Best Belay Jacket?

[treknclime]

Wiiild Things, Patagucci, Clouddevil, ??

 

Hooded...Primaloft...and fits well over layers...with a helmet?

[Ade]

We sort of just talked through this one

[treknclime]

Ade...I like it when I get straightened out...

 

Thx!

 

[Rainier_Wolfscastle]

Das Parka is the bomb. Best weight to warmth ratio for synthetic. Cloudveil Enclosure Parka is pretty nice too but their listed weight is waaay off. Ad says 23 oz. My scale 33 oz.

[Zoran]

Have you checked your pockets and removed two cans of beer from last trip?

Joke!

Seriously, I never checked weight of my Enclosure jacket (I have no parka). I'll do that in the grocery store soon and post reply to see did they make mistake with jacket too. I have no small scale at home.

Edited December 15, 2004 by Zoran

[DPS]

The best belay parka is the one having the most fun. While I love my Wild Things Belay Parka, it mostly sits in the closet not having much fun. It comes out only once in a blue moon for very cold trips like Rainier in winter or Alaska.

[Dru]

I always laugh when people expect the manufacturers advertised product weight or pack volume to remotely approximate the real thing

[Zoran]

That is why we have MEC to always weight product before post it on their web site or catalogues.

It will be interesting to see ad you have. Cloudveil site says 36 ounces.

http://cloudveil.com/product.php?sku=F4-3106&cat=19982

Z

Edited December 15, 2004 by Zoran

[Rainier_Wolfscastle]

Looks like they fixed the weight on the Parka. Previously it was listed at 23 oz. The new figure of 36 oz. sounds about right.

[IceIceBaby]

BTW EMS have awesome sale on all their clothing and the clothing construction is far better then REI the Belay jacket is only $80 with Primaloft One insulation

[kurthicks]

or check out one here... golite 6 month parka $99

[JoshK]

That golite parka is pretty sweet deal, but jeezus, the thing weighs over 2 lbs.

[Blake]

That golite parka is pretty sweet deal, but jeezus, the thing weighs over 2 lbs.

 

My thoughts as well Josh. How is that really in line with the "golite" philosophy? Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket (down not synthetic) is 10 ounces! http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/appareldetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__ProductID=WE4075&code=100

[JoshK]

Yeah, I have the flight jacket for my 3 season insulation piece. It's awesome. I would guess my volant jacket is somewhere near the warmth of that golite parka and it weighs a ton less.

[cracked]

I have the Golite Six Month Night, the Coal, and their new Belay.

 

I like them all. The SMN is BIG, WARM, and BULKY. Right at two pounds; it's not significantly heavier than the competition (eg Wild Things Belay, Patagonia DAS, etc, etc), and it's probably warmer than most. Well built, good hood, waist and hem drawcords, good pockets, the works. It weighs what it does because of the insulation, it's light for what it is. Sure, you can build a jacket that weighs six ounces, but comparing it to the SMN is apples to oranges, since we're talking warmth to weight here. Its greatest disadvantage is its bulk, not weight.

 

The Coal was less than perfect, but the price sure was right. I liked the jacket and used it for a year, but the hood was less than stellar and the cut was mediocre. Still quite warm for the weight, very windproof and water repellent, it saved me from being very very cold a few times.

 

When the Coal was getting too small for me, and I found a killer deal, I got the Belay. It's essentially a slightly shorter version of the Coal with a great hood, longer sleeves, an EPIC shell, and a bit of reinforcement. While I wish they didn't feel the need to add gimmicks like stretch armpit panels and reinforcements, it's a great jacket. It is very similar to Wild Things' EPIC jacket or Patagonia's Puff series, but I suspect it's a bit warmer than either. This is my go-to jacket for the stuff that I do.

 

I always match the jacket with a light sleeping bag in the winter, and for the rest I used it when I stop for a break or belay. Once I was forced to wear the Coal while moving, but usually they're overkill.

 

The SMN is great when you're stationary for long periods. But it's overkill for what I'm typically doing, which is (very slowly) skiing up and down little hills. And it's big enough that I really can't wear it inside my sleeping bag. So it's been relegated to trips that I haven't done yet, belaying at Smith in winter, and climbing during particularly cold weather. The Coal is pretty much all I used last winter. The Belay is even better than the Coal, the EPIC fabric is fantastically water resistant, and the short length allows for easy belaying despite the lack of a two way zipper. I cut the arms off of the Coal and use it as a vest now.

 

Golite makes some dubious products, but IMHO their insulated jackets are great, easily on par with other manufacturers, and usually you can find them at much, much lower prices than you'd pay their competitors. So if you're a cheap bastard, snag them off of Sierra Trading Post and the like.

 

And it's not fair to compare down to synthetic. You couldn't wear your Flight as outerwear in a rain/sleet storm. Likewise, you will never beat its warmth to weight ratio. Apples and oranges.

 

I am not sponsored by Golite. And sorry for the thesis.

[rhyang]

I agree about the cut of the Coal, but only the 2002 model - the 2003 model's hood is cut better, and the jacket as a whole is a bit larger. I use the 2002 w/o hood for 3-season backpacking in wetter climates (coastal) and the 2003 for milder winter conditions, since more layers fit under it. Definitely like the fact that they were both on sale ! (I think the 2002 was like $30)

 

Anyhow, I haven't used either for belaying - actually decided to spring for a closeout Golite belay jacket, which I like, but so far have only used for milder conditions. My plan is to use an FF Volant w/hood for standing around when it's really cold. Should have more feedback on that by mid-Jan ...

[wdietsch]

BTW EMS have awesome sale on all their clothing and the clothing construction is far better then REI the Belay jacket is only $80 with Primaloft One insulation

 

Like IceIce says .. @ $80 it's worth a shot.

[chelle]

or check out one here... golite 6 month parka $99

 

It's $99 and a great coat for wet or cold belays here around Seattle with little walk from the car like Index. If you are going to be ice climbing with it you could go with a lighter down coat because it probably won't be raining at your belays.

[kurthicks]

@ $80 it's worth a shot.

 

I ordered one of the EMS belay jackets the other day. it just showed up. The initial test was alright. it fits just like my TNF down jacket, but is less puffy. i stood outside with just it layered over a cotton t-shirt and was toasty warm in the 32 degree temps. It also fits over my helmet. the only downfall thus far is that the front pockets aren't insulated on the outside, meaning that i'll have to wear gloves. It's getting a more thorough test up in Banff next week, I'll post a more detailed review then.

 

Kurt