EMS Men’s Feather Pack 800 DownTek Jacket?

[novasquid]

http://www.ems.com/ems-men%E2%80%99s...1.html#start=1 (http://www.ems.com/ems-men%E2%80%99s-feather-pack-800-downtek-jacket/1281731.html#start=1)

does anyone have any experience or opinion on this jacket from EMS? it's 800fp with downtek. they have a 20% sale going on now, so the final price came down to about $120. it doesn't specify amount of fill, so i'm wondering if it's a fall/early winter jacket only. it's free shipping, and there's an EMS store near me, so it'll be easy to return if it turns out to be a dud.

[eblanche]

I was going to try to live chat and see if they could come up with a number for the down fill amount but it seems that is not available on weekends. The jacket has far more loft than last years Icarus down jacket from EMS.

Like you said, "it's free shipping, and there's an EMS store near me, so it'll be easy to return if it turns out to be a dud." sounds like you already know what you should do ;)

[novasquid]

here's a quick review i wrote up on another site.

i figured i'd post a follow-up since my jacket arrived in the mail a few days ago and in case anyone was looking to buy the same jacket.

i haven't worn it outdoors yet, but i suspect the jacket is good down to about the high 30s, possibly less if you layer up. the tag says it's 90/10 down/feather, but when i squeeze the jacket between my fingers i can feel quite a bit of feathers, so it's probably more like 80/20. if you have one of the costco down blankets (Double Black Diamond Packable Down Throw) that are sold for $20, this jacket feels exactly like the costco blanket made into a jacket.

i ordered 2 mediums, and they both weigh exactly 404 grams, which is about 14.25oz. the spec on the website says 13oz. all of my jackets/shirts are mediums, and this one fits a little looser than a normal medium, but i think it's designed that way to accommodate thicker insulation layers to be worn underneath the jacket. for $112, which is what i paid for it after discounts and coupons, it's a little on the higher end of price/value, but i'd buy it again. i definitely wouldn't pay full price for it though.

[eblanche]

Second update:

I just spoke with live chat at ems.com again and was able to get an answer.
"Lisa P: The Feather Pack averages at about 5 oz"

That certainly seems like a good amount...

[Studlintsean]

here's a quick review i wrote up on another site.

i figured i'd post a follow-up since my jacket arrived in the mail a few days ago and in case anyone was looking to buy the same jacket.

i haven't worn it outdoors yet, but i suspect the jacket is good down to about the high 30s, possibly less if you layer up. the tag says it's 90/10 down/feather, but when i squeeze the jacket between my fingers i can feel quite a bit of feathers, so it's probably more like 80/20. if you have one of the costco down blankets (Double Black Diamond Packable Down Throw) that are sold for $20, this jacket feels exactly like the costco blanket made into a jacket.

i ordered 2 mediums, and they both weigh exactly 404 grams, which is about 14.25oz. the spec on the website says 13oz. all of my jackets/shirts are mediums, and this one fits a little looser than a normal medium, but i think it's designed that way to accommodate thicker insulation layers to be worn underneath the jacket. for $112, which is what i paid for it after discounts and coupons, it's a little on the higher end of price/value, but i'd buy it again. i definitely wouldn't pay full price for it though.

Where is the EMS near you (I am in Bristow)?

[sethd513]

That is a great price on those. My wife has the Icarus and id agree that it's good to around 30. I just bought her and I one of these for this winter ....

http://www.backcountry.com/rab-ascent-down-jacket-mens

.... And hers came in first. Initial impression is she's glad she won't have to push her Icarus jacket this winter. The price is right but is a little heavier and on the warmer side.


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[eblanche]

That is a great price on those. My wife has the Icarus and id agree that it's good to around 30.

I don't have 100% stats to back me up but the Icarus down jacket is not nearly as lofty as the newer Feather Pack. I doubt it is as warm. I'll see if i can get a side by side picture of both tomorrow night.

That RAB jacket, if it really has 12oz of fill (even though "only" 650 fill), I would say looks like an awesomely warm deal!

[sethd513]

I agree picture wise that this years looks to have more loft then the Icarus. The shell feels pretty stout on the Rab. I didn't weight it and haven't looked at it in a few days to see if it puffed out anymore. I can't speak for her but I'll have more info tm/Thursday if that Rab is of any interest.


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[novasquid]

Where is the EMS near you (I am in Bristow)?

there's an EMS in dulles, va. i picked up two of these jackets, one w/o hood and one w/ hood, and have had a couple months to try them out. so far i LOVE these jackets. i've had the hooded one down to the low 20s and felt comfortable with a midweight merino wool base layer and a lightweight merino wool sweater. the hood is great, and once you put it on you can immediately feel your head start to warm up. i don't have any other EMS down jackets to compare with these, but the quality and loft on these jackets have been great. through discounts, coupons and sales, i was able to score the non-hooded jacket for around $85, and the hooded for around $93, after tax.

[Studlintsean]

there's an EMS in dulles, va. i picked up two of these jackets, one w/o hood and one w/ hood, and have had a couple months to try them out. so far i LOVE these jackets. i've had the hooded one down to the low 20s and felt comfortable with a midweight merino wool base layer and a lightweight merino wool sweater. the hood is great, and once you put it on you can immediately feel your head start to warm up. i don't have any other EMS down jackets to compare with these, but the quality and loft on these jackets have been great. through discounts, coupons and sales, i was able to score the non-hooded jacket for around $85, and the hooded for around $93, after tax.

Good to know. Just an FYI, the REI Down Jacket is onsale right now and they had a ton at the Fairfax location. I picked up one for my wife. Sounds like you should be good on jackets for now though.

[Puddlefish]

I've had one for a few weeks. Men's large, fits my 43" chest, and 36" sleeve (I have slightly longer arms than the average.) When idle/minimally moving, keeps me warm at 40 degrees. Weighs exactly 14 oz. Likely some variance of course. Self packs into a pocket, takes a good bit of cramming to make it fit. I can't speak to how durable it is, or how it would hold up to repeated packings. Has a zipper pocket at the top to prevent beard snags, a drawstring at the bottom to prevent drafts. I'm happy with mine.

They raised the price pre-black Friday to $169, so they could lower it to put it on "sale." Typical weasel pricing. Now is probably as good a time as any to buy it.

[eblanche]

Update for everyone still interested in EMS featherpack. Online for $100 plus 15% off coupon available. That's the hooded version. Best deal around if you ask me.

[novasquid]

thanks for the heads up. it looks like the price has gone up since you posted about the $100 price for the hooded jacket, because it now shows $131 (15% sale is still on). still a decent price for a great jacket.

[HooKooDooKu]

I just bought the Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisper jacket (800 fill, 8oz total weight) for less than $150 ($320 regular price).
The jacket is on sale for $190 at Sierra Trading Post, but you can usually find coupons for an extra 25% off (or better) with free shipping (usually if you spend at least $100). You can find coupons at RetailMeNot.com, or sign up at Sierra Trading Post to get coupons sent to your email address.

I tested my new one out last night in 27º weather. I was wearing sweat pants, under shirt, t-shirt and the jacket. Felt warm enough just standing around for a few minutes. But after walking around the neighborhood for a half hour, I had to unzip the thing to keep from sweating. My face was freezing from the cold, but my body was plenty warm.