best jacket for the Rocky Mtns

By Brig Ranked #4194 - Men's Down Jackets December 28, 2006

I live 20 minutes from Alta & Snowbird, and with the light snow here you don't need real expensive water repellent fabric for resort skiing (different story, of course, for the backcountry). But you do need something very warm & comfortable to just throw on & know you're going to be good for the whole day with just a zip turtle base layer underneath. This is definitely just a resort jacket, and gets very warm when you bootpack out of Catherine's at Alta. But just unzip the pit zips & front all the way while you're hiking & you're fine a minute afterward. Worth cooking a little on the hike to be toasty on the lift ride back up. Would not recommend this coat for Mt. Baker or Whistler (being a Seattle native myself) unless it were a low-water-content blower pow day. But I would DEFINITELY recommend it for Utah & Colorado, and for anyone who spends snowy days in the city, too.

View Details: Obermeyer Straight Down Jacket - Men's

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