Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

I just got this jacket so I'm not going to provide too much information. But what I can say is it is extremely warm. It's about 25 degrees outside right now, and it was keeping me warm with just a teeshirt. I didn't feel it was too bulky, but just the right size for being such a warm down jacket.

I am 6'-1", 175Lbs, and it fits almost perfectly. The girth of the arms are a tad bit big, but I think that's to be expected with this type of jacket. I doubt I would change the fit even if I could though. I have a few other marmot jackets and mediums are a perfect fit on me, but I do like tighter fitting jackets.

Hopefully that helps someone ordering online.

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

This is Marmots mid weight down jacket. It's bulkier than the light down jackets, but not overly stuffed like a TNF Nupste or MH Sub-Zero. It's just right. It's light but incredibly warm. I've been in some incredibly cold weather and this has kept me nice and toasty.

I love the hood to keep out the wind and cold on rough days.

The only way I could see getting anything heavier is if I did overnight winter summit trips in extremely harsh conditions.

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

This is a very lightweight, very warm, versatile and well designed jacket. It competes with TNF Nuptse in the REI line. The biggest differences are : this has a very functional, non-stowing down-filled hood while the Nuptse has no hood (though it has a warm collar) ; this has 800 fill (vs. 700 fill for the Nuptse, if that means very much). I think both are made in China. I chose this jacket based on these differences plus you see TNF logo everywhere.

My impressions so far are as follows: This is quite warm. Coupled with a shell and base layers, this ought to keep you warm at well below 0 deg F. It compresses very well and so is a good choice for trek travel. Worn over just a T-shirt this should be cozy at 25 deg barring strong winds. I can't speak for durability though the shell of Ama Dablam feels a bit wispy ... time will tell. I find the hood very functional and well designed. The collar contains down as well. My primary critique thus far is that the baffle on the main zipper (which is interior) is good but not perfect for keeping out drafts.

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

Bought this jacket as an all-purpose winter around town jacket, replacing a Columbia shell+fleece jacket.

I'm very happy with the purchase. Firstly it's warm, warm, warm; it's been 20° here and I just throw it over the clothes I'm wearing inside at 66°. Secondly it's really, really light. Those used to down jackets probably already realize this but coming from a shell+fleece setup I'd say this is only 1/5 of the weight. I'm not kidding. It's also great to be able to compress it up and stuff it in my backpack once I arrive somewhere. The fleece on both sides of the hand pockets is great, warm even without gloves (ie running out to get lunch).

Since it's so light I was a little worried that it would tear walking the dogs off trail in the woods. So such problem, I've taken a few bent back branches from a friend in front without even a mark, so it seems plenty durable.

I'm usually between a S and a M, I followed the advice in another review here and ordered the S. Fits perfectly.

I haven't tried it in heavy rain yet, but since it's going to be much warmer if that's happening I would most likely wear a different jacket. My shell does fit over, but compresses the down a bit; given that it's warmer I can't see that as a problem either. The down puffs up enough to leave the outside of the jacket cold so that falling/blowing snow just slides off. I do not feel like a puffball, though :)

For me the green (forest) color was pretty accurately represented on the screen. It is quite shiny.

I used a 20% fall sale discount, but even at full price I would have felt like I was getting a $350 jacket.

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

I originally bought this jacket for a trip to Minnesota that never happened. It was really cold last winter, so I ended up using a lot anyway and it kept me very warm and comfortable.

My only cons are that I had a little getting the zipper to work at first and when you zip it up all the way to the top it sometimes doesn't stay there.

This is a great jacket and I would reccomend it to anyone who likes to play out in the snow.

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

This jacket is not only lightweight it is extremely warm. I live in MN and as you know it can get quite cold here.

I am pretty small and own the small size. It is not too large on me, but there is room for other layers. If you typically order medium, it will likely have some extra room, but you will not really notice it.

I've used this skiing in colorado on the windiest,coldest days and it has kept me nice and toasty.

Only drawback is the zipper does not always stay zipped to the top (it usually unzips an inch or two). Also, does not have soft material in the chin/neck region, but you can always wear a scarf.
These two drawbacks do not really bother me and I still believe it is an awesome coat. Highly recommend

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

This is an amazing jacket. The hood is helmet compatible, the waist and cuffs are cinchable, and the pockets are lined with lightweight fleece. And it is 800 fill! I have had a number of other down jackets, that were too bulky, esp. when I sat down in the truck (I had a number of "Michelin-man" comments :) This is an ideal compromise of loosing the bulk, but keeping the warmth. If it is really, really cold where you would want a "Michelin-man" jacket, there is room for layers underneath, and both my shells fit over the down for extra warmth.

Two notes 1. I am 6', 170 lbs and the medium almost fits perfectly, on the side of still being too large. 2. I ordered the black and "gargoyle" because I wasn't sure which color I would want. the gargoyle could be closer to gunmetal or dark silver - pretty glossy. The black is glossy too, but it is actually black. I was hoping for dark gray, not silver, so I went with the black in the end.

Comments about Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's:

Overall I have been extremely pleased with this jacket and look forward to giving it a more thorough test during the upcoming winter. If this rating system would allow for half stars, I would rate it 4.5 rather than 4.0 as the cons below are not significant enough, in my opinion, to warrant a full star reduction.

The pros and cons below are based on my experience with the jacket, which I purchased to accomplish a few very specific purposes:

1. Emergency insulation during winter outings (implicit requirement: must be lightweight, compressible, durable, and have a high warmth to weight ratio).

2. At-rest insulation during winter outings (requires all of the previous criteria, plus it should easily fit over all of my layers, including my hard shell) such as on breaks, or for warmth while setting up or hanging out in camp.

Note that I did NOT purchase this as an around-the-town or commute jacket and feel that there are far cheaper options for those purposes. Further, I do not expect to be highly active in this jacket (except in the rare [hopefully] case of an emergency in really nasty weather).

Pros:
- Excellent cut! It is trim where it should be (tapering toward the waist), roomy where bulk is present (shoulders for me), and flexible where high mobility is key (arms and shoulders).

- The hood is warm, large enough for a helmet (but cinches down very well), and quite comfy. In fact, if you are familiar with the hood on Marmot's Helium sleeping bag (which is awesome), the one on the Ama Dablam is almost as comfortable as the one on the Helium.

- Compresses down very well (into its interior pocket; I choose instead to pack it into a silnylon stuff sack as it can be compressed less or more, depending on your needs, and has greater flexibility in being crammed into tight spots in my pack).

- For the most part (see related con below) it fits well under my hard shell. I typically would not need to layer this jacket under my hard shell (certainly not during high activity) but can foresee needing to do so in an emergency, or perhaps at camp. Note that most of this "pro" is based on having a hard shell that is sized for intentional layering (mine is) rather than one that is a tight fit all around.

- Slips and fits over my hard shell very well. (Needed on extended breaks on winter outings. If I am already layered with my hard shell on the outside, and if no protection for the down jacket is needed, I'll simply slip it on over everything to keep me warm, rather than taking the hard shell off first.)

- The hand pockets have a soft material on both sides. (This may seem insignificant, but try out a similar jacket with no soft material in the pockets, or soft material on only one side, and you'll see what I mean.)

- Excellent loft/warmth for the bulk and weight.

- Good color selection. Again, something that might seem petty or insignificant, but I intentionally purchased the red (fire) to serve a purpose, and not just because I like the color (which I do) as nearly all of my gear is black, gray or some subdued natural color (e.g. tan). A bright red jacket is a safety tool in winter (bright beacon if you are lost), and might help cheer up your mood during dreary, cold and gray storms.

- So far the baffling and stitching seems to do a good job of keeping the down in place.

- Similarly, so far the fabric seems to be very adequately down-proof.

- For my intended purpose (see 1 & 2 above), the price is very desirable relative to what the jacket delivers.

Cons:
- Bottom zipper, which I think is necessary and a positive feature, loosens easily (e.g. when you squat, sit or bend down).

- At least one interior mesh pocket would be useful for drying gear and/or keeping a small water bottle from freezing. This could be used in place of, or in addition to, the existing interior zipper pocket.

- The brim of the hood, some portion of the bottom rim, and the end of the sleeves all stick out slightly from underneath my hard shell. Some minor adjustments can correct the sleeves, but the base and hood are still susceptible to exposure without more significant adjustment. Note that this may be specific to my hard shell, and the instances where you would choose to layer the Ama Dablam under a hard shell may be limited (e.g. emergencies or around camp).

- The outside chest pocket extends horizontally to the left and ends inside the left armpit. I can't imagine using this pocket for anything that might be uncomfortable in my armpit (hmmm, that would be pretty much any object with bulk or sharp edges...so basically almost everything). I imagine I may only use this pocket to quickly stow my hat or gloves, or perhaps a small map. The interior pocket also extends to below the armpit, but less directly than does the exterior chest pocket.

Service and delivery comments:

Prompt delivery (1 day ahead of estimated store-delivery).