I have been in the market for a new mountaineering parka recently. When looking over the options, another application came to mind....
Would a down parka with a hood not work in Winter conditions with a short TQ and a minimal UQ?
This is the parka that I had in mind.
I was wondering how many folks have tried this approach. With a parka stuffed with 13 ounces of 850+ down and a hood encased in Epic or Event, would that not keep someone in a hammock warm well below 0 F? I was thinking of using a shorter TQ that would come up above my waist and possibly just using a 3 season UQ. ( I know the rationale is that down compresses and is useless beneath the wearer, but "some benefit" would still be reaped from that much down.)
I envision wearing the parka with the hood ( and probably a thin balaclava to manage breath moisture), then using a shorter TQ over my legs and a bit above wear the parka ends. I would then combine that with say my 3 season Te-Way for some added insulation from below. While the parka is made of Epic or eVent, I would probably go with a VB shirt to prevent moisture build up in the parka overnight.
The reason why I am pondering this is to reduce bulk/weight of a Winter pack. The parka is probably warm down to about -25 F or so when not used for sleeping, and it weighs about 30 ounces. I reason that on deep cold trips, I would wear the parka around camp in the evening and morning as I do with my current down jacket, so the weight penalty would be fairly minimal compared to my North Face Nuptse. My legs would require less insulation than my torso, so I figure on testing something like my No Sniveler without pulling it over my shoulders and leaving doubled over in the area that it is folded. With only a 3 season fractional UQ, something would still be needed beneath my feet (might just use stuffsack with extra clothing).
At any rate, I just thought I serve this one up for comment. If it worked well enough, it could make for a much lower volume pack in the deep cold.
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