Great Mountain Insurance

By Andrew McLean Ranked #480 - Men's Synthetic Insulation Jackets February 3, 2009

I carry a Mountain Hardwear Hooded Compressor jacket with me at all times while day ski touring in the Wasatch backcountry. It usually stays tucked into a stuff sack at the bottom of my pack, but when I do bust it out, it provides heavenly warmth. I think of this jacket as insurance I may not use it all the time, but when I do, I love it. I prefer the synthetic fill over down for just this reason you never know if you might have to use it in the rain, and down doesnt do well when it get wet, but the Compressor does. Another advantage of the synthetic fill is that if you accidentally rip the outer fabric, you dont dump feathers all over the mountains and lose your warmth.

I am a mens “medium in jacket size, but I have a large in the Compressor jacket as I wear it over the top of my shell, etc.. I could put it on under a shell, but this would mean stripping the shell off, putting the Compressor on, then putting the shell back on over it, which means you are going to get even colder. The beauty of a larger jacket is that you can quickly put it on top of everything and conserve warmth.

The Compressor has nice big pockets and an ample hood, which can be cinched down. For me, this is definitely a layering jacket as it is a bit thin and baggy on its own.

View Details: Mountain Hardwear Compressor Insulated Hooded Jacket - Men's

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