Arc’teryx Proton LT Hoody or Patagonia Nano Air Light Hoody) paired with a windproof jacket (e.g.
Instead, I’ve found that an active insulation jacket (e.g. Another way to look at the distinction is that a jacket might be enough to keep you comfortable in temperatures above freezing, while a parka would be required for temperatures below freezing.Īs I discuss in detail below, I rarely recommend synthetic-insulated parkas for multi-day human-powered trips. Therefore, consider a parka to be a garment that can be worn as the sole insulating layer in very cold (another arbitrary term) environments, where a jacket or hoody is a garment designed to be worn as the sole insulating layer in temperate environments.īackpackers might consider a jacket for summertime use in the mountains, and a parka for wintertime use. Credit: Max Neale What About a Synthetic Insulated Parka?įor the purpose of this review, I define parka in somewhat arbitrary terms, based on the amount of insulation it provides. Her old-school combination is cheaper and more durable than a synthetic-insulated jacket, but not as lightweight or weather resistant. Sarah, pictured here in the Rab Xenon X, sold this jacket and now uses one or two fleeces and a wind or rain jacket for wet weather outdoor activities. Windproof synthetic-insulated jackets offer the highest warmth-to-weight ratio. Though they cost considerably more than fleece, synthetic-insulated jackets have a higher warmth-to-weight ratio, are more weather resistant, and are more comfortable (less restrictive over a wider range of motion). Here, highly air-permeable fabrics allow moisture vapor and excess heat to quickly transfer through the jacket, and also provide more weather resistance than fleece. For high exertion activities in cold weather.When there’s a high probability of getting the jacket wet and there won’t be an opportunity to dry it out.It loses less loft when exposed to equivalent levels of humidity, moisture vapor, condensation, and precipitation – and it dries out faster than down.Ī synthetic-insulated jacket can be a good investment in two situations: However, synthetic insulation manages moisture better than down. Finally, down is more durable (i.e., it resists the long-term loss of loft) than synthetic insulation in response to repeated compression and wetting-drying cycles. In addition, down fill is more compressible than synthetic fill. The insulating capacity of high fill-power (i.e., 700+ cubic inches per ounce) down provides more insulation than the same weight of synthetic fill fibers. Credit: Max Neale What is the Purpose of a Synthetic Insulated Jacket?įor stationary and low-exertion use, down insulated jackets can offer the best performance (if measured in terms of warmth-to-weight ratio) and long-term value (e.g., durability) for many outdoor activities. Here Dan Sandberg climbs the East Ridge of Mt. The Patagonia Nano Air Light, a highly breathable active insulation jacket, is one of our top choices for high-exertion activities in cold weather. Included in this review (links go to individual product reviews published as part of this review): I researched over 100 models and chose 15 to exhaustively test over two years of outdoor activities, including lightweight backpacking, rock and alpine climbing, backcountry skiing, and multi-sport expeditions. I’ll help you discover the context that’s most valuable to you so you can make an informed decision about which jacket to buy, or which to take on a particular adventure. What’s the best synthetic-insulated jacket?
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