Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board down jacket

I doubt the shell jacket had anything to do with negatively affecting the performance of the jacket. The shell is made to layer a jacket like the SZ underneath it. And my SZ jacket is the Conduit SL Parka with detachable hood. I can confirm this because it says Conduit SL on the sleeve of jacket and I intended to buy this version.

I am a hardcore fan of Mountain Hardwear products and am by nom means downplaying the jacket, I just happened to find something that suits me better than the MH jacket. But seriously, I think the performance level of the FA jacket is a notch higher, especially in colder conditions.

You may be correct actually, the SZ jacket does have more space between my body and the jacket compared to the FA jacket but then again the Small size was too small for me length-wise on the arms and torso. I have a Medium size in the SZ jacket and I find that it fits perfect everywhere. I do have a skinny waist and that is where I notice the space. But I wasn't really feeling the cold spots at my waist, they were in my chest and shoulders. Its was like the air was coming through the seams. This stopped once I put my shell over the jacket and then I was plenty warm.

The difference in performance between the my FA Peak XV and my MH SZ jacket I was trying to convey is apparent given the two totally different conditions I was in. (my italicized to emphasize the possibility that my jackets may have manufacturing anomalies)

FA Jacket: Top of Rainier, wind chill in the negatives and single digit temps.
All I had was a sweat wicking long sleeve shirt and the down jacket. Standing around for 20 minutes.

MH SZ jacket: Iceberg Lake, Mid 20's F and I had to wear my fleece under it and shell over it to achieve the same warmth. Standing around for 15-20 minutes.

I think I may have solved the cold-spot issue with the Sub Zero that you had. Aside from the fill-power of the down and the fit issue, and I noticed on the FA jacket that is mentioned as one of the features, one of the main differences I see in some of the other jackets as opposed to the SZ is that they have no chest pockets, or, in the case of the FA, just one. The SZ Parka has two, and when I checked out my jacket, I noticed that there is no insulation between the insides of the pockets and your chest. What that means is that any air that goes through an open, or even a closed zipper, could be an issue..conversely, this also makes it easier to lose heat from that same area. I am guessing that the FA has insulation behind that front pocket. I have a Large size parka, and it fits snugly in the chest area, so there is no air in that area to chill; besides, it may speak to the differing uses of each jacket. I think the SZ is meant to be used as a more versatile, rugged piece of outerwear, and with another insulating layer underneath, whereas the others mentioned are purely for insulation in a very cold, fairly non-active environment, unless we are talking extreme cold. Puffy jackets don't make for very nimble movement...

Like a lot of pieces of gear, I think it comes down to a personal preference. Most of my winter gear is from Marmot. I have their 8,000 meter parka and mittens, and also a sleeping bag good to 20 below. High-end winter gear can be pricey, the three items I mentioned above retailed for just over $1,300.00. But in the dead of winter, I am glad that I spent a few extra dollars to assure that I would be comfortable and sleep well at night. Whitney Mike