Hoody (women’s version)
It’s a Pertex Quantum GL 10D nylon ripstop shell (inside and outside). Sewn through baffles. 900 fill goose down. Three pockets, two hand pockets and an outside chest pocket. Two drawcord tighteners at the hem. Form fitting hood with elastic to keep it tight, plus a drawcord tightener from the back to cinch it tight. Elastic at the cuffs. No inside pockets. Stuffs into one of the pockets (a thin rectangular shape).
Specs at the Marmot website are wrong. They list it at 13 ounces, but a Men’s Medium actually measures 10.7 ounces on my digital kitchen scale.
I’m 165 pounds. The Medium fits a little loose over a t-shirt. Fits trim over PowerStretch fleece. Works great as a mid-layer under a GoreTex ski shell (If I’m ever cold enough to wear that combo). Or, I can wear it with Marmot Essence ultra-light rain hoody for a full waterproof “winter parka” combo weighing less than 17 ounces.
The price makes it hard to pull the trigger on these ultra-light down hoodies, but this is a really nice product that is going to live in my pack six to nine months a year. Because it packs so small, I can carry it even when I’m still using the small summer day pack in the fall.
