Zippers are awesome. But sometimes zippers are a pain when you don’t have two hands free to tend to them, like when you’re climbing or sipping a beverage. That’s when snaps are better.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Snap Jacket offers an alternative to the beloved Ghost Whisperer Jacket by replacing the zipper with a full-snap, center-front closure. I first came to rely on my Ghost Whisperer Jacket when attending the Outdoor Retailer Winter show. Walking or biking to the show from my hotel room, I needed a jacket, but I didn’t want to lug around a full-size jacket in my pack all day on the floor. The ultralight jacket kept me warm while outdoors, but was easy to pack away when I didn’t need it.
The jacket uses ultra-lightweight ripstop fabric made from either 100% recycled nylon (for solid colors) or 100% nylon (for prints), with 800-fill Responsible Down Standard (RDS)-certified down insulation. RDS certifies products that contains feathers and down from certified farms, ensuring that the feathers and down used in products come from geese and sucks raised in compliance with the principles and criteria of animal welfare.
The snap closure is easy enough to handle with one hand, even if you’ve got both hands free. It’s useful to bring along when you’re backpacking, camping, climbing, hiking, and traveling. When you’re not using it, it stores in an internal zip pocket.
There’s elastic binding on the hem and cuffs to keep warmth inside the jacket, and the first baffle on the cuffs has synthetic insulation to keep the down from wetting out. Two hand pockets are roomy enough for your essentials, and your hands, of course.
The women’s Ghost Whisperer Snap Jacket comes in glacial, black, and black paintstrokes print, and lists for $295 on the Mountain Hardwear site.