Very warm,lightweight down jacket suggestions…

Weight?  Budget?  Temp range?

• Bang for your Buck – Montbell (Mirage, Plasma, etc)
• Pure Excellence – GooseFeet Gear

Lightweight and packable and warm.I dont think it will be cheap.

I’m not sure what “very warm” means.  I love my Marmot Quasar, I don’t think you can beat the warmth & quality for the weight.   It’s intermediate temp range, i.e. cold but not Minnesota winter cold.  If you’re not fussy about color, there’s a fantastic deal on Sierra Trading Post right now.

Temp rating would be +10 to -10

Rab Neutrino Endurance?
I don’t have a need for anything that warm, but I have another Rab and they are really well made.

I have a closet full of down jackets for all occasions. My favorite for the temps you describe is the Montbell Alpine Light. Superior quality for the price. Far ahead of most offerings from most makers.

My issue with the Marmot Quasar is the fit (for me). I tried it on at a store along with the Patagonia Down Sweater. The Patagonia is noticeably roomier in the shoulders and armpits vs the Quasar. So if you are broad shouldered or have a larger/more muscular build, I’d suggest the Down Sweater over the Quasar.

Neither are truly ULW gear, but on a good sale the cost for warmth/style/weight is pretty good, IMO. I bought my Down Sweater more as an everyday winter coat/ski insulation layer. If I was doing backpacking I might look at something else if I was really concerned.

Lightweight and packable and warm.

The Montbell Plasma 1000 parka would seem to tic the boxes you mention.  If you are looking for something that will keep you warm to the stated temperatures by itself, then perhaps look elsewhere.  If you plan to wear base layers appropriate for those temps, you will likely be quite pleased.

I dont think it will be cheap.

Uh, yeah.

Agreed, Shane – the Quasar is slim fitting.   It’s what I’d call an active cut (I think they call it “angel wing”), where the armpits & shoulders are cut in a way that if you raise your arms above your head it does not ride up at the waist.    But it won’t suit somebody with a bigger chest & upper arms.

I do think the Quasar qualifies as UL at under 9oz for its warmth, but it’s not warm enough for the temp range OP is looking at.

I got a killer deal on a Brooks Range hooded anorak. Brooks Range wasn’t on my radar at all but I couldn’t pass on the price. Turns out it’s great. Shell material doesn’t leak feathers and is water resistant; hood is super warm; whole thing is warm and bomber. good weight to warmth ratio (being an anorak helps).

Everyone made some good suggestions for jackets in the 20-30s that you could push into the teens with layers for sure. Especially if you’re active.

-10/10 you’ll need more expedition weight in my opinion. Patagonia has one or you can go custom. Just my two cents.

Montbell has a very useful graphic on their site that compares models on a warmth /weight basis.  If you have experience with one (or more) of their jackets, you can get a very good idea of another model’s performance.

I have both the Alpine Light and the Plasma 1000 parkas and would consider them identical in warmth, which is what the graphic suggests, with the Plasma being ~6 oz lighter total weight.  There are only 3 models warmer than the AL/Plasma.  Perhaps a Mirage is more of what the OP is looking for at only a ~4 oz penalty over the Plasma.

PS – in case it isn’t obvious, I like Montbell gear quite a bit.

Look at Patagucci’s best parka and LL Bean’s top-of-the-line parka with DownTek DWR down treatment.

The Patagucci parka is a bit warmer than Bean’s. To achieve maximum warmth both have baffles and are not sewn-through. Bean uses microwave “welded” baffles, Patagonia’s are sewn baffles. Both parkas are excellent quality.

Dave,

In your original post you mentioned that you did not like the delicate shell of your kelvinator, but at the same time you want something packable and warm.  A more durable shell will be less packable, FYI, but some of the more durable shells are more wind resistant.  You can always throw a shell over a more lightly insulated jacket however.

For the temps you indicated, I would probably take something warmer than some of the jackets mentioned earlier, especially if I’m going to be around camp and not retreating to the warmth of my sleeping bag when I get cold.  The Montbell Permafrost has a more durable shell than some of the others mentioned, as does something like a Feathered Friends Volant…the Pertex Shield shell is pretty rugged.  They are heavier, less packable, but much warmer.

You have to consider what you think you’ll be doing in camp and how warm you want to be with the weight and volume penalties you’ll incur with the warmer, more durable jackets.   10 below (f) is pretty cold.  I can get a Mirage down to about 10 above (f) but for me, it would not be warm enough at 10 below.

I do run fairly cold, however, so your mileage my vary…

Just like to add that montbell has the best down jacket line IMO. I’d also agree the permafrost matches your requirements the most. I use a mirage as my winter jacket, but I usually have a midlayer fleece, windshirt and nano air layered underneath when it gets frigid. For sitting around in -10 degree temps you’ll want down pants/booties, and a box baffled parka with 10+ oz of down.

I have had the same EMS down puffy for years and I am not looking to buy since my jacket is still doing great. I think it has been discontinued. But when a friend asked me last year for a recommendation that would not shoot too high in price, I liked the Montbell Frost Line Park on paper. I have never seen it or tried it. I liked that it had a decent amount of down, relatively durable shell and, most importantly from a thermal standpoint, it is box construction, instead of sewn through like many other at this pricepoint.

When he was about to pull the trigger, he got a good deal via Massdrop on a Rab that’s very nice. Don’t recall the model or specs.

The Patagonia Fitz Roy can also be found on sales at decent prices. I also remember that there was a nice jacket on sale at a great price with great specs by one of the smaller manufacturers, but I can’t remember who now. Like I said, he went with the Rab and is happy with it. Paid about the same as the Montbell full price.

Look at Patagucci’s best parka and LL Bean’s top-of-the-line parka with DownTek DWR down treatment.

The Patagucci parka is a bit warmer than Bean’s. To achieve maximum warmth both have baffles and are not sewn-through. Bean uses microwave “welded” baffles, Patagonia’s are sewn baffles. Both parkas are excellent quality.

I’m not so confident about Patagonia’s current quality. At our house, my wife and I both have several each of previous years-models Down Sweater’s. I recently ordered a new one (on sale) because I like the way it fits me, and I like that Patagucci has gone to a tooth zipper (this is for an around-town garment). The Jacket arrived, and a number of the channels weren’t fully filled with down. Allowed to loft, and laid out side-by-side, it’s obvious the 2017 model has lesser fill. I called the retailer (Backcountry) and they sent me a replacement. Same problem. I sent it back as well. Too bad. The quality has slipped, while the price has increased.

I’d suggest that Patagaonia, rather than obsess about a social conscience, would do better to worry about their manufacturing inconsistencies (this Down Sweater is not the only problem I’ve encountered).

Dollar to Dollar, I don’t think Montbell can be beat.

Rob,i dont mind a  delicate shell as long as its warm.My kelvinator was not warm in -20c temps and i had it over an r2 fleece.Also i think the wind blew through it.

Thanks to all fir the suggestions and chart!

was that -10/10F or C?

I have a Montbell Mirage and it is amazing!  Fabric feels delicate but I’ve put it through the paces over the last 4 years and is no worse for the wear.  Compared to my EX light, its a million times warmer.  It packs up significantly more bulky than the EX light but for the warmth, the weight is close to half of its thermally equal competitors.  Two thumbs up!

Feeling the wind through your down jacket will definitely make it feel colder than a down jacket with a more wind resistant shell material.  However, if you have a jacket with a delicate shell material such as the montbell mirage, you can size it up to fit over a shell jacket, or you can size up your shell jacket to fit over the mirage.  Both of those techniques will help you feel warmer in windy weather.  The Permafrost will do fine in the wind without a shell jacket over or under it, because it’s shell material is more resistant to the wind (it also has more down).   Hope this helps, Dave!

If wind goes through your jacket shell, seems like a windshirt over it would be the ticket.