Patagonia das light?

I’m in the market for a “oh shit” jacket for pnw ski touring.I have a bunch of credit for Patagonia and was looking at the das light. It doesn’t really seem to have a whole lot of insulation though. Can any one comment on this thing? Should I cough up the extra money and get a standard das?

Id also love to hear about other synthetic belay parkas that people have enjoyed that won’t break the bank.

For an "oh shit" Jacket you'd probably want the DAS Parka, rather than the light. I don't have the newest version of it, but my DAS is super warm, and I've used it plenty in New England.

Jackson Malone wrote:

For an "oh shit" Jacket you'd probably want the DAS Parka, rather than the light. I don't have the newest version of it, but my DAS is super warm, and I've used it plenty in New England.

That’s fair, I’m assuming it has held up well in the whites then?

The DAS Light is a great jacket, don't get me wrong, but 60 g/m2 of insulation for winter isn't all that much in an, "Oh, shit" moment, IMO.

For $194, you can get a Mountain Hardwear Compressor Alpine Hoody with 133 g/m2 of PrimaLoft in the body / hood and 100 g/m2 of PrimaLoft in the sleeves.

There is a DAS light (size M) on the sell forum right now. Bottom of the first page or so. I love mine.

I think the DAS light would be a perfect jacket for the PNW: wind and highly water resistant. Perfect to throw in for breaks or even ski down in if it’s cold, wet or windy or all three.

However, it is a thin jacket, so you will still need something way, way warmer for emergency, extended non moving situations (if you’re lost, injured etc.), which is what I assume you mean with an “oh shit jacket”. It’s pretty much a  “shell + mid-weight fleece” level of warmth. For stationary use,  that’s only enough for temps well above freezing.

The Regular DAS is fairly warm, but also huge to pack and pretty heavy.  I never bring mine for anything longer distance than roadside ice climbing. Looks like the newer one might be a bit better in weight/warmth ratio. Mine still uses a separate hanging liner, total waste of weight. Still, the packed size of the new one  is huge!

Many guides and SAR members recommend 2 pieces of insulation anyway, so this is what I would do:

DAS Light for most of the time use, combined with a thick, but minimalist down jacket for emergencies. That way, the down jacket stays safe and dry packed in your bag most of the time. In case of an accident,  you can give the down jacket to the injured person you are helping, and you still have your DAS Light to wear while delivering aid. or, if you need to hunker down for a long time, layer the DaS Light over the down, and it will protect the down from wind and moisture, as well as add up to a good amount of total loft.

Timmermade is the extreme example of minimalist down, but brands like Montbell, RAB and Mountain Equipment have some options too.

That way you capatilize on the strengths of both down and synthetic:

Synthetic for the regular use/active light insulation layer. with this little insulation, the fact that it’s a bit and bulkier than down won’t matter In an absolute sense. The fact that you’re wearing it as an outer layer, and maybe over wet base layers, means the synthetic insulation really is useful.

Down for the stationary/emergency use: for this thick layer the space and weight savings of down matter, and the wet performance doesn’t (as much).

https://timmermade.com/product/sul-1-5-down-sweater/

Timmermade 1.5 sweater: 6.5 oz (M, no hood) + Das Light 12.2 oz. = Total 18.7 oz. Add another ounce for a hood.

Compared to DAS Parka at 19.6 oz.  The combi is Way, way, warmer, and a lot easier to pack into your backpack, and more versatile.

The big benefit of belay parkas like the DAS and MHW parkas is if you are using them for alpine/ice climbing, where you are alternate heavy movement with complete immobility, often in the shade,  for long periods of time. You also need a simple one layer solution , that’s quick to pull on. Multiple garments just means more hassle at the belay, and more likely to drop something. Besides sweat, you are also often wet from dripping ice and spindrift so synthetic is of bigger value.

Conversely, with skiing, you alternate long periods of activity, with short rests, ideally in the sun, and shorter if it’s cold and blustery, Then you have a time of lowered activity. So, I can get by with a thinner jacket to wear for skiing than ice climbing. Also, having to deal with 2 layers  is not a big problem to pull out of my pack if I am stopped for so long that I need it.

Zach Higley wrote:

I’m in the market for a “oh shit” jacket for pnw ski touring.....

Id also love to hear about other synthetic belay parkas that people have enjoyed that won’t break the bank.

I guess it depends on what you mean by an oh shit jacket.

If you mean someone blows a knee and now you're moving incredibly slow, but moving the light would work well, packs down small, and pretty damn warm for as light as it is.

If you mean "waiting for a helicopter ride" or worse in bad avalanche outcomes, you would like the regular DAS better, but it takes up more space and weights more (duh).

Another relatively inexpensive, but very warm synthetic belay puffy is the BD. Also, doesn't pack down as small, but is very warm and cheap.

I have all three. And generally carry the DAS Light as my oh shit jacket skiing on big ski days. And on faster, lighter missions, the dynafit mezzalama alpha (and matching zip on pants).

Colin Haley often likes to bring 2 DAS lights with him in winter instead of a typical belay jacket.

Mountain equipment has what you need, the Fitzroy isn't ridiculously big when packed while providing a lot more warmth than a DAS light. The oreus is super light weight and packable while being a fair bit warmer than your typical 60gsm fill. 

I have a ridiculous number of puffy jackets.

I bought a DAS light, and liked it so much that I immediately bought another one because outdoor companies (Patagonia especially) have a habit of discontinuing gear that I like.

I use the DAS light in mild conditions by itself.  In colder conditions, I use it in combination with a light insulated jacket (Patagonia Nano Air.)  When combined with the Nano Air jacket, the DAS light is warm enough for cold belays down to single digit (f) temps.   The DAS light (with or without the Nano Air) has become my most used puffy jacket.  It will not replace a huge puffy for arctic cold, but for most of the climbing I do, it's what I take with me.  

I have to correct my earlier post. It looks like the current DAS parka now uses Pertex Pro (like the DAS light), and they don’t use a separate liner anymore. That should raise the warmth/weight ratio.

Given that, especailly if you have a Pata credit and want to keep cost down, the ‘regular’ DAS parka is probably your best bet to balance warmth/weight/cost. The 2 jacket system I mentioned above only works with a truly UL down jacket, which will raise your cost.