UKC

Hi Gents and Ladies,

Need some advice please if possible. I'm climbing Kilimanjaro in June and planning to go up Aconcagua and perhaps a couple of other South American volcanoes in a year or so. I have most of my gear but cannot seem to decide on which Down Jacket to buy. I've narrowed it down to the following (fairly large) list, can anyone please recommend/not recommend what to take.

- Mountain Equipment / Lightline - £170
- Mountain Equipment / Xero Hooded Jacket - RRP £220
- Mountain Equipment / Himal - RRP £240
- Mountain Equipment / Vega - RRP £240
- Rab / Neutrino Endurance - RRP £225
- Montane / Polestar - £150
- Alpkit / Filo - £120

I've also looked at the Mountain Equipment Gasurbhram jacket but this seems a bit excess (definately for Kili).

Any recommendations would be welcome.

Thanks in Advance.

James

In reply to jcooper1459:

TheHimal will be warmest although bulkier. Detachable hoods probably worth avoiding too. Would be a bugger to lose it in the middle of nowhere.

Personally I'd go for the one with the smallest pack size to warmth ratio. Probably rules out the above though.

Ps I got a Himal from Webtogs for £120 so worth shopping around.

In reply to jcooper1459:

Any one of those is fine, so buy the cheapest and save the rest for tips while out there.

In reply to jcooper1459: I've got a Himal which I picked up for about £140 off webtogs, I think. I haven't used it in anger yet, but it's seriously warm and it packs down pretty small. Not that heavy either. The reason I bought it is to do Elbrus this summer, so I can't yet comment on how it performs in the real cold.

If you're L/XL, £120 here: http://www.southwestmountainsports.com/Mountain_Equipment_Mens_Himal_Down_J...

Some other good deals on Google Shopping.

In reply to alexm198:

Hey guys,

Thanks for the advice, the Himal does indeed look good and I tried it on in Cotswold the other day, the medium fitted great but unfortunately the Large is a little to big I think. Might order, try it and send it back if it doesn't fit. Bit annoying there are no mediums for sale left anymore, seems at this stage of the season a lot of things are sold out.

Thanks for the advice/help.

In reply to jcooper1459:

Any other advice would also be welcome!!

In reply to jcooper1459:

Have you done anything like these before?

The conditions on Kili and Aconcagua are massively different, both are great experiences in their own right. I did Kili just over 2 years ago, perfect weather but a bit chilly on summit night with -10 windchill, completely worth it to be up top as the sun rose and an hour or so later we descended in just base layers. Did it over a week and fairly cruised up it, the porters carry everything apart from your day pack and make it really quite simple by comparison to other peaks.

Went to Aconcagua this January, got to base camp in blistering heat, weather started to turn a bit the day we did a gear stash and just got worse from then on. Our highest camp was only Camp Canada because we got turned around the next day by really grim conditions but night temperature was around -15. The gear carries are heavy, the weather can change from 10 to minus 10 in minutes and it can go from blue sky to complete whiteout in the blink of an eye.

Aconcagua feels much wilder and grander, sure there's a whopping great base camp but it's in a truly beautiful spot. Kili is magnificent for its solitude.

Enjoy them both and good luck with the summits!

In reply to jcooper1459: They are all fine for Kili but Aconcagua can be seriously cold there is a reason they ask for double plastic boots for Aconcagua by the guiding companies. You don't want to have to retreat due to being too cold. It's questionable whether you should be taking a down jacket which is not equipped to deal with -15C and lower depending on your build/metabolism. Most of the above listed are rated to approx -10C only.

But depends on how many base & midlayers you are using. But if replying on the down jacket to be your main source of insulation and not got much else on; then stay safe and go for something with boxwall construction which are as a rule warmer than the sewn through. The best way to determine a jackets warmth if using similar down quality (fill power) is to compare the down load (weight inside it) and its construction.

In reply to Expedition Kit Hire:

I think Expedition Kit Hire touched on something crucial, and that is layering. I do not wish to enter the fray relating to brands, but I am of the personal view that a less bulky down jacket like a Mammut Broad Peak, or a Marmot thin down jacket would be preferable, so that it can be worn as a 4th (or even 5th) layer under the Hard Shell.

A thicker down jacket is great for nights in the tent, but can be a bit bulky for the days.