UKC

Would welcome opinions on how suitable the Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Parka would be for a summit day and (base) camp jacket for both Aconcagua and Denali?

Layering items would include Merino wool, Patagonia R1 Hoody, Patagonia Merino Air Hoody and a lightweight down jacket (probably either the Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody or PHD Alpine Ultra Jacket).

In reply to whereisearl:

My only worry is that you might not be wearing enough Patagonia

In reply to alexm198:

Ha, I value brands with eco and ethical credentials!

In reply to whereisearl:

might be worth getting in touch with Patagonia themselves. they'll have more knowledge on layering at altitude with their kit than anyone on here. Have you looked at their high alpine range?

In reply to GHawksworth:

Have dropped them an email already. Would be nice to hear some impartial thoughts as well though from those who have experience of either a) the jacket mentioned or b) climbing Aconcagua/ Denali.

In reply to whereisearl:

Only pulling your leg - I definitely agree. Patagonia stuff worth every penny imo.

In reply to alexm198:

Ha, I know it's fine. Having watched a video on live-plucking of down and restitching the goose it's pretty unpleasant! The 100 year guarantee or whatever ridiculous length it is they give and the Worn Wear repair programs they do get a thumbs up too!

In reply to whereisearl:

I have climbed neither so take what I say with a pinch of salt but you appear to have a lot of base/light mid layers. I would imagine that on Denali the r1 or the merino air hoody would be my base layer. I'd then want so form of insulation before a shell, be that more fleece (r2/3) or synthetic (nano air would be ideal?).

In reply to galpinos:

True most my current layers are geared more towards UK/ European use, not quite the coldness of Aconcagua/ Denali. Hence looking to take advantage of the sales to stock up on a few items!

In reply to galpinos:

Just re-read my original post, item's I currently have should have been as follows:

Baselayer: L/S Merino wool with hood
Midlayer: Patagonia R1 Hoody
Synthetic/insulation: Patagonia Nano-Air Light Hoody
Wind jacket: Patagonia Houdini

Looking to add a lightweight down jacket (probably either the Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody or PHD Alpine Ultra Jacket) and a heavy down jacket (Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Park or maybe as mentioned the Grade VII Down Parka).

In reply to whereisearl:





You don't need two down jackets, given you have the Nano-Air.

I would add one big down jacket to your kit, and personally the Fitzroy is not quite enough. It can get bloody cold on Denali.

I buy kit on how well it fits and if the specs are what I need. Eco/ethical reasons come after that. Most Patagonia gear does not fit me - too wide around the waist, narrow across the shoulders and short in the arms. All the quality and ethics are useless if it doesn't fit me and thus impairs function.

Rather than waste money on a second down jacket, make sure your boots, mitts and face mask are the best you can get, and maybe look at synthetic insulated overpants.

It also depends when you are going to Denali. Mid-May is much colder than mid-June.

I've climbed both Denali and Aconcagua.

In reply to whereisearl:


I'd add that they're really very different mountains and should be kitted accordingly.

On Aconcagua you are only out in the cold for several hours on summit day (excluding any bad storms up to then) morning, whereas on Denali it will be very cold every night for 2-3 weeks.

The lower reaches of Aco are very hot, right up to at least Nido Condores (5400m), whereas the lower reaches of Denali can still be extremely cold, especially out of the sun.

The extra 800m in height means you are moving much slower on Aco summit day than you should be on Denali summit day.

Denali clothing needs to be worn with full glacier gear, coiled rope, jumar for the headwall etc. Aconcagua normal route needs none of this.

In reply to whereisearl:
I have a ME Lightline jacket which has a fill weight of the total weight of the PHD jacket you mention and wear that around in the UK daily. (Albeit 675 fill power) I considered pairing it with a lighter down jacket.

What I will say is, after taking UKC recommendations, I bought a Marmot Greenland for denali/Acon, and the difference between that and the lightline is SHOCKING! I mean this marmot is ROASTING, It is the hottest thing I have ever worn and it dwarfs the ME lightline hugely! Even when paired with ANOTHER 120g fill weight down jacket and mid layer.
There is probably a reason why people recommend proper jackets. It gets VERY cold, and you basically need a VERY warm jacket.

In reply to zimpara:

If you're going to give people advice on kit for the greater ranges you might want to be a bit more up front about your experience (or lack thereof).

Also, wearing two down jackets on top of one another is - counterintuitively - not likely to make you much warmer, as it just prevents the down from lofting effectively.

In reply to alexm198:

what he said

In reply to Damo:
Appreciate your advice and experience. The reason for two down jackets is I figure the heavy 'expedition' type down jacket would probably be overkill for the U.K. and was therefore looking at a lightweight option for U.K. and summer Alps use. The intention was never to layer the two down jackets.

Given you don't think the Fitz Roy is quite enough, do you think the Grade VII Down Parka would be appropriate?

Would you recommend synthetic insulated overpants over down ones? Any particular reason for this?

Completely agree regarding fit being priority, (fortunately) Patagonia stuff fits me well so tends to be my go to brand as I know what size I typically require etc.

In reply to whereisearl:

Get a gradeVII preferably in a small....if you don't like it then you could always pass it on to me!
Seriously tho I'd contact patagonia direct, they're a helpful lot once you get in touch. The same with PHD...who'll also make you something bespoke if it fits the bill better...tho it won't look quite as nice as a Patagonia!

In reply to whereisearl:



Yes. I tried one on in a shop a few weeks ago and was toasty warm, so it should be fine!
More seriously, yes, they seem like very good and well designed jackets.



More durable - you're more likely to rip, trip, sit in schitt, crampon, axe and generally abuse pants than a jacket, so Primaloft tends not to float away in the wind when the shell is ripped, and keep you warm when you sit in wet snow. Down pants rarely fit well either, something to do with the construction process maybe. Synth pants tend to be better tailored. They're also usually a bit cheaper, and you're unlikely to wear them much.

In reply to Pipecleaner:

Sorry I tend to be a medium in Patagonia stuff! Emailed them last night and got the following reply "For a summit day jacket for Denali/Aconcagua, yes, I would definitely say that the Fitz Roy Down Parka is suitable. An even better option would be the Grade VII Down Parka."

In reply to Damo:

Thanks. Will look in to trying a Grade VII!

Appreciate the advice on the synthetic overpants, that's really helpful as a lot of the 'kit lists' I had seen seemed to suggest down overpants. Based on your experiences what fill of PrimaLoft insulation would you suggest 60g, 100g or something higher?

In reply to alexm198:

What Advice have I been dishing out Mr Pedant?

I noted my findings when I purchased a jacket recommended by UKC over a very similar system the OP is asking about for the same objective.

Now why don't you, with a little more experience and knowledge rather ADD some useful info rather than being a pedantic little jerk.

In reply to zimpara:

I've PM'd you to save from derailing this thread any further.

In reply to alexm198:
You are special.

You derailed this thread. I shared a story as I was contemplating the same thing as OP. But argue for the sake of it. I am sure you will.

Edit,
Dont care if you read this bit. But I mentioned I was wearing a lightline in the uk to show that it was not an especially warm weight of jacket. Not to qualify it as a greater ranges jacket. Which any fool could see. Don't know how you missed it.