Gear Review
Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Down Parka - Men's
Not suitable for high-altitude mountaineering
By Norris
Ranked #2531 - Men's Down Jackets
March 7, 2008
I purchased the Mountain Hardware Sub Zero SL Parka specifically for a high-altitude mountain climb (Aconcagua) and although it was warm enough, it did not perform as expected. I wore it briefly a few times at Camp 1 and Camp 2, and all day on Feb 12, 2008 (summit day).
Although it was quite warm, poor design/ construction revealed itself in several very disappointing / annoying ways:
1) The main zipper was very hard to get started. It required a lot of struggling to get the zipper started. In the early morning of summit day, I had to remove my outer gloves and fiddle for a long time with just thin polypro liner gloves in extremely cold conditions before I could get the zipper started properly. Plus the zipper is metal. This seems like a good recipe for frostbite. An unreliable main zipper is a fatal flaw for a climber’s parka
2) During the climb, the zips on two or three of the pockets snagged on the fabric backing that runs along the zipper just due to normal operation (opening and closing the pockets). It was too cold to mess with them, so I left them in the snagged / half-closed state until I returned to high camp. I later found that I had to operate the zippers very slowly to prevent snagging
3) The removable hood needs a different, more secure attachment system. At one point after a brief rest stop, I put my pack back on and realized that the hood was trapped between my pack and my back. I pulled on the hood and it started to detach, being held only by a few snaps.
In summary, the jacket was a hassle the entire day. I think it needs significant revisions to meet the needs of high-altitude mountain climbing. It is less expensive than some other parkas, such as the North Face one, but in retrospect, the savings were not worth it. I returned this item.
View Details: Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Down Parka - Men's
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
Change me.
4 Comments Last Reply: March 5, 2010 By: James Molnar
If you wanted a serious high altitude parka you should have gotten the absolute zero.
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
che2885269 you are correct, the hood on the Sub Zero is removeable, with snaps. i have been doing so much research on parkas that i had confused the attached hood on the Absolute Zero parka with detachable one on the Sub Zero.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
D.Brumfield: I was under the impression that the hood was permanently attached on the parka, but i was wrong. I recently got a parka and found that the hood was removable. You can tell if it is a parka because the front hand pocket openings are horizontal instead of more vertical. Maybe this is a difference in model years...
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
norris, just a note of clarity: if you had a removable hood, then you most likely had the Sub Zero "Jacket" and not the Parka (which has a permanently attached hood). The zipper issues aside--which would ruin anyone's climbing day, the SZ Jacket was not really designed for more extreme high altitude applications. The SZ Parka, however, is. Also, Mountain Hardwear's Absolute Zero gear, with 800-fill, is what you'll find on many climbers attempting more extreme conditions in high altitude climbs. But, MH is a really good company that thrives on user feedback and I'm sure they'd appreciate your input regarding the issues that you had on Aconcagua. I'd encourage you to pass on your issues to them. Good luck on your next climbs!
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes