Finally got me a puffy

By Barrett Wood Ranked #1780 - Men's Down Jackets March 26, 2009

A long time ago, I determined that I was never getting a down jacket because I didn't want to look ridiculous. However, when I took up winter mountaineering, I quickly realized that sitting around camp after dark gets pretty chilly, even with a few layers of polar tec and a shell or two. So, I broke down and borrowed an old 500 loft EMS puffy from the outing club. I was sold. After shopping around a lot, I settled on the Sub Zero (the hood was a big selling point).

This jacket has exceeded my expectations in every way. I took it up Mt. Washington in February and was toasty warm for our summit lunch break. Well, my arms and torso were warm, my exposed face and hands nearly froze. I was able to wear the hood over my helmet and not feel like the jacket was getting pulled up. The internal mesh water bottle pocket is sized to hold a nalgene perfectly and the intrnal zip pocket is great for storing the included stuff sack. The hand pockets have a brushed lining and are totally inside the insulation to maximize warmth. I like the reinforced material (Conduit SL) on the shoulders, neck, and arms, but wish they used the nylon instead of Conduit on the inside of the collar.

I'm 5'10" and about 145# and the medium fits just right. I can zip off the hood and wear it with just a tee shirt underneath when I'm going to class or put the hood on and layer it over a baselayer, vest, fleece and softshell when I need to.

With this jacket, I'm glad I finally made the switch to down jackets. A really excellent purchase.

View Details: Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Down Jacket - Men's

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