| High Altitude Mountaineering Requires a Technical Down Expedition Jacket |
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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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| Mountain Hardwear Men`s Absolute Zero Parka |
Mountain Hardwear Men`s Absolute Zero Parka: 800- fill goosedown with a Conduit SL laminate for warmth and waterproof protection. Designed for high altitude mountaineering. This is a rugged parka that will keep you warm in the coldest places on earth.
- Face fabric SL Ripstop w/ Laminate Conduit SL
- Lining Fabric Nylon Taffeta
- Insulation 800-fill Down
- Attached hood
- One handed hood, waist and hem drawcords
- Two interior water bottle pockets
- Zip hand pockets
- Welded, watertight, baffle construction
- Two zip chest pockets
- Adjustable, Velcro® cuffs
- Weight: 2 lbs. 19.3 oz (1340 g)
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| Patagonia Down Parka |
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Patagonia Down Parka is a full coverage down parka for winter mountaineering using 800-fill-power down and a new polyester shell fabric: extremely tough and durable, but still lightweight, windproof and water-repellent. The Patagonia Down Parka has a relaxed fit for layering.
Features:
- Superb lightweight 800-fill European white goose down insulation, slant-box baffled construction
- Deluge® DWR shell; Shell and lining fabric is downproof, fully windproof, water-repellent and durable but super lightweight; Reinforced fabric in shoulders and sleeves
- Drawcorded hood with small draft tube cleanly encircles face
- Insulated flap with intermittent hook-and-loop closures covers center front zipper
- Perforated hook-and-loop elasticized cuffs are soft and light
- Zippered left chest pocket and two zippered handwarmer pockets; Two drop-in mesh internal pockets
- Lining: 1.6-oz. microdenier ripstop polyester; DWR finish. Insulation: 800-fill-power European white goose down
- 709 g. (25 oz.)
- Imported
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| Montbell Alpine Light Down Parka |
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The Montbell Alpine Light Down Parka provides incredible weight to warmth ratio with wind and water resistant fabric, 800 fill goose down and exceptional compressibility. Ballistic™ nylon is one and a half times more abrasion resistant than other similar weight fabrics and boasts three times the tear strength of nylons that are almost 20% heavier. Ballistic™ nylons have allowed Montbell to reduce the weight of this product by more than 50% without sacrificing durability. This strength comes from the manufacturing process where the nylon is repeatedly heated and stretched to align the molecules, much like the tensilizing of steel, resulting in an extremely durable, light weight, wind and water resistant fabric.
Features
- Lightweight at 14.2 ounces
- 800 Fill Power Goose Down
- Shell: 30 denier Ballistic® rip-stop nylon shell with DWR treatment.
- Lining: 30 denier Ballistic® taffeta lining
- Insulation: 4.2 oz. 800 Fill Power Down
- Stuff Size: 5.3" x 10.0"
- Extremely Warm for its Weight
- Wide Ranging Versatility
- Extremely Compressible
- 2-way adjustable hood
- hand warmer pockets
- micro-fleece lined collar
- Elastic cuffs seal out drafts
- Internal pocket provides a place to keep items warm
- Stuff sack included
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| Marmot 8000M Parka |
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The Marmot 8000M Parka provides baffled down protection for guaranteed warmth in bitter weather on the world`s highest peaks.
Features
- 800 fill power goose down the best down available for maximum warmth, guaranteed minimum fill
- Valiant 100% nylon membrain® 2l reinforcement material
- Halo 100% nylon WR lining material
- Adjustable Velcro®/elastic cuffs combination of Velcro and elastic for comfort and adjustability
- Angel-wing movement™ allows full range of motion in arms so jacket doesn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t ride up
- Articulated elbows design feature to reduce excess fabric and improve mobility
- Attached hood with draw cord hood muff adjustable extra warmth around your face
- Baffled construction for maximum control of down
- Down-filled draft tube eliminates cold leaks through the zipper
- Elastic draw cord waist and hem for adjustability in serious weather
- Gripper elastic powder skirt keeps out the snow
- Marmot Membrain®, waterproof/breathable fabric
- Reinforced shoulders and elbows
- Stuff and storage sack included zippered handwarmer pockets soft fabric to warm hands
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| The North Face Men`s Himalayan Parka |
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The North Face Men`s Himalayan Parka is designed for athletes aiming to reach the top of the world. The Himalayan Parka will keep elite alpine mountaineers protected on demanding ascents to the summit. This ultra-warm parka is built with Gore Windstopper® Insulation Shell and lightweight design.
Features
- Standard fit
- Fully baffled and seam taped
- PU zippers
- Fully laminated baffles, an exclusive design that welds down baffles without the use of conventional stitching to eliminate needle punctures and cold spots
- Fully adjustable snorkel hood for maximum weather protection
- Internal down collar
- Laminated back flap on all zippers
- Graduated center-front zipper wind flaps with clip closure
- Watch chest clip
- Two Napoleon chest pockets, pocket internal access
- Internal zipper pocket for radio
- Two internal stretch water-bottle pockets
- Two hand pockets
- Hobo mits
- Velcro adjustable cuffs
- Hem cinchcord
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| Millet Everest Connect Jacket |
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Millet Everest Connect Jacket is regularly used for both high altitude and polar expeditions.
Features
- Pertex® Quantum ripstop light 100% Pa. DWR treated - Insulation : 90% white goose down, 10% feathers - Fill power : 850 / Lining : 100% PES
- Long jacket
- Full baffle construction
- Highly protective integral hood, height - and depth adjustable by one hand
- Dual-zip main opening under double windproof flaps
- 1 waterproof - vertical-zip chest pocket
- 2 hand pockets under wide flap
- Altimeter sleeve pocket
- Hem adjusts with drawcord and tanka closure
- Elasticated cuffs with long snow cuffs and thumb hole
- Inner balaclava - stashes in back interior
- 2 large inside pockets (stretch mesh)
- 1 zipped / Connecting Construction™ skirt connects with EVEREST CONNECT PANT MIV 3444 to mimic suit-level protection
- Compression bag/storage bag
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| Feathered Friends Rock and Ice Parka |
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Feathered Friends Rock and Ice Parka is one of the warmest, most advanced parkas in the world. Nine years of experimentation and continuous feedback from the most experienced climbers in the world have gone into making the Rock & Ice Parka. It is designed to keep even the fatigued bodies warm in brutally cold conditions.
Features
- Fill Weight: 21.4 oz
- Average Weight: 51 oz
- Tuck stitch baffled construction & differential cut
- Interior water bottle pockets
- Large expansive velcro cargo pockets
- Zipper draft flap & lycra trim
- Permanent hood & mitt clips
- Dual front zippers with an external and internal zipper draft flap and down filled draft tube
- Taslite reinforced shoulders and elbows
- Elastic powder skirt
- Draw cords at waist and hem
- 850+ fill down
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| Ski Jacket Manufacturers |
- 686
- ARC`TERYX
- Bonfire Snowboarding
- Burton Snowboards
- Cloudveil
- Columbia Sportswear
- Eddie Bauer
- FlyLow Sports
- Helly Hansen
- Holden Outerwear
- Marmot Mountain
- Mammut Sports Group
- Millet
- Mountain Hardwear
- Nau
- NILS Women`s Ski and Sportswear
- Oakley
- Sport Obermeyer
- Outdoor Research
- Patagonia
- Quicksilver
- Rab Extreme Clothing
- Ride Snowboards
- Rossignol
- Roxy
- Salomon
- Sessions
- Scott Sports
- SKEA Ltd.
- Solstice
- Spyder Active Sports
- The North Face
- Under Armour
- Vans
- Volcom
- Westcomb
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