SummitPost.org

Destination: Rainier/Baker perhaps Aconcagua

Candidates: Pata Das,
Pata Fitz Roy (800 fill, baffled)
Marmot Greenland (baffled 800 fill)

I used a DAS on Baker (North Ridge) and Rainier (Liberty Ridge). The synthetic fill is particularly appreciated when you are doing belayed climbing in freezing rain or wet snow (not uncommon on Rainier/Baker) and your outer climbing layer is wet, but you then need to stop and throw on the parka at the belay stop. You can just put it on top of your wet layers and you'll still stay reasonably warm, whereas down would lose more of its insulating value. We camped in the summit crater of Rainier after climbing Liberty Ridge and it was toasty warm at 10F + windy conditions at 14,000+' (that's me in the grey DAS):

Denali with the Greenland and never wore it once! Used a micro-puff 99% of the time. Got lucky with the temps but I am bringing it to Aconcagua

A better choice:



Redpoint Optimus. Compresses smaller than your current choices. Excellent for the Cascades (been on Rainier twice, it would have been more than enough for the winter attempt) and amazingly warm to boot. Primaloft insulator.

AlpineAffinity wrote:A better choice:



Redpoint Optimus. Compresses smaller than your current choices. Excellent for the Cascades (been on Rainier twice, it would have been more than enough for the winter attempt) and amazingly warm to boot. Primaloft insulator.

This one looks interesting. Is it comparable to the Pata Nanopuff hoody or Micropuff hoody? I am a little uneasy about this as a puffy, as it looks more like a layering piece. How cold did it get when you were on Rainier?

AlpineAffinity wrote:A better choice:



Redpoint Optimus. Compresses smaller than your current choices. Excellent for the Cascades (been on Rainier twice, it would have been more than enough for the winter attempt) and amazingly warm to boot. Primaloft insulator.

Better? How so? I think most of the other users of the other jackets seem to be happy with their selections. . .

To answer JT's question, I think this one is more similar to the Pataguch micro puff(similar weight, fill, etc.), rather than the Nano. The Nano is lighter. Check out the numbers, etc. on any of the websites.
Could be a layering piece, could be an outerlayer, just depends. I can't answer for its or any of the others, warmth on Rainier, etc. as I haven't been. I tend to think one needs something heavier, warmer for that kind of stuff, ie. a down jacket of some sort, but, according to some of these guys, the Das, micro puff, etc. worked for them.
I'm looking at similar questions about puffys myself right now. . . can you tell? Obssessive.

Agreed, this is very similar to the Marmot Zeus that I took as a layering jacket. I did live in it almost daily as the weather was decent. I would not want only that jacket on Aconcagua or Denali is less than stellar weather.

redpoint optimus has 100g/m primaloft 1

DAS has 170 g/m of primaloft 1

neither would be as warm as an 800 fill jacket of equivalent weight

i guess what you need would depend on how long you want to survive if you get caught ...

Hi, I have the Patagonia Micro Puff and the First Ascent Igniter. They are kinda redundant choice because they are both equally warm BUT the Igniter has a much better hood for mountaineering (helmet compatible, covers the face better) and has an outer napoleon pocket (both have an inner one). Both pack down nicely, as small or smaller than a MH Sub Zero jacket (no hood) I have.

The jackets are good down to 0F with a few layers under (good baselayer and a 200wt fleece) and are awesome at stopping the wind. I like them as outer layers but they layer under a shell nicely. They are must haves really. (either)

For big mountains, specially in winter I would prefer a First Ascent Peak XV as insurance but would still take the synthetic with me.

If you want to save weight you can layer a micro puff hood less or a nano puff under a shell and the use the Peak XV for stops or camp.

bearbreeder wrote:i guess what you need would depend on how long you want to survive if you get caught ...

that should be the standard reply to all parka related questions.

kevin trieu wrote:

bearbreeder wrote:i guess what you need would depend on how long you want to survive if you get caught ...

that should be the standard reply to all parka related questions.

And dry insulating value isn't the only factor to be taken into account in the answer to the question. A damp synthetic jacket is a lot warmer than a damp 800 fill down jacket of equivalent weight. Assuming the OP isn't planning to climb Rainier and Baker in midwinter, dampness is a factor to consider.

PS two other nice things about the DAS are that if you rip it (not that that could ever happen when you are using crampons, ice axes, and screws or pickets) the synthetic insulation stays inside, unlike down. And you can sometimes get one really cheap at a Patagonia outlet, like I did.

the DAS is your best bet. Excellent construction, and has been a staple for a long time for a reason. You just can't kill it. Search for deals online for it, or as a previous poster mentioned, head to a Patagonia Outlet if given the opportunity (or call and order it from one). The newest incarnation of the DAS is lighter, warmer, and more compressible than the older one (which I have). If I were to complain about the damn thing it would be that it takes up a lot of room in my pack, but again, the latest generation takes care of that.

Now I just have to wait until I manage to kill mine - not any time soon - to get a newer generation one....

The best way to see what you need depends on what you're doing and how you handle the cold.

The Optimus was a match for me because I don't rock a huge pack, space is valuable to me. It rocks because it keeps me warm enough when I'm fueling up mid route, when I'm at a chilly belay, when I'm making water at camp. At camp I'm moving around or in my sleeping bag. The Primaloft makes it ideal for the Cascades and it shines with its durability.

If you spend a lot of time at camp just chillin', you're not gunna be as warm as you would be with the Das or other beefier jackets. The g/m doesn't lie. But if you're a worker bee out there, you'd be amazed at how little you can get away with in the continental US.

As for the big 'A' down in South America, my time spent in the Andean winter was the biggest test I've ever had in the cold. And man, it was cold. I had a full on Down Parka for the occasion and I was glad to have it. The same parka on Rainier in the winter where temps hovered at 0 - -5 degrees, it was too much for me and the Optimus would have been fine. You see people on that summit with big parkas- it's probably for a reason.

Look, if you're tent bound in a cold, fat storm, you've got a sleeping bag to do the heavy lifting. Sometimes, most of times, bigger is not better.

I think the DAS is on sale now at patagonia.com under web specials for $175. I like mine, wore it on Mt. Washington last winter (only needed it for an hour or so).

WML wrote:the DAS is your best bet. Excellent construction, and has been a staple for a long time for a reason. You just can't kill it. Search for deals online for it, or as a previous poster mentioned, head to a Patagonia Outlet if given the opportunity (or call and order it from one). The newest incarnation of the DAS is lighter, warmer, and more compressible than the older one (which I have). If I were to complain about the damn thing it would be that it takes up a lot of room in my pack, but again, the latest generation takes care of that.

Now I just have to wait until I manage to kill mine - not any time soon - to get a newer generation one....

I've tried the new generation, but I'm not convinced it's warmer. I think I'll test more this winter. I'm not selling my old yet. New DAS is only slightly more compressible, and while I don't have a scale, comparing specs on patagonia website show they weight about the same. I think something along the way of micropuff would work pretty good for you on Rainier. Nano Puff if you layer correctly. For Aconcagua, summit day for me was cold and windy, having MH Sub Zero was very nice.

Looking at the new spec for DAS, it has 170g of primaloft one, 103g is in hood and sleeve. Maybe the MH Compressor will do the trick for Rainier.