I’m in the market for a synthetic fill jacket that will stuff really small. This is to be worn primarily around camp while kayak camping in the PNW. OK to temps in the upper 30’s. Fleece or wool won’t do it. I’m thinking a PrimaLoft piece. No hood, no frills. Doesn’t need to tough or resist campfire sparks. It is something that I expect to destroy this summer.
Suggestions?
Here’s a nice one
– Last Updated: Feb-01-07 11:50 AM EST –
http://www.sierradesigns.com/mens.display.php?id=664
Stuffs into its own pocket even.
Careful
The censor (grumble2death) will issue you a yellow card as this isn’t really a paddling question.
Gosh…
…Here I was thinking it was an OK question to ask since this is to be a jacket purchased specifically for kayak camping. I even considered which forem to post it to. Some days I just can’t seem to get it right. I guess I should have named the thread “Inside Passage Attire”.
Well, in the event that I am about to get booted for posting this I would appreciate any input to my question before the lights get turned out.
Don’t worry about it too much
– Last Updated: Feb-01-07 12:25 PM EST –
Post it where you like, no one with any sense takes much notice of grumble2death anyway.
trust me
over 4000 miles on the water and over 4000 miles of trail, the Thermawrap Jacket/Vest/Pants by Montbell are the best on the market currently. Couple them with the Sierra Designs Isotope Pants and Jacket and you’ll have system that is hard to beat. Add the Villager by Overshoes and a pair of primaloft socks and you will rule the cosmos.
www.webshots.com
Ripshinpaddler
Patagonia Micro Puff Pull-over
I cannot disagree with Medicine Man’s Montbell recommendation, but I would like to suggest you also look at Patagonia’s Micro Puff Pull-over. I carry it in my kayak both for emergencies and staying warm after a cool weather paddle. It’s light, compact and can be pulled over almost any other clothing.
Full retail is around $149, but you can often find one a bit under $100, from the Patagonia outlet (Billings, MT) or other on-line sources if you are willing to take it in the prior year’s color selection. I’m not looking to make a fashion statement, so it was a no-brainer.
Marmot Flurry
temps in the 30’s
in the PNW in the summer???
BC North Coast at night…
Mid-thirties would buy me a 5 degree contingency.
good idea
That is about what I was thinking of. I have ready access to Patagucci.
Thanks for the tip.
Synthetic insulation
Cloudveil.com
Primaloft fill
– Last Updated: Feb-01-07 8:38 PM EST –
It's the closest thing to down, for compression. Warm, too.
I got an REI jacket filled with it last year. Has a very nice hood, (more adjustable than most), trim cut, two slash pockets, no frills. I have not yet taken it on a paddle camping trip but I too bought it mainly for that purpose, because it's so compressible. Temp range would be fine for what you're contemplating. I recently wore mine walking the dogs on a 15-degree day, with a turtleneck and a wool sweater underneath; I had to unzip the jacket because I got too warm.
Fleece and wool are too bulky for the same insulation value.
The REI jacket I am describing is available in a men's version as well as woman's sizes. Though mine cost $140 full price when it came out, my husband just bought one at their winter sale for about half that. If you can scrounge one up now, you can't beat the price.
Model Name?
Do you happen to recall the name of jacket?
They only had the one model in Primaloft
If you ask an REI staffer, they should be able to steer you to it. Or check REI’s website, which has a search field.
It’s a really nice jacket!
It’s the Gossamer Jacket.
Wasn’t looking for a hood but it looks like it might be just thing anyway. Thanks for the tip.
The website has only one size and colorway left.
I’d better hurry.
Thank you.
PrimaLoft
I like my Wild Things EP Hooded Jacket. The EPIC fabric is highly water-resistant. It’s PrimaLoft (as opposed to PrimaLoft Sport, which is reputedly second best). I’ve heard that PrimaLoft loses loft if you keep it wadded up for long periods of time, but I regularly forget to unstow my jacket, and I haven’t noticed any loss of warmth.
The folks at backpackinglight.com review these jackets from time to time. I keep plugging that web site, but I promise it’s because I love them, not because I’m getting any money from them.
– Mark
a word about Patagonia
I’ve got a retropile jacket that is 20 years old and the zipper failed…I paid shipping to Patagonia and they replaced the zipper for free and shipped it back for free.
They have a nice lineup of wool garments out now that might compete with Smartwool and Ibex…an excellent company started in a garage!
One post mentioned the micro puff series. I’ve carried a Puffball vest in the backpack for years and used it as sleep gear-something to keep the core warm.
The common thread here is synthetics and as paddlers down has that one giant weekness. Primaloft has evolved over the years, it was never bad to start with, but Primaloft II and I think? the latest is even better!
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If you have an LL Bean outlet nearby…
…check them out. My local one has some nice Primaloft jackets (their house brand and others like Marmot) and they’re blowing out all outerwear REALLY CHEAP right now.
Can’t paddle if you’re dead
I have been evaluating my “don’t die bag” AKA hypothermia kit and realized that the fleece was taking up huge amounts of space compared to it’s potential warmth, so IMHO (for what it is worth) this is insulation thread is very worthy and deserves to be archived.
My biggest problem when it comes to survival gear is space. I need a very compact package and the Montbell UL Thermawrap looks like a decent compromise between compressibility and warmth, just wished it had a hood.
Thanks for asking this, it got me thinking.
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