Lightweight Backpacking Down Jacket

A comprehensive backpacking guide to the best ultralight down jackets for thru hiking in 2020.

Lightweight backpacking down jacket.

Ultralight down jackets are focused pieces designed for backpacking climbing backcountry skiing and other outdoor pursuits where every ounce matters. This feature is especially helpful in lightweight winter hiking jackets that have warm down or synthetic fill that traps the heat. By utilizing insanely efficient 1000 fill down as an insulator montbell has raised the bar for all premium ultralight down jackets. Car camper day hiker ultralight backpacker urban hiker wilderness backpacker the arc teryx cerium lt hoody is a meticulously engineered down jacket.

I stated in my recent ultralight backpacking sleep system post that down is a superior choice for a quilt or sleeping bag. Down vs synthetic. Down jackets are in general light for the warmth they provide and therefore perfect for lightweight hiking and mountaineering. Simply put the best ultralight jackets for trail running may be different from the best models for cool weather hiking climbing or ultralight backpacking and your choice will also depend on the typical weather you encounter.

We recommend however that any backpacking down jacket be ultralight. The rei co op 650 down hoodie 2 0 is another exceptionally light jacket at 11 9 ounces for a men s large but at the cost of warmth as its 650 fill duck down insulation isn t as warm there isn t a whole lot of it in the jacket and it lacks crucial cold blocking features like hood and waist cinches. These down jackets generally have similar fill weights as lightweight down sweaters but are ultralight due their use of premium down fill power thin shell fabrics denier and minimalist. Jackets with a mesh lined yolk will give you maximum airflow where you need it most while still being able to keep the cold air out.

Montbell plasma 1000 alpine down parka. A down jacket should have conveniently placed pockets for storing hiking and mountaineering accessories. While many ultralight shells are similar in appearance and weight they can vary significantly in functionality. Remember that the higher the down fill power the lighter the jacket will be for the provided warmth.

For puffy jackets however synthetic insulation has its place. Gear nerds rejoice as it simply doesn t get better. The best lightweight down jacket for the outdoors arc teryx cerium lt hoody. If you spend a lot of time being active in the mountains or in the city or just want the best lightweight down jacket to take traveling an ultralight.

By design ultralight down jackets are constructed from material that sacrifices toughness for the sake of saving weight. I ll go over all the elements that make a good jacket talk about synthetic vs down and show 10 of the best puffy jackets on the market.