First time starting at St. Jean on April 15 -

[marstine]

Hi - I am a 65 year old female and this is my first trek. I get cold easily and am wondering if a good down vest under my rain jacket will be adequate or should I bring a packable down jacket instead of the vest? I also have a smartwool base layer.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hi - I am a 65 year old female and this is my first trek. I get cold easily and am wondering if a good down vest under my rain jacket will be adequate or should I bring a packable down jacket instead of the vest? I also have a smartwool base layer.

Thanks!

Hi, marstine, and a big welcome to you.

That's a great combination. With a long sleeved base layer of Smartwool (I use the light weight thickness) the down vest should be just fine. Just be a bit cautious of condensation from the jacket making its way to down. That will be less of an issue if you have the newer generation of moisture resistant coatings which are frequently applied to down these days.

When I go backpacking at altitude (8,000 to 10,000 feet), my Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer vest (5.5 ounces) and smartwool base layer are my primary warmth combination. Add on a rain jacket, or the 4 ounce windshell I use, and you're good to go with middle to upper 30 degree F. temps at the lower end, to the upper 80s F. on the upper end simply by removing any of those three layers.

 

[marstine]

That is very helpful, thanks so much!