A down jacket has a number of makes use of on a mountaineering or backpacking gear record. It may be used as an insulating midlayer by itself or beneath a shell, as a heat outer jacket if you’re much less energetic in camp or as an adjunct to your sleeping bag/quilt at night time. In relation to mountaineering or backpacking, some down jackets cater to the wants of hikers greater than others by way of their warmth-to-weight ratio, hood design, sturdiness, and price. With these elements in thoughts, listed here are the most effective down jackets that we suggest throughout quite a lot of value factors for any sort of mountaineering and backpacking, from part mountaineering and thru-hiking to peakbagging and off-the-grid wilderness backpacking. You’ll want to take a look at our characteristic suggestions beneath, so that you select the precise jacket on your wants.
1. Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie
The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie is a light-weight down jacket out there in each males’s and ladies’s fashions. It’s light-weight and windproof with a 100% recycled polyester ripstop shell and 800-fill-power goose down. The hood is adjustable (rear-only) so you may shrink its quantity to suit your head, with elastic wrist cuffs. It has two zippered aspect pockets and an inside chest pocket, that’s good to maintain your smartphone heat. It stuffs into its chest pocket, making it simple to pack away when not in use. Weighing 14.8 oz (males’s medium), it’s on the heavy aspect, however is an efficient alternative if sustainability is a precedence. A stable alternative with helpful options.
The Feathered Buddies Eos Down Jacket is insulated with 900 fill energy goose down that’s out there in each males’s and ladies’s fashions. Up to date in 2022, the Eos weighs 10.8 ounces (306g). It includes a low profile twin drawstring hood and a zippered chest pocket, along with two handwarmer pockets, Lycra wrist cuffs, and elastic hem adjustment. With a Pertex Quantum Shell and sewn-thru building, it’s light-weight sufficient for use as a mid-layer beneath a shell but additionally makes a heat outer layer when worn over a fleece or heavier baselayer. The Eos additionally makes a great adjunct to a quilt or hoodless sleeping bag, in order for you extra higher physique insulation and a draft-free hood. The brand new hood adjustment improves this already very good jacket.
The Arc’Teryx Cerium Down Hoodie (previously named the Cerium LT Hoodie) is a light-weight down jacket out there in males’s and ladies’s fashions. It’s made with a 15d recycled nylon outer material insulated with 850 fill energy down and augmented with artificial insulation in moisture-prone areas such because the cuffs, armpits, and shoulders. The hood is helmet-compatible however it has a rear drawstring quantity adjustment whereas the wrists shut with elastic cuffs. Weighing 11.8 ounces, the jacket has an inside chest pocket and two zippered aspect pockets, with a drawcord-adjustable drop hem serving to to seal out drafts. The match runs slim for layering beneath a shell. It’s a good selection when you’re fearful about midlayer moisture build-up in a down jacket. The diploma of artificial insulation on this jacket is exclusive.
The REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie 2.0 is an 850 fill-power goose down jacket out there in males’s and ladies’s fashions which might be particularly designed for hikers and backpackers. Weighing 13.75 oz, the goose-down is handled with a water resistant formulation so it repels water and dries quick. The jacket has zippered hand and chest pockets, that are positioned to be appropriate with a pack’s hipbelt and shoulder seams which might be rolled ahead to stop chafing beneath pack straps. The shell is a troublesome Pertex Diamond Fuse abrasion-resistant material whereas body-mapped baffles, offering heat the place it’s wanted and decreased bulk the place it’s not. The down-filled hood with rear adjustment permits you to fine-tune the match and tightly quilted underarm gussets cut back bulk and enhance vary of movement if utilizing trekking poles. Elastic wrist cuffs and a hem adjustment are included. The jacket will be stuffed into the left aspect pocket for simple packing. REI actually went to city for hikers with this glorious design!
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer /2 Hoody is an ultralight down jacket out there for males and ladies. It’s insulated with 800 fill-power down insulation and has an ultralight 10d recycled ripstop shell material with a DWR end. Weighing 8.8 oz, the primary baffle at each cuffs is stuffed with artificial insulation to stop cuffs from wetting out. The hoody has an elastic hood and cuffs with two exterior zippered pockets, an inside drop pocket, and a drawcord hem adjustment. Its extremely packable design stuffs into its personal hand pocket with an inside carabiner clip loop. If you’d like a good lighter model of this jacket, take a look at the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL Hoody, which weighs 6.67 oz and is insulated with 1000 fill-power down.
The Out of doors Analysis Helium Down Hoodie is a light-weight down jacket out there in males’s and ladies’s fashions. It’s insulated with 800 fill energy down with a 15d Pertex Quantum shell. In an attention-grabbing twist, the hood and shoulders are made with 30d waterproof Pertex Protect, for added moisture safety. There are 5 pockets, two drop pockets on the within, two aspect zippered pockets, and a zippered chest pocket. The hood has a rear quantity adjuster, elastic wrist cuffs, and there’s a drawcord hem. Whereas the jacket is a bit on the heavy aspect at 15.4 oz, we like the additional performance and storage it gives, which lends itself to cooler temperatures. In the event you like pockets, that is the jacket for you.
The Montbell Ex Mild Down Anorak is a unisex ultralight down pullover insulated with 900 fill energy goose down with a 7-denier ballistic nylon ripstop shell. Weighing simply 7.6 oz, it has a totally adjustable 2-way hood with a totally insulated tunnel pocket to maintain your arms good and heat. Whereas this extremely compressible garment packs down small, it’s going to maintain you toasty heat when worn by itself as an outer layer or layered beneath a shell. It doesn’t have any zippered pockets however you’ll be amazed by how heat the jacket is. This has been my major heat layer for the previous two years and makes an important adjunct to my sleep system when the climate turns cooler.
The Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket is a light-weight down jacket out there in males’s and ladies’s fashions. It’s insulated with 700 fill energy down recycled down, handled with Nikwax’s hydrophobic fluorocarbon-free remedy, and comes with a mushy 30d Pertex Quantum ripstop shell. Weighing 14.6 oz, it has a 1-way adjustable hood (neck toggles) with a stiffened peak together with a shapeable wire brim, two zippered aspect pockets, and a big zippered chest pocket. The cuffs are elasticized and the jacket has a drawcord hem adjustment. A stuff sack is included. This an important jacket when you hike in chilly and windy situations and desire a comfortable and technical hood with good controls.
The Cotopaxi Fiego Hooded Down Jacket is a light-weight down jacket weighing 14 oz and out there in males’s and ladies’s fashions. It’s insulated with 800 fill energy goose down and has a colourful 20d ripstop nylon shell with quite a few colour mixtures out there. Elastic binding across the hood and cuffs seal out the chilly, whereas a drawcord waist protects your waist. The jacket has 2 inside stash pockets, 2 zippered hand pockets, and stuffs right into a pocket for transport. Good options and probably the most superb colour mixtures.
The Decathlon Forclaz Trek 100 is a low-cost light-weight down jacket that’s insulated with 800 fill-power duck down. Weighing 10.2 oz, it’s out there in males’s and ladies’s fashions. It has an outsized helmet-compatible hood that lacks any sizing changes, two zippered handwarmer pockets, elasticated wrist cuffs, and a shock-cord waist adjustment to seal out drafts from beneath. There’s no chest pocket for storing a telephone however the jacket will be stuffed into its left-hand pocket. Nonetheless, it’s a great funds possibility as a result of it’s so cheap and made with larger grade fill energy down.
The Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie is a light-weight down jacket out there in each males’s and ladies’s fashions. It’s light-weight and windproof with a 100% recycled polyester ripstop shell and 700-fill-power goose down with artificial insulation over the shoulders to insulate when moist or compressed by a backpack’s shoulder straps. The hood is totally adjustable (neck toggles and rear quantity management) so you may shrink its quantity to suit your head, with elastic wrist cuffs. It has 2 hand pockets and 1 inside chest pocket, all zippered, and stuffs into its chest pocket. Nice technical options and extra inexpensive than the Arc’teryx Cerium listed above.
Down Hoodies, Jackets, Sweaters, Anoraks, and Parkas
Producer product names are very inconsistently utilized on the subject of lighter-weight down hoodies and jackets. Typically hoodies, sweaters, and anoraks, weigh beneath one pound. Search for ones with hoods, as they supply probably the most head and neck insulation. In relation to jackets, some are light-weight and a few are heavier and meant for winter use in harsh situations. You actually have to have a look at the general jacket weight to find out which is which. Something as much as or barely over 16 oz might be good for transitional climate in spring or autumn right down to freezing by itself or layered beneath a shell, whereas heavier jackets might be extra acceptable for winter use. Parkas are virtually all the time meant for very chilly winter situations and are too heat for energetic use when mountaineering.
Sewn Through vs Baffled Development
With only a few exceptions, light-weight down jackets and hoodies have what is known as a sewn-through building quite than a field baffled one, as a result of it’s inexpensive and labor-intensive to fabricate. With sewn-thru building, the back and front of the jacket are sewn collectively making a pocket that forestalls the down insulation from shifting. Nevertheless, heat air can leak via the needle holds leading to a barely cooler jacket. This isn’t the case with a field baffled design, which is extra prevalent on premium down parkas meant for colder temperatures.
Hood Adjustment
The hoods on many light-weight or ultralight down hoodies and jackets are fairly rudimentary, with elasticized hood openings that could be too massive to stop chilly drafts from getting into round your ears. It actually is determined by the scale of your head and the particular jacket. Hoods which might be 1-way changes have quantity controls within the again that allow you to shrink the scale of the hood to supply a greater match. Hoods with 2-way adjustability go one step additional and add neck cords that help you measurement the opening to simply suit your face and block out any drafts. Two-way adjustability is fairly uncommon on light-weight down jackets and hoodies however undoubtedly a premium characteristic price searching for.
Down Fill Energy
Down fill powers, reminiscent of 700, 800, 850, or 900, measure the effectiveness and compressibility of down insulation – the upper the higher. Now 900 or 950 fill energy down is primo stuff and may actually add a variety of price to a jacket whereas holding it very light-weight because it takes much less down by weight to maintain you heat. You may obtain the identical quantity of heat with a decrease grade of down like 800 or 850, however it takes extra of the stuff to maintain you heat and provides a little bit of weight to the jacket. Nevertheless, don’t dismiss 700 fill-power down jackets, particularly in the event that they embrace artificial insulation in moisture-prone areas. The heat distinction isn’t that vital and whereas they’ll be a bit heavier they’re splendid in wetting climates.
Down Fill Weight
The fill weight of a down jacket or hoodie measures the quantity of down that it has been insulated with by weight. Whereas this may be informative, the precise heat of a jacket is a perform of the quantity of insulation it has and its design, which makes it considerably laborious to check completely different jackets which might be styled in a different way. Most light-weight jacket producers don’t doc the quantity of down included of their jackets, which may make it tough to find out which might be hotter in energetic use.
Waterproof Down
Some producers use down of their jackets that has been coated with a chemical formulation, referred to as DownTek or Nikwax, to make it extra proof against moisture and so it dries sooner when it will get damp or moist. Truthfully, the jury continues to be out on whether or not these therapies make any distinction to the insulation efficiency of the down. Some producers imagine it degrades down’s insulation worth and others use it as a result of it’s thought of a fascinating characteristic by potential clients.
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