Patagonia Down Parka – A Warm Fuzzy Feeling

For the longest time, Patagonia didn’t offer an oversized expedition style down parka. They had jackets that worked well for sitting around the fire, but really came up short in the belay jacket category. The DAS parka was a step in the right direction, and on days when I know I might get wet, I’ll bring this synthetic jacket. Last winter they introduced the down parka, finally giving us a great belay jacket with all the benefits of down. This thing is incredibly warm, even my wife thinks so and she is always cold. I sized mine to fit easily over layers and after climbing a pitch of ice it’s like slipping into a warm cozy sleeping bag. The internal pockets are great for drying out gloves and the hood is huge, easily fitting over a helmet. It doesn’t appear as “full” as some of the other down offers out there, but doesn’t seem to lack when it comes to keeping you warm. If you are looking for a great jacket that will keep you warm all day, this is the one for you.