High Altitude Mountaineering Requires a Technical Down Expedition Jacket
Expedition jackets, for high altitude mountaineering expeditions, are actually a combination of three jackets - a soft shell jacket as the every day working jacket and insulation layer, a hard shell with underarm zips for wet weather and wind protection and a down jacket that is large enough to fit over both for extreme cold protection. Fleece is not generally recommended because of reduced breathability. Expedition jackets are designed to work in the most extreme conditions when preserving life and limb are paramount. They should be warm, light and ventilate well for hot sunny days at high altitude.
Expedition-weight down parkas will have 750 or 800 fill-power or more, an attached hood, full baffles, and go below the waist. Fill-power is the measure of the down`s warmth-to-weight ratio and compressibility. The higher the fill-power, the lighter and more compressible the down. 900 fill-power is the highest available with the best warmth-to-weight ratio. For packing, pick a down jacket with low weight and maximum compression so it is easily stuffed into a pack.
Down expedition parkas have even more snow infiltration protection than down ski jackets to lock in internal heat with features like:
- A longer cut
- Laminated cuff adjustment system with internal storm sealing cuffs
- Internal fleece cuffs
- Adjustable storm sealing hem
- Down filled storm flap with fold-over chin guard
- Attached hood to eliminate drafts from zippers in high altitude jet streams
- Down-filled draft tube to eliminate cold leaks through the zipper
- Inside water bottle pockets to keep the bottles close to your body and prevent freezing
- Inside zip stuff sack pocket allows you to stuff the whole thing in its own pocket
- Zippered handwarmer pockets with soft fabric inside to warm hands
While the styles change every year, here are some jackets from the 2008/2009 season that are recommended by high altitude expedition guides.
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