Topic: The Best Packable Down Jackets of 2023 (Read 36 times)
previous topic - next topic
It's your post, so post it!
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 is something of a mainstay among backpackers. Most of us have owned this coat at least once, and when we’re evaluating a potential new insulative layer, it’s what we’re co*paring it against.
After testing some of the best packable down jackets from other top brands, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 is still one of the best options for backpackers there is. It’s very lightweight—in my test, the only thing lighter than it was the Crazy Levity. It’s surprisingly warm for that weight, too, keeping me co*fortably warm during the freezer test.
The cuffs of the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 have some synthetic fill to prevent them from wetting out. Most backpackers have experienced the cuff of their down jacket poking out from underneath their rain shell on bad-weather days, and inevitably getting wet. After fully submerging the Ghost Whisperer cuffs in water, I shook them dry and they lofted perfectly. The only sign that they were wet, in fact, was the thin strip of fabric running around the inside, which held more moisture than anything else.
The rest of the jacket was so effective at repelling moisture, in fact, that it was co*pletely dry on the underside after two hours with a quarter cup of water sitting against the back. Still, be careful to keep this one under one of the best backpacking rain jackets when you’re out in the backcountry: The down is not treated with a hydrophobic wash.
I also liked the coverage on the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2. The small size easily covered my unusually long (19 inches) torso, and the hood wrapped co*fortably around my face, providing plenty of coverage around my neck and jawline. If you’re looking for a lightweight insulative layer to get you through chilly mornings and evenings in the alpine, this is an excellent choice.
Not only does the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket have impressive environmental bonafides co*pared to other packable down jackets, it has impressive bonafides co*pared to just about any piece of outdoor gear. A full 90 percent of this jacket is made from recycled materials. Not 90 percent of the shell material; 90 percent of the entire jacket. That is beyond impressive.
In addition to using 100 percent recycled material for the shell material, Rab also uses 100 percent recycled down for the fill with the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket. The recycled down co*es from duvets, pil*ows, and old down sleeping bags and jackets (you can even get a free label to recycle directly with Rab if you are in the UK). Rab is also a certified Climate Neutral co*pany. And they’ve achieved all this without an increase in price—the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket was one of the more affordable options I looked at.
Unfortunately, there were some performance issues. Despite being treated with a hydrophobic wash, the down matted during my test of the cuffs. When I left a quarter cup of water on top of the jacket, it all soaked through the Pertex shell in two hours—one of the worst performances in my test. That being said, the skin feel of the material is excellent—as long as you are careful not to leave it in a puddle of water, most people will be satisfied with its performance.
The Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket also struggled during the cold-room test. I was fairly cold while wearing this jacket alone at a temperature range of 39 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep this one on hand for summer camping and shoulder season errands, but if you need some serious performance out of your packable down jacket, other options on this list will serve you better stead.
The warmth to weight of the Crazy Levity is off the charts. It weighs over an ounce less than its closest co*petitor (the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2) and was just as warm, if not warmer than that jacket. It also puffs up seemingly instantly; no waiting around for the jacket to loft. And, of course, it packs down very small: the second smallest packed size in my test.
There are a couple of ways the Crazy Levity pulls off this impressive feat. The first is to simply use the highest grade down it can: 950 fill power to 1000 fill power. And it doesn’t skimp on it either. A full 2.4 ounces of the total 6.1 ounces of the jacket are down. Next is a unique approach to baffling. Rather than sew in traditional baffles, they have small ovals glued in at periodic intervals that helps to keep the down separated and evenly distributed. I’ve been wearing this jacket on a regular basis for months and have not noticed any cold spots as a result of unevenly distributed down, so I’d say it’s plenty effective.
The Crazy Levity also dispenses with anything resembling an extra. There is only one zip pocket on the jacket (inside at the right waist) and there are no drawcords or adjustment points to cinch the hem or the hood, just a touch of elastic to hold it in place. During testing, however, this felt like enough. I couldn’t feel the cold creeping in anywhere. The fabric is also not especially water repellent (despite being treated with DWR) and absorbed essentially all of the water during my test of water resistance (the jacket still lofted fine, however). And remember all that premium down I mentioned? That’s part of the biggest drawback of the Crazy Levity. Its price point is hundreds of dollars more than anything else I’ve looked at.
Most people will likely look at the Crazy Levity and decide (rightly) that it’s not for them. But if you’d pay almost anything to scrap a couple of ounces from your pack weight, it’s a must have.
Read the full review: Crazy Levity: Can a Super Ultralight Puffer Actually Keep You Warm?
After a couple of packable down jackets had left me shivering during the testing period, I decided it was time to break out the heaviest option in the arsenal, the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie, for a change of pace. I was not disappointed. The jacket was warm from the moment I put it on and only got warmer as time went on. At the end of the testing period, I felt I would have happily stayed in the cold room even longer. In addition to being plenty warm, the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie is also affordably priced (only the Big Agnes Luna/Shovelhead was less).
The downside to the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie is that it is heavy and bulky, noticeably more so than the Big Agnes Luna that I tested while only providing marginally more warmth. It wouldn’t be my first choice for a backpacking trip, including in winter, for that reason. I also found that it had a fairly boxy silhouette, which is neither as flattering or as efficient an insulator as more streamlined options.
Quote Selected