Mountain Hardwear Downhill Parka

Let me start by saying that this is my 4th MH jacket, and 6th major MH purchase. Call me a fan boy if ya want, but i'm a fully sastisfied consumer! So on with the review. I'm using this jacket in northern Colorado, as my primary bike commuting insulation. The "hand" of this garment is superb. taped seams, self sealing zippers, a ton of pockets, pit zips (which are a god send!) and a 2 piece front zipper (which is good for me, as im hunched over a bike 30+ miles a day. This jacket is just flat fan-friggen-tastic! im 5,11, 195 and of a rather athletic build. the medium fits me perfect. The insulation, water resistance and breathability are very impressive. I was out in a 35 degree full blown drizzle for about 20 miles, in only a long sleeve cotton shirt and this jacket. not only was i toasty warm, but i was only mildly damp from sweating (im not a lazy biker...average 18 mph). As the temps have dropped into the 20s at night, a layer of wool is all i need as a seondary insulator with this coat. Simply fantastic! only negitive i have is the fact the 650 fill is not uber compressable. the coat is under 3 lbs, but if you need to pack it away, a compression sack is going to be a necassary. That said, it dosent have that "staypuft marshmellow man" look to it in the least. in fact, all of the feedback ive recieved has ended in suprise when i tell them its down...and then they try it on and LOOOOVE it.

Ok - first things first: To come to this jacket I have owned three in the last four years, and tried on about 15. I have owned a Marmot Logan Jacket and a North Face Vortex for comparison. I was looking for something that 1) would keep me warm, 2) allowed a good range of motion, and 3) look good enough that I could wear it around town. To these things: warmth -- I have always been skeptical of down jackets, but I can't even tell it is goose down. The jacket functions as a soft shell, but has an extremely warm, light layer of down. This eliminates the bulk of 3 in 1 jackets. Fit - because the jacket insulates with light down, I can move around, something I could not do with a 3 in 1. Although not as roomy as some gore-tex shells w/ light insulation, the pit zips don't constrict my arms, and the length is excellent for skiing short-hike powder. Looks - it looks good: good color matching, and a multitude of pockets for stashing everything you could want. At 100-200 dollars cheaper than goretex shells, and the same price (with MUCH better functionality) than 3 in 1 jackets, this is the jacket if you ski hard in the big resorts.

I have the Mountain Hardware chugach jacket and was very pleased. The downhill parka is no exception. It is a very good quality product. Lots of pockets, good fit, not puffy like a traditional down jacket. My only complaint is that I wore this jacket out of the box in 21 degree weather and I immediately noticed cold spots in the shoulder area. The down is very thin in this area. I admit that I only wore a long sleeve t-shirt underneath. The jacket however is perfect with a base layer and a light middle layer for active outdoor activities. The cut is great and the jacket looks great.

Good and warm jacket, this has a really good length, sknow skirt and plenty of pockets, removable skirt and hood its warm enough to ski with just a base layer underneath in a 30's weather, what there is not to like?.... its puffy, on the heavy side and doesnt compress well at all, i dont know if a down midlayer + hardshell would perform better on low temperatures but that's about all the bad on this jacket, weight puffy and no easy to compress nerveless it does an amazing job of keeping you warm while skiing

Mountain Hardwear's Down Parka is all I had hoped and more! Being a big fan of the insulating qualities of down, but not wanting to look like the Michelin Man I rolled the dice and decided to order this Parka. I was not dissapointed...the cut of the jacket was athletic and with 650 down fill has the power to keep out the cold weather during any outdoor winter activity. The styling and attention to detail put this Parka over the top! I wonder why Mountain Hardwear does not expand this particular down line?

I finally found a jacket that works for me! This is an excellent down jacket. First and foremost it is warm! It also has plenty of pockets and features that are quite handy. It is windproof, waterproof and breathes very well. It is also very light and flexible. My only complaints is that the design of the hood draw stings are a little awkward and the jacket isn't insulated down beyond the pow skirt. All in all, a very nice and warm down jacket.

Hands down the warmest jacket I have owned. Plenty of pockets and good zippers as well. It seems like the shift in slope jackets is all towards having a shell and layering. But I also like to wear my jackets when I am not skiing, and living in Missoula I wear it often. A shell for walking around campus isn't ideal--and 3 in 1's are just lame. If you are looking for some insulation in your jacket this is the one to get.

I have only had this jacket a few weeks but have worn it daily. I have been out in temps fgrom -10 to near 40. I have been dry and warm. I was surprised how warm such a thin jacket could be. I would recommend this to anyone who wants waterproof and the warmth of down.

The parka would be great for the ski hill as the outer shell is very waterproof and would keep out the wind. However, I was looking for a down parka for more gneral use and went with the Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero parka which is great!