[pct-l] mid layer? montbell thermawrap

[Maxine Weyant]

Ryan, 
 
I had a Montbell Thermawrap jacket and I loved it.  It weighed 7.85 oz.  I think it was a Men's SM or XS, they didn't have a WMN's version yet when it first came out.  I'd still have it if it hadn't been stolen (long story.)  I bought it when it first came out, when I was starting to transition out of heavier polar fleece jackets several years ago.  I live in WA and really wanted a down jacket but the rains here made me reluctant to commit to down until a few years ago, when the outer fabrics had gotten lighter and more water resistant.  

I tend to sleep really cold so I often wear my jacket inside my sleeping bag.  I did the JMT section of the PCT and the northernmost section of WA with that Thermawrap jacket and was only cold at night or first thing in the am.  The jacket was a little too cold for me if there was frost, or if my water bottle had a little ice in it.  If I was hiking, the jacket was just fine.  I could use an extra wind layer like my Marmot Precip jacket if I was going through a blustery cold pass.  Later on I bought what I felt was the next lightest thing in the same concept, the Montbell down inner jacket.  I used it instead of a fleece layer since it weighed only 6.35 oz.and it seemed like a good backup in case I got caught in a "situation."  I found I only used the 2 layers together as a jacket once, and it was when I wasn't actually hiking but eating breakfast and getting up on a cold morning at 11,500 ft.  I used the down inner jacket on my legs and feet in my sleeping bag a lot however, so I was glad to have both.  

Finally, I bought a North Face 900 Down jacket that weighs 8.35 oz, which is less than the 2 Montbell jackets together.  My fleece is a thin pullover, but it still weighs 6.7 oz.  My other layer is a mid-weight capilene.  I must admit that 90% of the time, I'm hiking only in shorts and either a 2oz sleeveless shell or a sun shirt (Ex Officio DryFlylight.)  

One thing I liked about the Montbell Thermawrap was the fact that the liners of the pockets formed a pouch on the inside that I could use as an extra pocket by wedging stuff between the pocket liner and the inside of the front of the jacket.  Also, I liked the way it could compress into something tiny and easy to stuff in and pull out of a small daypack.  I used it on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and in numerous urban and rural settings in Europe and the US.  

So, if you're a heat-generating type, it may be just right for you most of the time, except maybe if you're in the Northern half of WA after September 15th or so, or in the Sierras when it's below 35 degrees. 

Dys-feng shui-nal