Mountain hardwear b'layman jacket???

ive never even heard of this jacket but found it for 130 bucks the other day. Has anyone had any experience with this piece? I'm mainly doing alpine and ice climbing in RMNP and possibly the pnw this spring. Just looking for a good warm compressible belay jacket. I'm normally a down guy and don't have much experience with synthetics.

Any advice or insight or better jacket options would be appreciated. I can always return this one, I just bought it incase it turned out to be a good deal!

Here's a link to the jacket description below:

http://www.wildernessexchangeunlimited.com/product_detail.cfm?CatID=13&PID=7788&SKU=26768&LinkID=1&gclid=CKWb2-vhmMICFYhFaQodiRwAFg

Seth

I tried on that jacket once but never used it out and about. It doesn't compress into a stuff sack as small as a down jacket but for $130..who cares! The jacket felt very warm but bulky. I think it would be a great full on conditions cragging jacket not a alpine belay jacket.

I'm interested in hearing what's a warm belay jacket that compresses down small too. I have a Arcteryx Dually. It's crazy warm but takes up way too much space. I have a MHW compressor coat. That's warm too but no hood. The compressor takes up less room than the Dually. I got a Sierra Designs Gnar Lite that i love for hero ice days. It compresses down to almost nothing and is warm.. if it's warmer than 25!

For 200g/oz of insulation, it'll probably be bulkier than you like, but also sounds like it'll be a house in terms of warmth.

I have a ton of synthetic belay jackets, all with pros and cons.

My arcteryx Duelly is probably the warmest by far, but as mentioned before, it doesn't compress as much. My Patagonia DAS is almost as warm as the Duelly, but compresses pretty well.

When it comes to choosing a belay jacket, consider what your other climbing layers will be. Just a fleece/thin softshell? You'll likely want the bigger, bulkier version. Something with a bit more insulation? You can probably strip down the belay jacket a bit.

Dane over at Cold Thistle actually wrote a great piece about just such a layering system. His Arcteryx Atom lt (climbing layer) + Atom SV (belay layer) is a pretty killer combo. I've tried it myself and it works great.

Cold Thistle: 60g & 100g Insulation Pieces

My latest favorite is the MH Ghost Whisperer. It's got to be one of the lightest/most compressible jackets out there. It is incredibly warm, given its weight and compressibility. It's not the warmest belay jacket for those nasty days, but I've learned to adjust my layering where this is all the additional warmth I need at belays. Not cheap though.

But really I just wanted to post because the website address for Wilderness Exchange cracks me up. My dyslexia kicks in when I read that and thought it was Wilderness Sex Change Unlimited. Yeah, I know...

I met to tell you to check out Mountain Hardwear's Nilas belay jacket. It's $550 but has many pluses and only one minus. I would kill for a XXL Nilas!

Ok, I'm leaning towards taking this thing back. They only had it in size large and that is a little bit big on me even all layered up. Plus it sounds like this jacket isn't really what I'm looking for. The fact that MH discontinued it also doesn't speak highly to the product and the fact that there is virtually no good reviews on it online I'm just a little unsure. I only spent 130$ on it, but still I need something that is highly compressible and lightweight but also very warm. Like I said, I'm looking for something for winter alpine stuff in RMNP and possibly PNW climbs like Liberty Ridge this coming spring.

Any good offerings by Rab? Or other suggestions? I don't mind down or synthetic...

Thanks,

Seth

If you're going to be climbing in the PNW, I would recommend going synthetic. While it's not quite as warm as down (though getting closer every year) it'll stay warm if you happen to get it wet, which is huge, IMO.

In terms of what to get, there are a ton of options out there. One thing to keep in mind for a potential belay jacket - POCKETS, especially on the inside. I've gotten to the point where I won't even consider a belay jacket without mesh pockets on the inside to keep a spare set of gloves warm and dry. YMMV, but I've found it handy more often than not. Also, look for a 2 way zipper. Again, more of a personal thing, but I like to be able to unzip the bottom to fit around my belay loop/device, instead of having it ride up. Options that I have used and loved...

- Patagonia DAS: It's been the benchmark for years. Warmest jacket I own, and still decently packable (I have the old PL1 model - I believe the new ones are a combo of PL Gold and Silver). You may be able to find a used one online for less than $200.
- Arcteryx Atom SV: Not quite as big/warm as the DAS, but pretty close. No inside pockets unfortunately, but if you tighten the hem cord, you can still pack some stuff in there. Ultra packable.
- Arcteryx Kappa Hoody: This one hits my personal Goldilocks zone. It's heavier than the SV, but not as big as the DAS. It also has the added benefit of being made from Gore Winstopper. Biggest downside is the price tag @ $400.

Others may have other suggestions, but all of these have worked for me.

Without commenting on that specific jacket, just b/c a company discontinues a model doesn't necessarily mean it's a problem with the product. Patagonia has discontinued the R1 hoody in the past, as well as a version of their Knifeblade jacket. Now every company has an R1 copy!