Mmmmm ... toasty!

Added a new tool for the super-cold days; down! Picked up a Mountain Hardwear SubZero down jacket on sale a Cabela's recently. It's quickly become my go-to when temps are below 15 F or so.

Checked the thermometer yesterday morning before heading to work and it's 10 F. But I was toasty despite having to be outside to and from meetings a chunk of the day.

Jacket is really light, but warm, and with reinforced shoulders and outer sleeves, seems like it will be pretty durable. The coolest part is the stuff stack. It will stuff into a fairly compact bag that makes it easy to take along for times when you might need it, but aren't sure. Took it out on Manistee river last weekend, but didn't end up wearing it as temps were mild.

I looked at a number of jackets before settling on this one. Seems like a good balance of price, features and durability. Mine's orange and black, so it even has a little style (as much style as you can have while looking like the Michelin man...). One key difference in down was the loft. Cheaper jackets felt thin. And with down, thin is bad as it's all about that trapped insulating air.

If you want to stay warm in the cold, I highly recommend checking one out!

-Sean-