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The first thing I want to say is you don’t necessarily need a Down Jacket for your Everest Base Camp Trek. What you do need is an insulated jacket. There are two types of insulated jacket, a down filled jacket or a synthetic filled jacket. But what is the best Down Jacket for Everest Base Camp Trek?
What Are The Differences Between A Down Jacket And A Synthetic Jacket
Down is generally lighter weight than a synthetic material and offers more warmth on a weight to weight comparison than its synthetic counterpart. However, down loses its insulation capabilities when wet, whereas a synthetic jacket will still maintain its warmth when wet. Synthetic jackets also dry quicker than down. There is also the cost to think about, synthetic jackets are generally cheaper than down jackets. On an Everest Base Camp Trek my insulated jacket stays in my bag for most of the trip. The only time it comes out is in the evenings when I am walking around the villages (heading to the Irish Bar in Namche Bazaar) and in the Tea houses. I very rarely wear my jacket when I am trekking. If we have an early start to Base Camp I will have my jacket on for the first part of the trek, but it soon comes off as the sun comes up! I will also have my jacket on for the early morning Kala Pattar trek as that is a cold start!
What's The Best Jacket For Everest Base Camp?
This is the million dollar question. There are so many on the market now, that it would be hard to pick out one jacket. It is also going to depend on how often you are going to use this jacket. If you are only ever going to do one trip and you won’t use it back in the UK then it is pointless spending lots of money on your jacket. If you are only going to use this jacket for your one trip then it might be worth just hiring one for your trip. Rab offers the service of hiring your insulated jacket from them. You can find out more about hiring your Down Jacket by clicking here. I am going to talk you through some of my recommendations and what is in my cupboard. Now I have a lot of Insulated Jackets, my walk-in wardrobe is always an annoyance for my wife as she always tells me it looks like the local Cotswolds Outdoor store. One final thing to consider when you are buying an Insulated jacket is that it needs to be part of your layering system. You need to fit it over your base layer and Mid Layer. You also need to make sure your waterproof layer fits over the top of your Insulated jacket.
Keela Talus Jacket
I love Keela gear. I have been wearing Keela clothing for over 20 years now and I still have a waterproof jacket from 22 years ago. It’s good kit and lasts well. Keela is based in Scotland and provides its clothing to many mountain rescue teams throughout the UK. I think that is a great Testimonial to Keela the fact the Mountain Rescue Teams use it in the conditions they work in.
The Talus Jacket is a synthetic Primaloft jacket. It is warm, lightweight and it packs down really small. The Talus Jacket is my go-to Insulated jacket for most situations and is always in my day pack just in case we stop for a lunch break and it gets a bit chilly.
Rab Cirrus Alpine Insulated Jacket
The Rab Cirrus Alpine is another Synthetic Jacket. It is a lightweight, hooded jacket. Again it is easy to stash in your bag and offers good levels of insulation.With 100% recycled synthetic PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation Luxe™, it’s a versatile alpine all-rounder. This is a lightweight and warm option for your trek.
Alpkit Fantom
I like Alpkit and I like everything they stand for. Alpkit are a UK company that only sells through their own website or their shops dotted around the country.
The Fantom is a Down jacket with 650 fill. It is a very warm jacket and still offers great compressibility to fold up small and not take up too much room in your bag.
This is a warm jacket that offers amazing value for money. Whilst you are checking out this jacket, check out their other products as well.
Rab Neutrino Pro Down Jacket
If you are looking at getting a Down Jacket then I would recommend getting one with weather resistant protection.
The Rab Neutrino is built for tackling 4000m peaks and alpine summits, the Neutrino Pro is filled with 800FP down and has been updated with a 100% recycled Pertex® Quantum Pro outer.
This jacket has down insulation and is water resistant. It is bulkier than the other options, but if you feel the cold then this could be the jacket for you.
Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody
This is an amazing jacket and very warm! It is designed for cold weather. If you are planning on other High Altitude treks then this could be the jacket for you. The jacket has a down fill of 800 which makes it super warm. Patagonia uses 100% Responsible Down. When purchasing Responsible Down Standard certified products, this demonstrates demand for better animal welfare practices in the down and feather supply chain.
Patagonia also has a brilliant guarantee. If the product breaks they will fix it! So although this jacket is expensive it is going to last you a long time!
I have a down jacket that is 22 years old and is still going strong! It cost me £480, so when you work that out that’s only £22 a year!! I don’t live by the Buy Cheap, Buy Twice rule.
As I said earlier there are so many different options and most of this comes down to personal preference. These are some of the jackets that I have used over the years and I am happy to recommend them as all good for the Everest Base Trek. But just have a think about how cold you get? Some people get colder than others and therefore you might need a warmer jacket.
Also don’t forget you can hire these as well if you don’t want to spend this money for your Everest Base Camp Trek
Check out our Full Guide on What equipment do I need for Everest Base Camp
