Ouray Ice Tests: Marmot Flurry Jacket

I bought the Marmot Flurry Jacket because I needed to replace the down jacket I sold in Peru, and I didn't have the dough to drop on the Patagonia DAS parka. I switched to synthetic from down because it's a much better choice (usually) for the mountains, though the best bet would be to have one of each (down for cragging, synthetic for the big stuff). For those who don't understand: down loses its insulation value when wet, while synthetics will still keep you (relatively) warm, and mountains are wet places. Though the Marmot Flurry Jacket isn't quite as warm as the DAS Parka, it's pretty darn close for about half the price and only weights about an ounce more.

This Marmot jacket is sized a bit large to fit over all your clothes, so you don't have to size up when you get one. Plus, the whole thing stuffs into its own internal pocket for a package about the size of a softball. In fact, the biggest drawback to this jacket is that I like it so much that it's become my everyday coat, and will likely be trashed by next ice season.

Pros:

• High quality synthetic insulation
• Pretty darn light (1lb 12oz)
• Packs small (especially for a synthetic jacket)
• Large size fits over all other clothes
• Large hood fits over helmet
• Great price
  

Cons:

• Packs out and loses insulation faster than down
• Not quite as warm as DAS Parka
  

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