Marmot Guides Down Hoody

It's a very warm jacket, inexpensive and great quality.

It's a great jacket if you know what to expect from this.

It's not a thin jacket to use as second layer, it's more like a belay jacket or maybe a jacket for high altitudes or some really cold environments.

1) Fit & Comfort:  It is a bit thick when you wear it, but after a few minutes and when you get used to it, you will feel as if you have nothing.

Apart from that it is a very comfortable jacket and the size is correct.

2) Adjustability: It has two laces at the bottom, next to the zip, to adjust it at the waist; also, the hood can be adjusted from the front with two laces with locks.

The sleeve cuffs have an elastic and can be adjusted with a velcro.

3) Water Resistance: The manufacturer says that it has a DWR treatment and hydrophobic down, but as with all down jackets, it is not recommended to use them in the rain or snow, as they lose much of their insulating power when they get wet.

4) Breathability: It is a down jacket with a lot of insulating power, so it is not recommended for dynamic activities, because you will surely sweat under it.

5) Warmth: It is an excellent jacket for high altitudes or for extremely cold areas. It does a great job of keeping you warm when you sit down to rest or have to do a static activity, like belaying your rope partner.

6) Layering: It is a difficult jacket to use as an intermediate layer, because it is a bit thick. Either way, I usually wear it under my Gore-Tex jacket in very cold, windy places with rain or snow.

7) Abrasion: The outer fabric is a very thin micro rip stop fabric.I have been using it for a little over a year and it still shows no signs of wear, but I don't know how it will do it in the long term

8) Function: One of the advantages of this jacket is its functionalities, since it has two side pockets, one for the internal chest and one for the external chest.All zippers are top quality and work great.The hood allows the use of a helmet underneath, so it is excellent for belay.

9) Conditions: I have used this jacket in a wide variety of conditions, from the heights of Aconcagua to the cold and humid places of El Chalten and it always gave me excellent results.

In my case, I usually suffer a lot from the heat and perspire a lot, I only use it in times where it is really cold and for static activities (belay, cooking, activities in the camp)

10) Conclusions: If what you are looking for is a down jacket to wear throughout the day, either in the city or in the mountains and to do all kinds of things, maybe this is not the right one, because it is a bit thick, extremely warm and uncomfortable for that.

But if what you are looking for is a piece of equipment that protects you during the worst conditions in the mountains, this may be a great jacket for your choice.

Relatively lightweight but fragile garment for static use in camp. Cut is quite small and skinny, so warmth is still to be determined.

It's OK, but it is called a "Down Hoody" not a parka and as a "Hoody" it is as described.

I have to say tho that the Marmot size guide is as unreliable as Macpac's and it fits more like a Large/Extra Large. I am an XL Tall in US Army sizes and while this is labled an XXL it fits more like an army medium to large.

There is very little room for layering in winter and it is filled for maximum loft, not maximum warmth, especially as it is stitched through and not box walled. The cut is not "regular" as described but much more athletic and slim, especially in the sleeves.

This will create a problem with my Macpac Pisa top, so I may need to go back to using the Patagonia R1 Ninja gridfleece and make a new windshirt.

Warmth wise it will sit between the Uniqlo UL and the old dinosaur and about equal to the Patagonia DAS when that garment was new. I have been using the DAS for a long time, but this jacket is half the weight and bulk. Worth what I paid on sale, but not worth full Australian retail by a long margin, and the fabric looks and feels fragile, so not a mountaineering top despite the helmet-shaped hood, but probably suitable for sheltered static above the snowline here.

Time will tell if it will need a shell over it for wind resistance and the extra warmth a secondary shell gives. It is not anywhere near large enough to wear as a belay parka. If I had an XXL Patgonia DAS rather than an XL it might layer over this, but the XL is too small.

Hope this helps anybody thinking of buying one.

Background

I have 40 years experience bushwalking and several winter climbing seasons
My usual winter tops are more robust than this and I will give a long term report after the Southern winter. I will be using this to replace an older Patagonia DAS parka in XL.