Which Down jacket-ff frontpoint or Rab positron?

If funds are tight get the Rab jacket it will work for many of your adventures. AK is definitely cooler. Aconcagua is cold because of Viento Blanco.

Also check on eBay someone just listed FF Frontpoint jacket.

I once had a Montane Parka (Black Ice, not that one) and it was nice. I'd have no qualms purchasing the Deep Heat. I'd get it over the FF Volant and Rab Positron personally. Nothing against FF but the Volant is cut short and not really a fully featured belay parka IMO. 

k-laminero wrote:

Not anywhere in the near future but I would like to have something thats compatible with Elbrus, the Saint Elias Mountains, some winter mountain adventures in milder climates such as french alps, and maybe lower himalayas (6000-7000m not in winter obviously). 

I had heard Aconcagua was incredibly cold but I take it from the answers on this thread that Alaska mountains are colder?

I dont have much budget so I'm trying to find the best range of use given the layers I already have. If thats not possible, so be it.
I have looked at the bauer peak XV but that seems much heavier.
The FF volant jacket seems somewhat similar in fill as what I have sent

You're going to want two separate jackets, since you have a wide variety of objectives.  There isn't really a jacket that is compatible with Aconcagua, Elbrus, AND Saint Elias Range, simply because Elias is going to be so much colder.  You'll need an 8000m rated jacket for that region.  I was just on Logan last summer and we were regularly in -20 F and the coldest we recorded was -44 F.  I'm not sure how you can have the money to literally travel around the world climbing, but not to buy appropriate jackets for each objective. 

Summary: lightweight - durable - really warm.  You get to pick two of these.

Steven Roberts wrote:

You're going to want two separate jackets, since you have a wide variety of objectives.  There isn't really a jacket that is compatible with Aconcagua, Elbrus, AND Saint Elias Range, simply because Elias is going to be so much colder.  You'll need an 8000m rated jacket for that region.  I was just on Logan last summer and we were regularly in -20 F and the coldest we recorded was -44 F.  I'm not sure how you can have the money to literally travel around the world climbing, but not to buy appropriate jackets for each objective. 

Fair question. The objectives I listed span several decades worth. The budget is tight right now because The Aconcagua trip is next year and I'm addition to travel, permits etc I need a lot of extra gear as I've only been up to 15000ft before. So new sleeping bag and down jacket are a big draw on the budget but quite important items and I'm trying to make a sensible choice which will be usable for a wide variety of situations. 

Thank you for your answer on saint Elias. I did not realize it was that much colder than Aconcagua given the lower altitude. Other than the peak xv I didn't find anything that had more than 300-350g of down insulation so I just assumed the next step up would be the down suit. What jacket is a good choice for that mountain range?
Do you think the Montane would be up to the task in Alaska?

Thanks again to all of you for the great info you've been giving me.

jdejace wrote: I once had a Montane Parka (Black Ice, not that one) and it was nice. I'd have no qualms purchasing the Deep Heat. I'd get it over the FF Volant and Rab Positron personally. Nothing against FF but the Volant is cut short and not really a fully featured belay parka IMO. 

I'm leaning that way. I can get it on sale for 230€ which is a great price I think if the jacket is of good quality. I found no review though and don't own any Montane gear. Thanks for your input

k-laminero wrote:

Fair question. The objectives I listed span several decades worth. The budget is tight right now because The Aconcagua trip is next year and I'm addition to travel, permits etc I need a lot of extra gear as I've only been up to 15000ft before. So new sleeping bag and down jacket are a big draw on the budget but quite important items and I'm trying to make a sensible choice which will be usable for a wide variety of situations. 

Thank you for your answer on saint Elias. I did not realize it was that much colder than Aconcagua given the lower altitude. Other than the peak xv I didn't find anything that had more than 300-350g of down insulation so I just assumed the next step up would be the down suit. What jacket is a good choice for that mountain range?
Do you think the Montane would be up to the task in Alaska?

Thanks again to all of you for the great info you've been giving me.

If it were me, I would buy the jacket I need now, not the one I'll need potentially decades later.  Your current objective is Aconcagua.  Get a jacket that will be best for that.  It won't be the last time you use it.  

On Logan, we had Millet 8000m jackets.  I certainly wouldn't go back to the Saint Elias Range with anything less.  

I'm not familiar with the Montane, but based on its weight alone I don't think it's equivalent to an 8000m jacket.  I'm leading a team up Denali next year and will have to purchase an 8000m jacket for myself (the Millet jacket was borrowed) and I'm looking at Feathered Friends and Rab for their 8000m jackets.

Hope that helps. 

I currently own the 2018 Montane Deep Heat & I've used it probably fifteen days so far this winter as a belay jacket for northeast climbing.  I have the men's large & it fits well for my intended purposes; 5'10" and 166 pounds.  The Pertex Quantum Pro outer is super packable, but surprisingly "tough."  The "Firefly Orange" color can be seen from Mars, which I love and the internal stash pockets do their job as intended.  The two-way zipper actually has a bottom snap, which most companies seem to be steering away from for some reason.

Since it's British, the main zipper is reversed, so that will take a bit to get used to if you've never owned a Rab or Montane Jacket before.  I've owned several Rab jackets, so this isn't a huge deal.  Due to the two-way zip, it can be very finicky, especially with cold hands, to get Deep Heat to zip - not a deal breaker, though.  My only gripe with the Deep Heat is the hood volume.  It's definitely helmet-compatible, but because I wear multiple layers while climbing, I find I wish the hood was "deeper" as it can be challenging to get the jacket zipped-up all the way when wearing a helmet and several hoods.  I wish all apparel companies would inspect an Arc'teryx hood and try their damndest to replicate.  It's amazing how a perfectly fitting hood can make your day!

I've never been to Denali, nor have I climbed above 12,000 feet in elevation, so I can't comment on whether or not the Deep Heat will work for Alaskan weather / high altitudes, but I, personally, would get something with more down fill-weight.  Temps here in the northeast will be around 10ºF tomorrow, with lows below zero Fahrenheit at night, so I can give you better assessment with the negative temps.  I've been using the Deep Heat in temps from about 15-25ºF so far this season and haven't been cold.

Having tried on the previous Positron, not the "Pro," I'd recommend the Deep Heat over the Positron mainly because I'd rather have a fully-baffled belay jacket vs. a jacket with stitched-through arm construction and the reputation for cold arms as a result.

Though very heavy and not the best jacket for belay-specific purposes, the Rab Batura Jacket has 450 grams of 800-Fill, hydrophobic goose down.  Also, take a look at the Feathered Friends Khumbu Parka, which has 378 grams of 900-Fill, non-hydrophobic goose down.  Unfortunately, the Khumbu's constructed with PrimaLoft Gold in the collar for better moisture management.  PrimaLoft Gold's short-staple synthetic insulation has terrible longevity when exposed to numerous compression cycles.

Thank you all for your inputs.
Given all the advice above I think the Montane deep heat is the best choice for me. It's fully baffled, warm and reported as good quality. At sub 250 I think it's a steal.
I think anything much warmer would not bridge the gap properly with the ghost whisperer. It will be warm for Aconcagua, good for Elbrus if I ever get there, winter Alps...
Your advice was very valuable
Thanks again

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