Good Thru Hiking Jacket

[austinlowes17]

I can't decide which jacket I should buy to thru hike in next spring (Mid March). Should the insulation be down or synthetic? I'll have my marmot precip jacket if it gets wet, if that makes a difference. How much sould it weigh? Can anyone recommend any good jackets?

[Tim Rich]

Starting out, I'd just get a midweight/heavyweight fleece jacket, midweight/heavyweight underwear and layer as necessary with the Precip top. Add a fleece or poly/wool hat and gloves and that should be fine.

I'd experiment a bit with the fleece and layer weights to see what you'd be comfortable with, but I wouldn't spend the money or take up my pack space with an insulated coat.

Good Luck with your planning.

Take Care,

Tim

[hopefulhiker]

I used a patagonia down sweater that weighed about 11 or 12 oz.. used it for campwear and nightwear primarily..

[TwoForty]

I use down and I'll never go back to fleece as a insulation layer (other than hats and gloves). If you are paranoid about it getting wet, which it may in the spring on the AT, the Patagonia Micropuff is a great option. Warmer than fleece, lighter than fleece, and it compresses well too. Insulated when wet, since it is Polarguard.

[Nightwalker]

I use a Patagonia #4 base, a Mountain Hardware heavyweight base, and that's all. When it gets warmer, I send one home. Layers are your friend, friend.

The MH heavy base is as warm as 200 weight fleece, but it's only as heavy as 100 weight. I have no idea how they do it. Plus, it compresses pretty good to boot. Even though it's 100% polyester, it isn't fleece, BTW.

[Rebel, with a Cause!]

On my hike this year, I took these Jackets and wouldnt change a thing.

Montbell Thermawarp: 9 Oz, Insulated, and worked great down to 20 Deg while in camp and on Cold Mornings. Synthetic although the down Version weighs only 6 OZ and would do as well.

Patagonia Dragonfly: Full Hood, Full Zip Wind Jacket, 3.3 Oz Works good in a Light rain as well so you dont have to change to your Full Rain Jacket. Unbelieveable Breathablity

OR Zealot Rain Jacket: 7 Oz, breathes better than the Marmot Precip, Very light and works great for around town while you are washing your other stuff.

BTW, I substituted the Patagonia Wind shirt for a 2nd T Shirt that I was carrying. The TShirt weighed 5 Oz and I found that I only would use it in town, so the wind shirt was taken instead and I never regreted it.

[Mags]

If you are looking for an all around jacket and plan on hanging in camp a bit (as opposed to hiking all day), the Thermawrap and Primaloft type jackets are great. Light, compressible, warm. Perfect for the humid and wet conditions of AT hiking. Personally. I think light, synth fill jackets will replace fleece as the "go to" item for most active outdoors people in the years ahead.


If you are on a budget, an Army surplus field jacket liner may fit the bill as well.

Good luck!