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Post by downriver on May 10, 2021 13:26:15 GMT -8
i really like Feathered Friends Men’s Eos down jacket. Unfortunately, it is too small for me. I have a large chest and it’s hard at times to find a good fit (Western Mountaineering jackets don’t fit, either. However, their vests work for me!). The Eos was a jacket I really wanted to fit, but no go. So, what are your favorite down jackets? Any brands known for their larger sizes? Thx.
Regards,
DR
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 10, 2021 14:15:25 GMT -8
I use a Patagonia of some sort. Works great for me. Don't know anything about them being any larger or smaller than normal in any area.
I'd suggest buying for your chest size and let the rest fall as it may. You'll probably end up with slightly longer sleeves, but that's not a bad thing in a winter jacket.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on May 10, 2021 14:17:12 GMT -8
I'd suggest buying for your chest size and let the rest fall as it may. You'll probably end up with slightly longer sleeves, but that's not a bad thing in a winter jacket. This. Basically, it's what I do, except I buy for across the shoulders and back (i.e., men's tops & jackets). Sleeves are always too long, and I've come to consider that a feature, not a bug.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 10, 2021 17:25:40 GMT -8
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Post by trinity on May 10, 2021 17:37:46 GMT -8
I have a large chest and it’s hard at times to find a good fit I have the same problem. My Patagonia Ultralite Down Hoodie has worked well for me, but is no longer made. Other Patagonia jackets I have tried on (such as the Down Sweater) don't fit me well at all, much too tight across the chest. Have you tried Montbell? I have an Alpine Light, which has a pretty boxy fit. I also have a synthetic fill jacket from Arcteryx that fits me pretty well.
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Post by downriver on May 10, 2021 21:50:03 GMT -8
Reuben,
I’ve had Patagonia’s Down Sweater in the past. Unfortunately, I found their quality control very poor on the jacket. I wore out two very quickly. REI and Patagonia made good on the returns and I opted for their Micro Puff Hoody. It has functioned very well. In addition to having poor quality control , I found Patagonia actually changed the cut on the down sweater; it made the jacket much tighter and new fit was wat too tight for me. Love their Micro Puff Hoody, though. Patagonia has so many plants and each plant has different quality controls in my experiences with the company.
Regards,
DR
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Post by downriver on May 10, 2021 21:54:03 GMT -8
HSF,
Thx for the tip on REI. I’ve never tried their down jackets. I will also look further into Montbell.
Trinity,
Thx for the tip on Montbell, too. I think I’ll try them first over REI.
Regards,
DR
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on May 11, 2021 5:35:33 GMT -8
I don't know the current status of the "First Ascent" line at Eddie Bauer (seemed like they might be phasing it out) but I think their outerwear is generally very good and excellent for the price. Also, their sizing is typically very generous. For example: www.eddiebauer.com/p/38832283/men%27s-downlight(r)-jacketRe Montbell. Originally a Japanese company. I thought their clothes to be very trim.
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cweston
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Post by cweston on May 11, 2021 9:33:56 GMT -8
I had an earlier incarnation of that First Ascent Downlight jacket: it fit me perfectly (snug adjacent, but not too snug).
Even cheaper down jackets are still ridiculously warm for the weight, so it's one piece where I would concentrate on getting the fit right, not worrying too much about brand name, etc.
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Post by JRinGeorgia on May 11, 2021 10:22:11 GMT -8
Look up Goosefeet Gear. The owner, Ben, will custom tailor the jacket to your measurements, and further customize however you want -- shell fabric, insulation weight, fill power, pockets or not, zipper or not, hood or not, etc. I got a jacket from him that I love (and why shouldn't I, it's literally exactly what I wanted). I have a more athletic build so larger in the chest and he accommodated that easily, but still kept the belly area smaller so I don't have dead space to heat. Most down jackets have either around 2 oz down and fall into the "down sweater" category or they have 4+ oz of down and are more like a parka, I wanted something in between and he did that no problem. I wanted sleeves and body length to be a little longer than usual so they wouldn't ride up, and lots of other details, and he made the jacket to meet every one of my specs. And the cost was in line with jackets from brands like Arc'teryx, Patagucci, etc.
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on May 11, 2021 11:56:55 GMT -8
I have two down jackets and neither is a trail favorite. Do not get me wrong, they can be beyond luscious in warmth. I have politely an over-active cooling reflex and can quickly render the three-season mid-weight Sierra Designs soakingly worthless. My Montrail big bubba Michelin Man sub-zero jacket has a really vaporous shell that needs an outer parka to keep it intact. I carry it on day hikes and backcountry skiing in cold fall-winter-spring trips in Wyoming as an emergency cover if I ever have to bivouac overnight. When I was a teen with climbing friends, an extra tall tube sewen into a ruck, that was SOP for mad dashes to a remote face.
My standard trail 'puffies" have been synthetic jackets. Current faves are Patagonia Micro-Puff and a new to me MacroPuff. Both of which have soaked with rain or body, kept on, and quickly dried back out.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 11, 2021 13:04:57 GMT -8
^this^ is sort of why I prefer vests for active use: for me anyway more flexibility in temperature adaptation.
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Post by downriver on May 11, 2021 15:07:09 GMT -8
Look up Goosefeet Gear. The owner, Ben, will custom tailor the jacket to your measurements, and further customize however you want -- shell fabric, insulation weight, fill power, pockets or not, zipper or not, hood or not, etc. I got a jacket from him that I love (and why shouldn't I, it's literally exactly what I wanted). I have a more athletic build so larger in the chest and he accommodated that easily, but still kept the belly area smaller so I don't have dead space to heat. Most down jackets have either around 2 oz down and fall into the "down sweater" category or they have 4+ oz of down and are more like a parka, I wanted something in between and he did that no problem. I wanted sleeves and body length to be a little longer than usual so they wouldn't ride up, and lots of other details, and he made the jacket to meet every one of my specs. And the cost was in line with jackets from brands like Arc'teryx, Patagucci, etc. Thx for the tip on Goosefeat Gear! I wanted Feathered Friends to do a custom jacket for me, but they no longer (unfortunately) do custom orders. Glad to hear there still is a place doing this kind of work. Regards, DR
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Post by dayhiker on May 11, 2021 15:16:00 GMT -8
I have a FF's Volant Jacket, that a local store forgot to hide when they had a store-wide sale, they let me get it anyway!
I rented an even warmer jacket of theirs for a Canadian trip, could have put that toward purchase but not sure I would need one that warm again. The people in Jasper were all asking me about it even though it was a dirty yellow!
I was up there again when it was 50 below, or at least 50 below wind chill depending on who was giving the data, and the Volant worked well, first time I had to use it while skiing , even Norway did not make me put it on if I remember right, and that was COLD. It is great for camp and sleeping since my arms don't like being kept inside the bag, and it adds warmth overall.
I have one of their vests which takes up less space. and I think it has more fill than many others, which I think makes sense, get allot more warmth with just.a bit more fabric weight?
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Post by bradmacmt on May 11, 2021 16:38:07 GMT -8
Montbell makes my favorite down BP jackets. They are a Japanese Co., but the garments sold at their US retail stores and on their US website are “Western Sized.” However, given the JP Yen is currently low to the US dollar, it’s worthwhile to order direct from Japan on their JP website. They have a few down garments there available in Western sizing, or you can order up in size and get Japanese sized garments.
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