Insulating Layer for winter camping

Check out the stuff from Montbell. Some of the lightest jackets, and very competitive prices.

+1 on the Montbell. I’ve had the Alpine Light (14.2oz) for a 3+ yrs and it’s a great jacket, especially for $199.

I do find I grab my Arcteryx cerium lt hoody (10.4oz) more often though. It’s almost as warm, has a better hood, packs smaller, and I like the athletic cut a little better. It’s of course more expensive..

There are so many good 800+ fill down jackets out there… I’d look for something on sale. :)

*** EDIT ***

Just noticed the Alpine Light on sale at the Montbell Outlet page for $143… plus free shipping. That’s a bargain!

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=2001&p_id=2301176&gen_cd=1&fo_flg=1

U.L. Thermawrap Parka Men’s
http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=2002&p_id=2301299&gen_cd=1

At a claimed 24oz I think that the Patagonia DAS Parka is a phenomenal jacket for winter. I used to wrangle with one or two of 60g/m^2 and even 100g/m^2 synthetic jackets for winter and now I just carry the one DAS. They’re common enough that you can often find them well below their MSRP as well.

It’s great for belaying while ice climbing, great for snack stops while winter hiking and cozy for sitting and sleeping in for winter camping. I’ve been comfortable in this down to -15ºF with a light down jacket and R1 fleece under it. At or above 0ºF I don’t even bother with the down jacket.

To me the best part of it is not worrying if it gets damp when I put it on after being active. Moisture passes through the insulation easily with your body heat, and even if it gets frozen crispy it is still reasonably warm.

The only real downside is that the DAS Parka takes up a fair amount of space, and if you are packing it without compressing it, it’ll happily take up about 20 liters of pack space. I think the stuff sack it comes with is about 8 liters.

I’m leaning towards getting the Montbell Alpine Light jacket.  Great price for a 800 fill jacket.  How warm would this jacket be in comparison to my Nano Puff?

Never used a Nano Puff, but I have an Alpine Light as well as a Montbell Thermawrap jacket w/ 40g insulation and a Montbell UL parka w/ 2.5 oz of 800 fill down. I’d rate the AL as ~twice as warm as the UL and maybe 3x as warm as the TW.

For me the AL is a furnace above 30*…i.e., perfect for standing around camp below freezing.

BTW, both the AL Parka and jacket are on sale right now.

Thanks JCH, that was exactly the info I needed.  My Nano Puff is ok to stand around camp in down to about freezing below that I get too cold.  Sounds the the AL Parka would be perfect.

Jeff, I should have added that for standing around in camp I usually use a 3-layer system, LS 100wt wool + Cap4 (grid) hoody + parka of choice.  For low exertion, the AL is good for significantly below freezing in that configuration.

According to Richard Nisley, a Nano Puff is about 0.73 clo and the Alpine Light is 2.51, so the Alpine Light would be 3.4x warmer.  A Nano Puff is right about the same as a 200 weight fleece.

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/18950/

Thanks everyone for the great info! I ordered a Montbell Alpine Light down parka.  Great deal at $143.

The gotcha with the Alpine Light is the short back length. Most prefer a parka that has at 29-31″ drop tail to cover the hip/bum so when seated you don’t get drafts.

The gotcha with the Alpine Light is the short back length

Hmmmm.  I’m 6′ 1″, 220, the large fits me perfectly and I have never had a problem with the length of the back.  Every body (pun intended) is different.

https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/deal-of-the-day

The price caught my eye.  No other info to offer.