Mountain Hardwear Phantom Jacket - Men's - 2007 BCS

i chose the mountain hardwear phantom over the mountain hardwear sub zero for two reasons.

1. it's warmer with 800 fill vs. 650 for the sub zero.
2. it's lighter at 15oz (440g) vs. the sub zero 1lb 11oz (765g).

i am 5'10 with 30 inch waist and i even went a step further and went for a size small. it's perfect, but any smaller and it would be too small. it's light and super warm. i like the shortness of it in case i need to wear a harness however some might feel it's too short. it packs down into a nice little package for packing on the skin up. AND the fleece lined pockets are a very nice supprise luxury for a superlight jacket.

The "puffy", a key piece in the "hey I go in the mountains" look. Well, the Phantom will actually be of benefit when you make it out into the hills. If light is right then this is the jacket Dick Cheney duck hunts in. And at 800 fill it's nice and toasty while you're waiting for the paramedics to come while thinking up excuses for shooting your friend in the face. I wear the sapphire because it really compliments my eyes.

Fantastic jacket ( I've got the 2009 model, L SIZE)incredibly lightweight and warm. Weight less than many fleeces and is twice as warm.Fit is snug but comfy enough to work on a belay.I' ve read complaints about being too short on the back, I think length is just ok, in addition it comes with a waist draw cord on the inner back part to tighten and seal in warmth.Both hand warmer and the other 2 zippered pockets are well designed and cover their function.I ve owned TNF summit parka and Marmot Parbat before and this one is much better quality.Only thing I would add on it is an isolated hood but cant complain at all.Congrats MHW!

This is a "jacket" not a "parka". The difference - try a hanging belay on water ice with a parka that comes down over your harness. Is it warm? HECK YEAH, it IS 800 fill after all!!!! Who needs pit zips when you can unzip the front of the jacket??? Ok, here is the real deal on this "jacket". It is _very_ light and _very_ warm. I have used it in many extreme weather conditions (Smokey Mtns 18deg to Mt Washington -18deg) and it will do exactly what you want it to do. Great as a belay jacket as it repels spin drift and softens falling ice chunks. Easy to stuff into your climbing pack and pull on over a shell at belay stations. Extremly wind proof. Sits above harness when you are climbing so you can get to your pro. Pockets are fleece on the back on the hand with little insulation on the palm...I was skeptical of this at first but then realized that your body is much warmer than fleece and your hands quickly warm once against your stomach. What it isn't - waterproof but what down jacket that weighs 16oz is? Plus, no down is waterproof...that is what Primaloft is for. Durable, I have a few small tears from ice axes but they don't run and sew up very easily. It is not a "parka". If you are going to Denali, Everest, etc...this is not your parka. If you are backcountry hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing in the Whites or Cascades, or kicking it Apres @ Vail this is the jacket for you.

Got this jacket on sale just in time for the end of ice climbing season, and it delivered. Warm as hell as a belay jacket in Adirondack sub-zero standing around, and so lightweight and packable I had no reservations about throwing it in my pack for some back-country cross country ski trips in the Marcy dam area. I am 6'4", 180, ordered an XL and it hits right at the waist, but for a belay jacket that's exactly what I want so it doesn't interfere with my harness. Overall, this jacket is fantastic, although I agree fleece on BOTH sides of the pockets would be fantastic.

I bought this down coat last year and used it for a variety of activites. From hiking 14ers to a very cold winter in (0 C)Beijing, China - and Ulan Batuur, Mongolia. Positives: Lightweight and packs small and very compact. This coat will keep your body core warm enough for -56 C weather (Mongolia), lounging around a campfire and just extreme cold. If you were to be caught out in the cold and had to emergency bivy, you could do it with this jacket. I've gone in serious cold with this jacket and it has never failed to keep me warm. Negatives: I received this jacket with the pockets lined only on one side of each of the pockets. Both the the cuffs on the sleeve were sewn twisted and therefore makes it an awkward feel. Factory reject? This coat is so warm, it requires pit zips but does not have any. A big downer for anyone requiring the warmth and ventialtion at the same time. When it comes to wind, this coat is thick enough to stop the wind in most places. The wind stopping flap that's supposed to stop the wind wrinkled up, exposing the zipper permanently and rendering it's windstopping abilities almost as soon as i got it. As of date 2 out of the 4 zippers have broken including the main zipper, disabling the complete use of it. Since the first days of receiving this coat, down has continued to puff out of the coat itself. It comes out everywhere and taints my clothing. The thin outer shell is nowhere near to being waterproof and any water/snow soaked this through. Down feathers easily poke through and come out. Being wet makes the downing useless. On a good note, my g/f got a similar mountain hardwear coat with a thicker shell, so maybe they got their act together. I've gone through some detrimental conditions with this coat and the only thing it does well is keep me warm. If you require technical use beyond hitting the city streets get something with better venting.

As noted below very warm and light. Looks pretty good too. Packs pretty small.Downsides are it's short and no hood, but still useful.

I haven't had this jacket in the snow yet, but so far it's proven to be extremely light, and even warmer than my other, heavier down jackets. It fits a bit tighter too, so there isn't extra space to heat, which is nice. I've worn it on cold & windy Tahoe and San Francisco evenings and it's kept me extremely warm. So far I'm very impressed and I'm pretty sure this will be my go-to extra "warm layer" for back county skiing. 6'4", 170, and a size L is perfect.

I absolutely LOVE this jacket, BUT... The outer shell, which is nylon, can melt VERY easily. If you are a smoker, DO NOT get this jacket. I was a smoker when I got this jacket and a tiny piece of ash fell from my cigarette causing a small hole to melt right through the front zippers lining... in seconds! Also, I was wearing this jacket when I got into a car accident and the friction from the seatbelt left burn marks on the outer shell of the jacket. The seatbelt actually cut through the the thin shell of the jacket and now its ruined... My only other two gripes are that the jacket is a bit short. Im 5'10", medium build, 190lbs and I dont like tight fitting clothes... The XL fit me PERFECT, but it could be about 2 inches longer to prevent exposing my lower back when I sit down. Other than that, this jacket is EXCELLENT for a NY Winter! As a matter of fact, sometimes this small and extremely light jacket can make you sweat from the warmth... Just make sure you wear deodorant or your jacket will end up smelling like a gym!

I love this jacket so much that I am buying the same exact one all over again... I just hate that they put the name on the sleeve on this model... the logo alone would have been fine, just like the one I previously owned... :(

Awsome.. word is not enough .... I have SubZero Jacket .. but no one can beat this jacket in this range .. light weight and warm enough in extreme cold conditions. right gear for Himalayan winter. I will buy more...

Just received this jacket and it is great. Slightly puffier than I thought but along with all other MH products, amazing. Fits exactly like Windstopper tech fleece for a reference in buying.

What the other reviews have said is true. This jacket is super warm (comfortably walked around outside with a light wool sweater underneath in near 0 F weather), super light, and super compressible (I easily stuff it into my bookbag). This has quickly become my go to jacket for the cold upstate NY weather. I even sometimes throw it on in the morning as the house warms up.

A note about the style/sizing. I'm almost 5'11", 38" suit size, 31" pant inseam. Given those measurement I thought I'd be a small, but it was too small. I ended up buying a medium. Also this is a *jacket*; it ends a couple inches below your waist. This isn't like my other winter coat which covers my butt. This jacket covers about half my butt and ends at about the pockets of my pants in front. I'm guessing the fit is due to the fact that the jacket is made as an ultralight backpacking jacket (need range of motion in the legs).

I've worn this jacket from temps in the low 40s down to 30 below wind chills under a ski jacket and was comfortable in every condition. Tack on the fact it is ultra-light and compressible and it can't be beat. Just to make it an impartial review, the ONLY negative for me is that the length of the jacket in the back is just a couple inches too short for my frame and I'm only 5'9". It just means I have to cinch it up a little more. Not a big deal but something to be aware of.

What do you wear in Vermont when temperatures are at 0 degrees F with 25-30 mph winds sending windchills down to -18?
While you will obviously need some sort of face/head covering, this jacket kept me warm when the air was so cold that it hurt to breathe. Good thing the designers thought up the windproofing flap for the main zipper.

But back in Jersey, the jacket is not well ventilated at all, so I get super-toasty when I walk into the mall, grocery store, etc. that I need to take it off. But the designers made the jacket very light and stashable, so I'm not complaining.

Def. recommended for those of you who have to deal with the frigid cold but don't want to use a hooded jacket.

Stylish, lightweight and warm, the Phantom jacket served me well at -35C in Canada. Combined with a Dome Perignon beanie, good gloves, pants and boots, I had no problem being exposed to the elements for extended periods of time. Certainly one of the best buys I've made!

Pow! I opened the box and was confused by the light weight - how could it be? Regardless, it is an awesome puffy that works great in cold conditions where you don't want the added weight of the old skool parka.
Light weight does comes with some sacrifices; the zippers are skimpy and so is the shell material. I doubt either of these will hold up well with a lot of use in tough situations like bushwacking and exposure to picks or crampons points...but it's not really made for that - it seems more for snow camping, backcountry skiing/boarding above treeline.
But for me - I'm going to use it for everything cold and hopefully with some care to avoid the sharp stuff, it'll stand up well.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I love everything about this jacket except the two missing inches at the bottom around the waist.

This jacket is great but it is short. I had to send it back. I traded it in for the North Face Elysium. The Elysium is perfect in the length and has a nicer zipper than the Phantom. If only the Phantom matched the length of the Elysium.

I bought this jacket for my weekly travel to Buffalo NY from Louisiana. The good points of the jacket are that it is extremely light weight and packs easilyback it my travel bag as I returned to 80 F Louisiana. My biggest negative is that the wind just cuts right through it. On windy Buffalo winter days (which is every day there), I found that the jacket did not perform well. Still a good jacket, just not what I hoped for.

The Mountain Hardware Phantom Jacket is super lightweight and incredibly warm in cold weather. I wear it as is or under a hard shell depending on conditions. The lined color and pockets are a nice touch. I am not sure that it would hold up to rugged mountaineering though. All in all, it is my favorite jacket.

Kudos to Mountain Hardware for handsome styling. However using the term "harware" in any regard to this this jacket is an oxymoron. The zippers are narrow, thin, flimsy nylon jobs that grab the material and are forever bent out of shape. I had to cut myself out of the jacket since it could not be unzipped. It's as if Lamborghini turned to Yugo for its assembly line.
Skip this one.

This jacket is super warm and lightweight. Everything about it says quality.. Mountain Hardwear jackets tend to fit a little snug in the pits for me, but this one fits perfectly.

I look for reasons to wear this coat. I live in SF but go to Tahoe every weekend. I wear at 0 degrees and 50 degrees, either way I'm lovin' it. It feels like your favorite blanket, just much more stylish and portable. Oh yeah, it's light as phuck too.

Simply the most comfortable, warmest article of winter clothing I have!
When I put it on, I'm five pounds lighter...that's how light it is.
Comfortable next to bare skin or with minimal base layer...like a short-sleeved comfort T.
I saw complaints about the length in previous reviews...I disagree! The length is perfect for what it is, and I'm 6' tall.
Thanks.

Very nice and ultralite. I'm totally pleased with the jacket. You need to be aware that the shell isn't the most durable because it's ultralite but it packs small and very warm.

Perfect. Simply perfect. Arguably the warmest jacket in existence. Nice short fit hangs at the waist. Snug fit yet tremendous freedom of movement. It's so light and unrestrictive you often don't notice it's on.

Higher fill (800) than Nuptse (700) yet not as poofy -- you don't look like the Michelin Man when you wear it. Far superior in construction than the TNF Nuptse. I was never warm enough in my Nuptse (always had "cold spots"), whereas the Phantom is always toasty. I looked forward to single digit days knowing I had this jacket to wear. It's even worth buying at full price. You'll never need another winter jacket again.

Very warm, somewhat waterproof and compresses well too. However, it looses lots of down in my opinion. Maybe if I never moved or sat down in a chair in this jacket it would be fine...

This jacket is so toasty warm yet weighs next to nothing. The jacket is also very compressable so it's perfect for backpacking. It's also nicely cut and the material is very soft so it's also a joy to wear for daily use too.

This is a great mid-weight down jacket. Good in temps from 10-30 degrees. With a hood, it could probably even go colder. It has a great fit and can be layered under a hard shell. It packs down amazingly small for such a warm jacket and only weighs like a pound.

A pleasure to wear around camp, or at the summit, whenever is very cold. It weighs close to nothing, and makes you feel like you are inside your down sleeping bag.

The lightness of the jacket is deceiving 16 oz. and the warmth is beautiful. It is the best investment against the cold that I have made.

The Phantom Jacket is everything that the marketing materials claim. Light, warm, and compact. Just what I was looking for.

Field tested with only a single wicking base layer on Dec 05 at 10:00p.m.
Conditions: Outside temp 25 degress 15-20 mph head wind for approximately 2 hours. Negatives: must have gortex windproof hat and gloves. No face protection.
Positives: Extremely comfortable, ultra light. Two separate inside draw cords is a nice feature. Chest pocket great for storing ID, tissues for constant dripping nose, energy bars, etc. Excellent for everyday commute to work. Easy to drive in. Great for air-traveling. Can serve as an extra blanket for wife and kids as well. Attractive design and colors.
Versatile down jacket you will want to use on a daily basis.

This jacket is awesome! I bought it for a very good friend who needed a jacket to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail. He reports that he has discovered that his sleeping bag is way too light so he has been wearing his Mountain Hardware Phantom jacket inside his sleeping bag and it has made all the difference. "Marmot" at last report was safely into the Smokies. He really LOVES this awesome jacket. I've had one of their down parkas for years and though it is tattered and soiled, It's still my favorite winter coat. Kudos to Mountain Hardware!!!

I bought the Phantom jacket to replace my Chugach jacket that was stolen from the gym, and at this price I couldn't pass it up. It's incredibly light, warm, packs nicely, and has a great fit (although it could stand to be a little bit longer). The Chugach jacket was a little bit warmer, but the Phantom jacket isn't nearly as bulky, is quite a bit lighter, and packs into a bag that's about half the size of the Chugach's. I guess it depends on what you're looking for if you're trying to choose between the two, but I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Very compressible, very warm, very comfy. This jacket kept me nice and happy even at 12,000 and sub freezing temps. Definitely grab a light wind breaker for those windy saddles.

Lightweight, but very warm. Short cut.

New York was 20F. Left wearing my Phantom jacket. Arrived LA it was 86F. Crammed it into my carry on. To Tokyo where it was 50F. Pulled it out of my luggage that was overweight but the jacket added not even an ounce. A very handy traveling item. And looks sharp to boot!

I just got this jacket the other day and so far I love it. I took the dog out in 40F with it and a base layer and I was comfortably warm. I'm amazed at its weight and compressibility and warmth. My only complaint would be that it feels a little fragile being so light, and could be a little more resistant to water. It just doesn't seem like it's made for rough terrain, but I haven't tried it there yet. Other than that, it's a great jacket with awesome warmth to weight ratio.

I wanted a down jacket for the cold, dry Utah winters and purchased the Phantom. Now I am dreading the warm weather when I can't wear this jacket anymore. Wish I had purchased it earlier in the season, but there is always next winter. The fit is great, and I love the color (lichen green). I am very happy with it.

Very nice jacket. Light, durable, and warm. Mountain Hardwear does it again. This jacket is almost up there with Western Mountaineering's Flight Jacket, at less cost.

I used Phantom in Japanese and London Winters. Brilliantly warm, light and easy to wear. I was toasty from -20C to 10C. The shell material coped well with light rain, heavy snow and winds up to 40kmh. The high collar meets your hat (hat not included) spot on. Only negative: The zip is a little annoying, catching on shell. Overall, a huge thumbs up.

I just received my Phantom in the mail today. I took it out of the box and my friends, who were standing around me, all gasped. The jacket is so light, and slim, it has to be seen to be believed. It is so comfortable, and so warm, and very stylish! It's about 30F out right now, with a good breeze, and as I walked around campus with nothing under the Phantom but a t-shirt, I realized I was actually almost too warm! Amazing value.

I'll be brief as there are already enough reviews for you to know this jacket is the real deal. For the price it is the best on the market. Incredibly warm, even on sub-zero days in Colorado's high country. If you dont have the $$ to buy from feathered friends, the Phantom is top choice!
The jacket is supposed to fit tight so dont order a size up like most people suggest, you'll just end up looking like the Michelin man! Hardwear should add 2 inches to the jacket length for 2006/2007 though, then it would be a 6 star jacket!

This jacket was too short on me. I'm a tall guy (6'1”) and the jacket didn't come down adequately to my waist. I'm still looking for a down jacket that's highly portable for backcountry skiing that fits me well. Unless they are a 'parka', they seem to be cut a little short.

Very good!!

loving my new phantom. Warm as hell--don't need anything other than a t underneath most of the time. will smush down to the size of a water bottle and weighs nothing--happy to join me on a backcountry foray for that lunch break on the ridge or that unexpected overnighter.....

Warm. Comfy. Light. Small. Need I say more?
My friends all have the The North Face equivalent and that one is designed to use the pocket as the stuff sack. This one comes with a separate stuff sack. No big thing there. Excellent, excellent Jacket.

Well I knew that the Monkey Man Fleece was going to be the warmest, best fitting, great-for-winter-climbing fleece that I have ever owned... and it definitely is all that. But what I hadn't anticipated is that apparently it has great sex appeal, as well. I can't attribute all the strokes and finger-touching just to my haggard good looks - as they don't really exist. It MUST be the Monkey Man that my partner likes so much. She says it makes me look hunky, big shoulders and small waist (aren't women so predictable, huh) and she can't keep her hands off me when I'm wearing one. So for those guys thinking of buying one - don't delay. Forget the breathability and functional excellence... just think of the extra benefits you get for free.

So I have had this jacket maybe two months and so far, it has been nothing but superb. I have had it out when it was 40F and even when it was 5F and it kept me warm nonetheless. It is excellent for keeping wind out and warmth in. Keep in my though that you do need to be careful when wearing it, as it can be torn or punctured with a little effort. It is also one of the lightest jackets I have ever warn for how much warmth it has. Also, it is most likely around the same quality as the Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, and The North Face equivalents. Overall though, I could not be happier with my purchase, worth the money, and an EXCELLENT jacket.

Killer lightweight down jacket. Love the fact that I can stuff this into its sack and take it anywhere and not sweat the weight.

I have been wearing this in New York, where we've been having a cold spell. Recent temperatures have been teen and low 20s wind chill reaching single digits. As long as I have a hat on, I can wear this jacket with only a merino t-shirt underneath and be completely comfortable. It's really warm and comfortable, has good adjustability (one handed waist and lower back drawcords), and leaks almost no down. Highly recommended as an ultralight warm jacket.

If you are looking for a jacket that is snug fitting, extremely warm and lightweight then look no further this is the best.

After losing my first Mountain Hardwear Phantom jacket at Houston airport, I went straight out and bought another one. Keeps you warm in the coldest conditions, yet is so light and airy that you don't sweat. It's perfect for me, though if you have a long torso, you may find the jacket a tad short.

I live in Gunnison, Colorado, which is one of the coldest places in the lower 48. It dropped down to -40 last winter, and this jacket has not let me down. It is extremely lightweight and has lots of loft. If you want to ski with it, just wear a shell over it. It is comfortable as hell, and well worth the price.

Bought the men's version as most female jackets are cut too short for my liking. Arms are a good length too.
Practically lived in the jacket as I was refurbing a house with no heating this winter. Great outdoors too, but you do get a bit toasty of you wear it doing anything more active than a walk to the pub. Just the thing to pull out of the back pack when stopping on a hike. Jacket coating can stand up to a bit of drizzle if needed. Down fill is great, so the jacket is not too puffy either. Works great and looks great.

Finally have had some cold weather to test this jacket. VERY warm, light, and compressible. Took my kids sledding last night and was too warm. It started to sleet a bit and the down quickly compressed from the precipitation and from my body sweat so future venting will be crucial. Great for camp or rest breaks - I would be concerned about hiking or climbing in this jacket.....unless it was well below freezing.

I bought this jacket for my dad who's in his 80's to keep him warm during the harsh NY winters. So far he's very pleased with the jacket 'cuz it's super warm and super light. He loves it. Plus he looks very hip in it.

i always bought The North Face jackets, but i have to say i was very happy with this Mountain Hardwear coat. its very warm and very lightweight. another plus is the pockets are lined with flannel.

After years of of sitting down for lunch on a BC tour shivering while watching all my buddies toasty warm in their down jackets I felt it was time. I looked at many styles and wanted three things. Warm, light and water resistant. This jacket met the criteria. The one complaint I have is I am 6'-4" tall and it is only 1-2" inches below my waist. I bought an XL. I have tried many others and this is typical.

This jacket is really warm and light. I'm really impressed by how much it DOESN'T weigh! One negative only, and this is what kept it from being a 5, I wish it was just about 2-3 inches longer.

I summited Mt Shasta this past weekend. This jacket is warm and light for high altitude summer camping. I will never go camping without it again.

A friend had one of these. I tried it on and had to have one myself. It is very light weight (it feels like I am wearing a cloud) and fits nicely. Packs down super small for travel and hiking. I walked in 3F semi-humid weather and was toasty. If there is a strong wind I recommend some kind of shell. Mountain Hardwear makes a good one.

The Phantom jacket is light, although it is not a pliable/compressible as I expected – stiffness in the arms in particular. The jacket is tapered nicely so that it keeps the draft out from under your back, unlike some coats that are way too lose and send in a gush of cold air every time you bend over. I ended up returning the XL because it was way to short at the waist; sleeves fit fine - I am 6’1”.

It's a very very warm and light jacket. The feathers seem able to "poke through" the fabric a bit too easily, though.

silly light, unsurpassed weight to warmth ratio. packs down to the size of a small football. bottom hem cord and Velcro cuffs, pockets everywhere, passed sub-zero temperatures in Montana this winter with flying colors. single complaint is the hood, or lack thereof. while it would add a few ounces, this jacket saves enough to allow it. overall, a great piece of winter gear.

The Phantom Jacket is one of my favorites pieces of gear I own. It is ultra lightweight at less than a pound. Since it is so light, I bring it if there is any question that it might be cold. It makes a great belay jacket or camping jacket. It also stuffs into a very small stuff sack for easy stowage.

Lightweight, warm and generally rocks! The weight and pack-down size are phenomenal. The only drawback I see is the perceived weight of the shell. It may be very strong, but it just looks a little thin. I have not had any problems with durability, I just feel like it is more of a down sweater than it is a jacket.