Even when our late Fall hikes turned into a full blown wintry adventure at -12 degrees, it always felt like I was being caressed by warm air in my MEC Light Degree Hoodie. When we spent 30 minutes taking in the “above the clouds” views on Mt Frosty that November afternoon, I never felt the chill of the cold mountain air reach through my jacket. I even wore it for the trip back and found it very comfortable. I am looking forward to doing some proper mountaineering in this jacket and see how it holds up mobility wise.
Here is a quick run through the pros and cons of this jacket.
Why I like this jacket:
- It’s super lightweight and with an 800 fill count it’s very compressible.
- Very warm for the weight as it comes in at only 334g
- It has a nice snug fit, meaning it’s not boxy at all and fits well around the hips. But it is not too fitted so it does not ride up when moving around.
- I am someone with long arms wide shoulders and found the arm length perfect. With elasticized cuffs it prevents cold air rushing up the sleeves when you move around.
- The super deep internal pockets are going to come in very useful for gloves, skins etc.
- Color options are great. I went with Purple Rain and love the purple/green contrast. As someone who is a firm believer in bright colors in the backcountry I am glad they offer these color options.
- Good price point. At $195 I feel it is good value for money as some of the other brand name down sweaters come in at a much higher price tag.
Why I don’t like this jacket:
- The hood is described as low profile and they weren’t kidding. With elasticized binding around the hood it comes to a very snug fit. I am not crazy about the way the hood makes you look. But it is warm.
- I have only worn it a couple times but find a few feathers bleeding each time I wear it. So not too happy with that.
Have a look at it for yourself at: mec.ca
