Well, Torrey, picture this. You will be at Everest Base Camp for three months. During that time you will not shower or wash your hair (at least not much), and you won聮t have much of a change of clothes. So I ask, does it really matter if you wear a man聮s down jacket or not? I concede, the most efficient jacket would tailor to a woman聮s build. But, really, we聮re talking a limited market.
Frontpoint Jacket听
So I聮d invest in woman聮s long underwear from or another company who 聯gets” it that women like something different. For that last layer, the down jacket, go with what works. Based on personal experience on Denali, I would buy a Frontpoint Jacket ($385 with Epic Nextec shell). It isn聮t super-heavy (30 ounces) but is very warm聴lots of 850-fill down and easily up to base camp conditions. Beautifully made聴it will last forever.
does make a woman聮s mountain down parka, the Sub Zero Hooded SL ($350). It聮s a fine piece, tailored to fit a bit better. But it just isn聮t the same quality as the Frontpoint聴lesser down, lesser shell.
A down parka? C聮mon聴everybody looks like a marshmallow. So buy what works.
Check out our annual Winter Buyer Guide to outfit your entire cold-weather kit.