Outdoor Research SuperStrand LT Insulated Hoodie

Synthetic fill with 12D nylon shell. Size XL weighs 12.4 oz (verified). They can often be found marked down as much as 45%. Features OR’s proprietary VerticalX polymer strand insulation which supposedly mimics down. https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/blog/outdoor-research-verticalx-superstrand-synthetic-insulation/

I’ll get my one and only gripe about the SuperStrand out of the way and it’s that the hoodie has no adjustment around the waist to snug it up, therefore allowing it to lose a lot of warmth (if not modified). The SuperStrand has a generous fit and was 4″ too large around my 34″ waist, so I simply folded the lower hem over itself to shorten 2″ on each side, like you can see in 1st pic below. Then I sewed it together as seen in 2nd pic. That did the trick and now keeps the warmth from escaping.

I have used this insulated hoodie extensively over the past 10 months and I’m very pleased with its performance. Of course not quite as much warmth per weight as down, but the hydrophobic quick-dry synthetic insulation allows me to not worry about moisture. The 12D shell is a good balance between weight and durability. If you can find a SuperStrand LT marked down, it has perhaps the best value for the money of any UL synthetic hoodie out there.