Best climbing puffies?

GearGuy 316 wrote:

I don't think the Cerium LT can stuff into it's own pocket, and it requires a separate stuff sack, but I could be wrong.

It packs small enough to pack in its own pocket, but they choose to provide a stuff sack that is girth hitched in the pocket (left hand pocket for the old version, left chest pocket for the new version).

The reasoning being that if you blow the seam trying to cram the jacket onto its pocket, it is often irreparable.

The Cerium LT is incredibly light and very warm. Very close to a perfect puffy, and I don't say that lightly. Definitely my #1 recommendation.

The only problem I have with it is a very specific use and is also a problem with nearly every other similar jacket. When I'm trying to boost the warmth of a sleeping bag by sleeping in my puffy, the toggle on the back of the hood is under the back of my head against my inflatable pillow. Not the jackets fault.

If you want something lighter, go for the ghost whisperer, if you want something even tech-ier and warmer, get the FF Eos. On the cheaper side of the spectrum, the OR transcendant has a huge following for to it's lower cost with very similar performance and features to the nicer ones.

I have a Patagonia Nano-Air.  It's just astonishingly, incredibly, unbelievably light, and it's significantly warmer than a nano-puff.  It's synthetic, you can get it wet and it will still keep you warm. This is an ultra-light piece of gear, it will not do well for offwidths.  No bells and whistles, but it (and the hood) works.  What it is great for, on rock, is the unexpected, the "just in case".  Many days I have started off on a warm sunny day on the ground at altitude, then shockingly cold air and wind find you up on the summit.  This jacket is how to *not* freeze up there, but by carrying almost nothing,  My gosh, it's like 200 g, it's crazy how light.

Ice climbing I'm always going from cold to hot and back.  If you have your baselayers, a light layer, and a shell on, this is pretty good for the difference between climbing and belaying.  Definitely it's not an extreme jacket; but  you can go pretty cold with this, base layer, and a fuzzy under your shell. Maybe 20F + moderate wind.

---------
Approximately the same class is the Patagonia ultralight down.  This is the best made, best designed jacket of all time. You will just love wearing it and having it. In the end, I think it's not quite as warm as the nano-air, (perhaps due to compressibility?), it's not quite as light, but it's even less durable than the nano-air, and like all untreated down, if you get it wet, it's all over.  It's for people who must have down.  

I live in SF area, and it's frequently humid or misty, so I wear the air a lot more in town, and in CA our snow is almost always wet, so ditto for winter.
------------

General Babble on Brands:
I used to call Patagonia "Patagucci" until Arcter'x came along and made gear for twice as much again. I'm totally over Arc'teryx, just nowhere close to worth it, and often made in China anyway.  With Patagonia, you really know you're making the planet a better place. Also, they take back ANYTHING, and it's soooooo cool that they repair stuff, and do a GREAT job. No matter how old. (I don't own stock in Patagonia, though I may sounds like it; I'm just sold on their environmental policies and programs. And gear.)

I will never, ever, ever forgive Marmot for how badly they treated me when their jacket delaminated. Never, ever get anything from them; that buy-out of a bought-out by a conglomerate, then a private equity,  crappy company will screw anyone out of anything to make another dime. Feh. Their "guaranteed for life" isn't; that's a total lie.  They literally tell you when you try to return, "the life of the garment, not your life", then they say 2 or 3 years is too long (they don't publish it, they make it up on the spot).   Seriously, I'm not making this up.

https://www.decathlon.com/collections/mens-hiking-down-jackets/products/mens-trek-100-hooded-jacket

About 80% as good as the big names, moderate eco credentials, stuffs into pocket with double sided zipper and carabiner loop.

Plus at that price there will be no tears when it inevitably tears whilst climbing. Although two years in mine is still holding up.

ROC wrote: Thanks for the suggestions! Gives me a good place to start.  Looks like I still have a fair amount of research to do on specific jackets not to mention trying to find a good deal.

For those that asked...this is mostly for rock climbing but wouldn't mind if there were crossover into colder activities...ice, etc...

Maybe it's a multi jacket solution as was also mentioned.

FWIW, here's what the rock climbing reviewers at the Outdoor Gear Lab listed as the best down jackets:

The Best Down Jackets for Men of 2019

1. Editor's Choice: The North Face Summit L3 Down Hoody
2. Best Buy: Rab Microlight Alpine Hoody
3. Top Pick: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody

mel on wrote: Same question, but for a woman? 

Here's Outdoor Gear Lab list for women:

​The Best Women's Down Jackets of 2019​​​

1. Editor's Choice: Feathered Friends Eos
2. Top Picks: Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer Hoody and Arc'teryx Cerium SV Hoody
3. Best Buys: Rab Microlight Alpine Hoody and REI Co-op 650 down

Another note- Myself and several people i know have had ghost whisperers. Yes they’re really light, and just kinda warm. But incredibly fragile. WAY more than any other puffy.  They’re basically made of plastic wrap.

Max Rausch wrote: Another note- Myself and several people i know have had ghost whisperers. Yes they’re really light, and just kinda warm. But incredibly fragile. WAY more than any other puffy.  They’re basically made of plastic wrap.

That’s why I didn’t go with the one. Too fragile for anything other than around town and/or under a shell IMHO. For the record, I got a Cerium LT on sale and I love it. The fit is perfect for my frame. Warm and well built. My second choice would have been a FF Eos.

The first thing I look for in a belay jacket, and the signature feature in most belay jackets, is a double zipper.

They all suck.

Just when you figured out that you need to take off your gloves to fiddle the zipper together the front poofs out and you lose all visibility. Then when you think that you’ve got bits the together the upper slider jams 2” up the zipper track and now your fingers are frozen.

The next feature I look for is a lightweight zipper. This will help the specs (Lightweight zipper saves 5 grams!) but complicate your life. Why the clothing designers think saving 5 grams is more important than making a product easy to use is beyond me.

Someone—Anyone—please make a belay jacket that is cut long in the back and high in the front (For belaying, duh!) and a useable zipper.

Please.

All that rant said, I just ordered a Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody and we’ll see how it work. If I have to replace the zipper I will.

Malcolm Daly wrote: The first thing I look for in a belay jacket, and the signature feature in most belay jackets, is a double zipper.

A belay jacket and a puffy are two different things, no? In my book, belay jackets are much heavier (Rab Neutrino Pro, Mountain Equipment Citadel, etc.), have double zippers, meant to be worn over all layers. 

thepirate1 wrote:General Babble on Brands:
I used to call Patagonia "Patagucci" until Arcter'x came along and made gear for twice as much again. I'm totally over Arc'teryx, just nowhere close to worth it, and often made in China anyway.  With Patagonia, you really know you're making the planet a better place. Also, they take back ANYTHING, and it's soooooo cool that they repair stuff, and do a GREAT job. No matter how old. (I don't own stock in Patagonia, though I may sounds like it; I'm just sold on their environmental policies and programs. And gear.

Looks like their marketing strategy worked ;) In all seriousness, I appreciate Patagonias environmental practices. However, just because other brands don’t use this as their main marketing strategy doesn’t mean that they aren’t taking steps to be more sustainable and reduce their environmental and social impacts. 
I’ll hop on the Cerium LT train for favorite down puffy or Atom AR for synthetic puffy. I appreciate the fit of Arc’teryx versus other brands but ymmv.

Marc H wrote: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer.

I find it very packable, but it's not very warm and it's built super-light (not durable).  If you rub it on rock, you're going to quickly rip holes and tear the threads on the face.

Anyways, I'm not getting rid of mine, but I don't think I'd buy this jacket again if there are other similarly packable choices.

Side note - the zipper is completely plastic, even the zipper bottom end cap thingies (where it often has a metal things crimped on).  One of those broke on mine, fortunately they replaced it under warranty.

I find that for casual duty, the Patagonia Micro Puff works wonders (the 2 internal dump pockets are nice, the hood could use improvement for climbing). In terms of down, I am currently on track to get the Rab Microlight Summit. The 2-way zipper and a hood that fits easily over helmets really make it shine. There is more down than the cerium, but is 750FP not 850. I have a MH ghost whisperer in Large that I am tryin' to get rid of.

Chris Fedorczak wrote: A belay jacket and a puffy are two different things, no? In my book, belay jackets are much heavier (Rab Neutrino Pro, Mountain Equipment Citadel, etc.), have double zippers, meant to be worn over all layers. 

No they’re the same, just ice vs alpine rock. 

I use a bd stance parka for ice and standing around staring at my fingers bouldering.

I use a dead bird nuclei (original 80gm fill) for alpine rock and multipitch rock. For those environments where it’s high 30s to mid 50s that’s a belay puffy in my book.

For those recommending down, he’s in Colorado land of the afternoon thunderstorm. For rock season I wouldn’t consider anything but synthetic.

+1 for nano puff but get the bivy so you have that amazing kangaroo pocket

If you need belay jacket then I love my arcteryx dually. Unique design as the internal fabric is the same as external and highly water resistant the insulation is also highly water resistant so you can though it over wet shell and not worry about insulation getting wet... If you looking for mid layer there are so many choices... alsmost every company has a good jacket - becomes more a question of fit and features you want... I prefer arcteryx atom AR - but then I am a dead bird fan :) 

GearGuy 316 wrote:

I don't think the Cerium LT can stuff into it's own pocket, and it requires a separate stuff sack, but I could be wrong.

the cerium LT can stuff itself into it's own pocket

Caleb Schwarz wrote:

It packs small enough to pack in its own pocket, but they choose to provide a stuff sack that is girth hitched in the pocket (left hand pocket for the old version, left chest pocket for the new version).

The reasoning being that if you blow the seam trying to cram the jacket onto its pocket, it is often irreparable.

alis karne wrote: Rab neutrino- warm, durable, hood fits a helmet really well. I like that there is insulation fully to the top of the zipper, keeps your neck warm.  It's a coat that can handle legitimate cold, without being too bulky. تجهیزات کافی شاپ

Yo that's an Arabic link to espresso machines

Caleb Schwarz wrote:

Yo that's an Arabic link to espresso machines

They do looks pretty nice though. Even if i can’t understand anything.

I have a Nano-Air, an Atom LT, a Kappa, and a BD Forge. The BD gets worn the most often. The Kappa is the warmest, best made, has the best hood and the best collection of pockets.