Posts Tagged jackets

Looking for a winter jacket that will stand up to the elements—but can be stuffed down into a daypack pouch? This Igniter one from First Ascent is brawny but without the bulk.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if you haven’t heard of First Ascent outerwear before. But it’s the sister brand of one you surely are familiar with: Eddie Bauer. See, when Eddie Bauer wanted to get back to the founder’s mountaineering roots, they knew just putting up some technical pieces next to their famous plaid flannel and mud boots wasn’t going to cut it. So they started this new label and went all in. They put in orders for the best materials, hired the kinds of people who climb K2 regularly for input, and went from 0 to 60 in no time.

The names of mountain guides who take people to the world’s highest peaks adorn the tag attached to this Igniter jacket at retail. There’s a whole line of First Ascent jackets to choose from, but this one is built for tough conditions that are cold and damp. Down is nature’s great insulator, but it doesn’t work so well when it gets wet. So this jacket is filled with Primaloft, the synthetic substitute that’s lighter, less bulky, and able to keep working well even when it gets soaked.

I wasn’t able to test this out in blizzard conditions on a mountain, but I wore it around during two slushy snowfalls in Salt Lake City last week and, as advertised, it still kept me super-warm through it all. It didn’t get very damp anyway since there’s a good DWR waterproofing coating built in, but it let the heat out fairly well other times when the weather warmed up. When I got back to my room after getting hit with wet snow and some rain for a half hour, it was dry again in no time.

If you look at the reviews on their site though (click the photo or the link at the bottom), you’ll see positive comments from people who have worn this in sub-zero weather in Alaska, on northeast ski slopes, and on Mt. Rainier. The one negative that comes up consistently is the fit. For me this Igniter jacket fits perfect in the large size and I love it. But I’m not fat or overly musclebound. For reference, I’m 5’11″ and 180 pounds—usually a medium for jackets. So go up a size or two if you’re not skinny because this one follows the recent trend (blame the Europeans) of making outerwear form-fitting, without much extra space. The marketing spin on this will be that you don’t need to layer as much anymore, but it seems to ignore the fact that the world’s population is collectively getting larger, especially here in the land of car commutes and strip malls.

Everything about this jacket feels thought-out and well-made, from the easy-pull zippers to the quality stitching to the nice feel of the fabric that’s not too “swishy shishy” like a lot of nylon outerwear. The adjustable hood can work with or without a ski helmet and there are cuff adjustments to get the fit right around your wrist. A locking cinch strap at the bottom allows you to tighten the waist. There are three zippered pockets on the outside and one on the inside.

For travelers heading to cold places, this jacket can give you extreme warmth in extreme conditions, but without taking up your whole suitcase. It packs down into its own included pouch, which is about the size of one for those super-thin sleeping bags. I carried it in a daypack for three days recently and still had room for whatever else I needed.

In every respect, this feels and looks as good as many jackets I just saw at the Outdoor Retailer show going for $350 or more, but the price tag for the Igniter is $199. It comes in blue or black for men, black or dark plum for women.

Get the Igniter Jacket direct from EddieBauer.com or at their retail stores across the U.S.