Before I buy: Comparables to LL Bean down hoody (10oz)?

I would look at the Montbell ex light and Backcountry hadron and the offerings from Borah and Luke’s Ultralight.

How about this:

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=2001&p_id=2301174&gen_cd=1&fo_flg=1

The Montbell Alpine Light is a little cheaper, a little heavier and should be somewhat warmer.

Sierra Designs’ DriDown hoody? They also have some scorching deals on old stock right now.

Don’t forget Uniqlo.  My medium parka is 8.9 ounces, large jacket (newest) is 8.4 ounces.

Not sure if the down fill is comparable but with a fleece it should get most people down to freezing around camp. For sitting around camp for a while I need a bit more warmth.

No offense to LL bean but that jacket does not look very warm. The loft based on the pictures looks very minimal. Does anyone know how much down is in that?

I have a feathered friends daybreak hoody (not sure if still available) that weighs 8.5 ounces and looks considerably more lofty than that jacket. has appox 2.8 oz down in it.

Def look into borah gear custom jackets and montbell over this option.

The SD DriDown hoody is a good suggestion.  I was thinking about purchasing that LL Bean down hoody, but ended up going with the Sierra  Designs DriDown hoody instead.  I really like the thumb holes on the SD hoody.  I find it super convenient for putting a shell on top of it.

I have to second the uniglo.  They are only $89 and can be had for a lot less on sale.  It looks just like the LL Bean.

With a warm baselayer will keep you toasty down into the 20’s or so.

I have never understood what the other companies offer to make them worth 2-3 times the price.

I will say I’d be happy if it had more down, even if the baffle was twice as wide to reduce seams.. The womens is this way and seems warmer.  I got mine on sale for like $40 and I’m very happy with it.  I think if I had paid $170 I’d be very disappointed.

BPL did a test on many down jackets years ago … The found little correlation between “warmth” and loft

;)

There was no real correlation.  They found that even thin not so lofty jackets can be warm and thicker jackets that are ill fitting can be not so warm.

The trick to a warm UL jacket is the fit and sealing in the heat better from the bottom cuffs and neck.

Eddie Bauer Microtherm $137

http://www.eddiebauer.com/product/men-39-s-microtherm-reg-stormdown-reg-hooded-jacket/38832206/_/A-ebSku_0880856907000040__38832206_catalog10002_en__US?showProducts=111&previousPage=REC&cm_sp=REC-_-PDP-_-38832184

Their heavier nonhooded Downlight is $91

The trick to a warm UL jacket is the fit and sealing in the heat better from the bottom cuffs and neck.

fit is the most underrated issue on these forums i find

everyone oozes over the weight … but with an ill fitting insulating jacket all that weight savings means little, youre basically giving up “warmth” for a “paper weight” gain vs a slightly heavier but better fitting jacket

in fact a good fitting 650 fill jacket may be just as warm or even warmer than an ill fitting 850 fill jacket of roughly the same down fill

IME in order of importance for “warmth”

• down fill weight (as napolean said god is on the side of big batallions)
• FIT, FIT and FIT
• design and features to improve the fit and heat retention
• fill power (as long as its not a huge difference)

for example if you dont fit a MB exl well which doesnt have a bottom draw cord or elastic (mine doesnt) … it doesnt matter its 900 fill down … youre basically acting as a bellows pumping your warm air out of the bottom every time you move around. and heating up dead air space

which is why some folks have found the cheap uniqlo jackets to be as warm as other higher fill powered ones …. or folks find dead bird atoms with fleece panels warmer than patagucci nanopoofayz … FIT

paper weigh is irrelevant if it dun FIT

;)

I have an L.L. Bean primaloft jacket. I forget the model but it is a comparable synthetic. It’s kind of heavy at 13.5 oz in medium. Because of the weight I moved on to a Montbell Ex Light anorak. Slightly less warm but still good for most 3 season trips. I was lucky enough to buy one off of gear swap for $100. The LL Bean is now my around town jacket. Otherwise, I think the Uniqlo UL Down jackets are great and you can’t beat the price. I have a store near me and have tried them on. Around $70 but I’ve seen many on eBay in the $50 range for new ones. Slightly off topic. I just bought a Brooks Range Mojave Down jacket for winter trips. 16 oz with 6 oz of 850 Dri Down. On sale right now for $150. I’m looking forward to using it.

Looking at the choices I’d go with the Sierra Designs hoody. Warmer, high quality and decent prices.

Plus it is Dri-Down, like LL Bean and I do like DWR treated down – so far, that is. My Eddie Bauer DWR treated down in my vest has withstood sweaty hiking and some wet snow and kept its loft.

SD does make their stuff somewhat small, though. Go up a size.

I’m 5’10” and 190 lbs, and their size large DriDown Hoodie is definitely a form-fitting “athletic” fit on me. I could go up to XL. As said above, quality is excellent.

Sorry all for the long bit of radio silence.  I’m still pondering and really do appreciate all the feedback.  As it stands I’m looking more at the smaller down “sweaters” like the one made by Patagonia because I want as packable of a package as possible – I won’t be doing any sort of alpine stuff and this is basically insurance for weather dropping below what I could handle normally with layers, microfleece, and maybe my quilt wrapped around me inside my houdini…

Look at Montbell then. I have an ultralight (hoodless) down jacket of theirs that included a color-matched stuff sack no larger than a good-sized sausage a bit too big to wrap my hand completely around.

If you’re not really carrying any other insulation then I highly recommend getting a jacket with a hood. It makes all the difference in the world when you’re caught in a freezing wind. If you have some other insulating layers with a hood then it might not be so important. But that jacket I linked to is 9oz with the hood. (9oz!) A comparable SD sweater-style jacket without a hood weighs more, though as mentioned above they are exceptionally well-made. Montbell has a good reputation for quality as well, but their line also includes some very lightweight options, as I linked. These are made from lightweight shell fabrics that necessarily involve a durability tradeoff. The Montbell Ex Lite is 5.6 oz without a hood.

I have a Montbell Ex UL jacket and a vest, neither have a hood. When I need a hood with them, I bring a separate down hood, which works out because if I need a hood with my jacket or vest, I need a hood with my quilt.

Just a thought and an option.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in this thread.  After actually getting my hands on the LL bean sweater and weighing it (13oz, not 10!) and getting a feel for it, I decided to go ahead and order the jacket from Bora Gear and pair it with my existing EE 20-40f hoodlum and/or OR Gauge beanie / Seirus balaclava.

I won’t have it for a few weeks but I’m feeling pretty good about the purchase!