Hello fellow climbers,
I'm in the market for a midweight down jacket for alpine climbing, cold belays and camping. Key features I'm looking for: weight should be in the 500-550g range, helmet compatible hood, good warmth, reasonable price (i.e. not a lot more than 300€). I live in France and often ventures in the alps where rain is not that much of a concern, so down is a good option.
I've got a Rab Microlight which I use very often for 'chilly but not too cold' conditions and a ME Citadel I use for ice-climbing and seriously tough conditions. The problem is that sometimes the Rab Microlight is just not warm enough, and the ME Citadel too bulky and heavy.
From studying the market, it seems the Rab Electron Pro and Patagonia's Down sweater or Fitz Roy are my best options. But there's little information on the amount of down in the Patagonia jackets and how warm they actually are.
Do you have any experience with these jackets? I'd love to hear your advice as this is quite a commiting buy.
Cheers