MontBell Ultralight Thermawrap Insulation Parka - Men's - 2009 BCS

I can only think of one reason why this jacket is so warm: unicorns. This thing is so incredible, it must be stuffed with the hair of organic-grass-fed unicorns. That would explain its completely unbelievable lack of weight, out-of-this-world warmth, and unmatched versatility. Do yourself a favor, and just go buy this thing already... before PETA starts claiming that organic unicorn hair cannot be sustainably harvested.

This goes in my pack almost every time I leave. Its great over just a t-shirt on cool evenings and works equally as well under a shell while skiing in the winter. Super light and compressible for synthetic insulation and doesn't feel stiff or restrictive. Awesome piece. I did have to size up - I'm 6'3 180 and went with a Large.

There is a reason why Montbell has only done slight changes to this jacket since it's conception, it is simply unbeatable! I have had this jacket for 5 years and my roomate just got the revamped version. Only difference is a change in material, making it more glossy, and an added bit of stretch to the cuff of the sleeve. The jacket is insanely warm for the low amount of bulkiness and layers much better than a down jacket. If you are in constant -20 degree temps, you might want to upgrade to down, for everything else, this jacket will make you smile. I use this parka for just about everything, from keeping warm while resting on a ski tour or crawling underneath buildings at the ski resort I work at. I have about six small holes from crampons, nails, skis, ice tools and a couple from my dog. The material inside the jacket does not leak out and the outer material does not rip any further than the original tear. I sealed up my first two nicks, but haven't since because there seems to be no need to. I will definitely be buying this jacket again, but my current parka still has a lot of years in it even with the abuse I give it.

Extremely lightweight, super warm!, packs down very small, sheds water... awesome!

Insulated hoods are amazing. It's like a jacket, scarf, and hat but the sum is greater than the parts. This jacket packs down to a bit smaller than Nalgene size in it's stuff sack. I keep it in there while climbing a multi-pitch so that I have it when I'm sitting around. It keeps you dry AND warm in the rain (unlike down, which doesn't insulate when wet).

There is a velcro tab on the top-back of the hood that allows you to pull the hood back a bit. This feature is very nice when biking because you can wear the hood without blocking your view of the road when crouched over.

I was out around town wearing only a t-shirt and this jacket. Temp was ~20F and I was nice and warm. I highly recommend this jacket.

I love this jacket for its durable yet soft fabric, light weight, and heat trapping properties. It fits nicely as a midlayer or can pull duty as an alpine belay jacket. Beyond being warm, light, and comfy, the jacket also packs down to the size of a Nalgene in the included stuff sack. I'm 5'8", 135 and the small works really well.

This is now my favorite jacket when the mercury starts to drop. In the Cascades the wet snow can make life miserable for down. I no longer have to worry. I put it to the test in 35 F, raining with wet snowflakes mixed in while snowshoeing and was truly impressed(younger brother left his shell at home so he wore mine). Light rain is shed pretty easy, but the wet snow started to soak in as it stuck. The moisture eventually made its way through the jacket in the shoulders, but this was after 5 hours of being out in these somewhat miserable conditions. I noticed my shoulders were damp, but never cold.
While I have only had this jacket for a year, I am amazed at the abuse it has withstood. I have had a few incidents where branches have snagged my arm and caught the fabric or brushed up against one too many rocks, yet the fabric has not shown any wear and tear.
A bonus is it is not too puffy, so when layering, you don't notice a lot of bulk. I had my girlfriend wear to watch a soccer game. At first she was doubtful that it would keep her warm, but afterwards she remarked at how warm it actually was.
The zippers can be a pain to find at first, but they are very clean and almost hidden to the untrained eye. My only complaint is there is no internal water bottle/long pocket like my MontBell Alpine Light Down Jacket has(two in that jacket).
MontBell keeps it nice and light, and the Exceloft insulation is perfect for the wet Cascades. From Rainier to the Alps to the streets of Seattle, when the temps drop and rain is a possibility, this jacket is the one I grab from the closet.

I was looking for a jacket good for 40-50 degrees w or w/o windy weather. This is perfect for my needs. Wore it in 48 degrees with 10-15 mph winds with a long sleeve tshirt underneath, and I was a little too warm. The jacket is very light, and durable with great wind protection. It runs small so, size up if you want extra room for layers.

Sick. Does exactly what it should. The only limitation to be aware of is that the remarkable lightness is obtained by using very lightweight shell material and stitching - it's strong for what it is but it isn't for bushwhacking or groveling up coarse rock pitches. Cover with a shell for those situations. Otherwise, this thing's the total bomb. only 6 oz more then the down equivalent with all the security of synthetic. LOVE.

fitted fit, nice and warm, hood, stuffs into a small bag for packing.. love it!

I was on a military field training exercise and it rained the entire weekend none stop. We had our mil standard Gortex jackets on but the water soaked right through on the first night. By the way, we slept on the ground with leaky poncho's and boots that we never got to change. 14 out of 46 came down with hypothermia that night. Not me though! This jacket keeps its insulating properties even when wet. so i stripped down and wore this in my wet sleep system and dried up in no time and had an extraordinary dry night. Most amazing jacket ever!!

This jacket is the first light synthetic jacket I've tried which comes even close to the warmth I feel when I put on my mountain hardwear sub-zero down. I have another synthetic insulation piece which is pretty disappointing after trying this one on. And yet somehow its more packable than a lot of the others. Anyways, SUPER impressed w. Montbell products.

When the next Ice Age terrorizes the planet, it will be the people with the MontBell U.L. Thermawrap that survive. It's that good...

Took this with me on a June trip to the Cascades, 12 days of hard use, with it on most of the time (including in the sleeping bag). It did the job of keeping me warm, and weighs practically nothing. I love that its thinner than your typical down jacket, so putting a rain/wind shell over this doesn't require upsizing your other gear. Starting to show some wear already on the cuff, but I totally expect that given the use.

This jacket is lightweight, compressible and warm for size. The hood adds warmth that is worth the extra weight. Compressed, it is smaller than a nalgene and nearly disappears in a pack. Layered underneath a shell it is almost perfect. Not for extreme temps, but I've been comfortable down to the teens while not very active as long as I'm wearing the correct layers. The fit is spot on for me. I'm 6'2" and 185 and the Large is just like it should be.

Got it to walk with the dog in upstate NY, wore it over medium weight fleece in 12 degrees with wind gusts of 40 mph, and did not feel the weather! And this is without the shell, amazing! Weighs nothing, wind resistant, cut is a little smallish. I wear medium, ordered large, fit's well. You will not regret!

I honestly haven't worn any of my softshells or gtx jackets since I got this jackets two months ago, ice-climbing, skiing, work, shopping, drinking, winter camping, sex (I'm going to clarify that I was joking about that last one, but if would if I was to do it in outside in the winter). I half expected it to rip long ago but it hasn't yet. When it does I'll buy two more. The weight to warmth is unbeatable and I'm def buying MontBell sleeping bags after this.

Very light jacket but somehow unnaturally warm. This is my go to jacket for pretty much everything. My old down parka hasn't been out of the closet since I got this.

I bought this jacket after comparing it to the Mountain Hardwear Compressor PL hoody. The Montbell is more minimalist, it doesn't have a hood adjustment, napoleon pocket or quite as much fill as the compressor (about 3 ounces less fill). But I LOVE my montbell thermawrap. The fit is the best of any synthetic jacket I've tried on, I got an L and I'm 6' 185. I would really give two thumbs up on this jacket, it's built with a lot of quality for sure. Thus far it has been the perfect go to jacket for those cold drizzly pac nw days.

I'm 5' 10" and thin, the jacket fits great in medium. The fit is great zipped up, I compared Mntn Hardware, North Face to this jacket and found the hood, pockets, and overall fit of this jacket to be the best of the three. I do wish it was not shiny at all, but I think that is the nature of the material unfortunately and I bought this jacket for its cold protection and price point. I have not yet tested it in <30deg weather in the Northern U.S. and so will come back with an update if able.

To be honest, I'm not an outdoors guy. I really wanted a extremely light, maximally functional jacket so I can work with changing conditions while traveling. This jacket really fits the bill. I'm 5'7 with a 37" chest and the small fits me well. Snug in the right places to keep heat in. Works great as layer.

This is my new favorite jacket. The hood is really warm and adds negligible weight. The cut is really perfect and the DWR coating makes it seem almost waterproof. Here in Idaho I haven't needed a warmer layer all season (temperatures in the low teens and even negative at times).

I bought this jacket about a month ago it kept me comfortable at 3 degrees f in the Wasatch foothills. It's ultra lightweight and compresses well and fits tightly in the stuff sack that comes with it. I wanted to test the wind-proofness of the jacket, so I rolled down the window going 60 mph on a night that was bout 30 degrees f and felt no detectable penetration. I highly recommend this jacket.

at first you may think it resembles a trash bag...but after wearing it for a while it loses a little of the luster...then you fall even more in love with it. i remember picking this baby up at the montbell store in boulder, CO and drooled all over myself. i'd recommend this to anyone. so so sooo ridiculously light and ultra stylish and just rad all around. excellent compression, breathability, windproofness.

This jacket is incredible. Just like the other reviews say, this thing is magical. It weighs a mere 12oz yet it is unbelievably warm. I am 5'11, 160 pounds and I was right between a medium and large. I went with the large and it fits great. I wore it the other night bar hopping in 18 degree salt lake city with just a t-shirt underneath and everyone I was with was complaining about how cold it was, except me. It comes with a stuff sack and compacts down to just a little bigger than a nalgene bottle. Super light, super warm, super amazing. I highly recommend this jacket.