Mountain Hardwear  Ghost Whisperer Down Hoody - Men's

I live in Vermont, so the Green and White Mountains are my usual destinations during winter. As such, I have invested a lot in gear. I have down jackets from OR, Patagonia, Eddie Bauer, and then a Ghost Whisperer. I heard that the Whisperer was the most highly rated in its class, but I doubted that it could be that much better, which is part of why I bought the others first. When I finally bought it, I was nervous that its super-thin fabric would be fragile out in the woods, getting nicked by tree branches and bumping rocks, etc. However, it has proven to be a workhorse and it is now one of my most trusted pieces of gear. I can honestly say that I trust my life with it on my winter adventures. I am pretty tolerant of cold weather, and with just a base layer and the GW, I can stay comfortable in the teens and low 20s. It is significantly more packable and lighter than my other jackets, as well. If you are used to jackets from other manufacturers, you will notice the differences for yourself. You will not regret the investment.

Best piece I have bought all year. Kept me nice and toasty and protected from 20mph winds while camping on Catalina over the weekend. Great fill and feel.

Super functional, lightweight and warm. Easily packed for a perfect layer during rest and camp activities.

My order was never processed after I purchased online. Two days after the order was placed, I called Customer Service and they apologized for the inconvenienced and proceeded to place the order through their system. The jacket then took 13 days to ship, which was very disappointing. The jacket fits wonderfully, its incredibly lite. I did notice that some seams started fraying in multiple places over the first week of wearing. I plan on heavily wearing this jacket for the next ten years!

The perfect insulted layer to take on long hikes or multipitch climbs in any season; my go-to when I need wind-stopping insulation, but have no weight or room to spare. I love the fact that I can pack it into it's own pocket (tiny!), clip it to my harness, climb a pitch in my base-layer, then deploy it and put it on to stay nice and warm at the belay. It's warm and weighs next to nothing. Don't leave the car without one!

I have had my hooded Ghost Whisperer for around 10 years now. While it's finally starting to show its age, it's been a fantastic jacket. On its own, it's not the warmest. Over a mid layer, however, this thing does incredibly well. The reason to buy a Ghost Whisperer is as a layering piece, and Mountain Hardwear nailed that aspect of the design. It packs into its own pocket down to about the size of a Nalgene, it has very few frills (you can cinch up the waist, that's about it), and is incredibly lightweight. The warmth to weight ratio is the reason to purchase this jacket. After nearly a decade, the light fabric has started getting some holes in it, which are easily patched. I think mine now has about 8 or so patches on it, one from an ice axe that's fairly large. But please note, I have put this jacket through its paces. I wear it as a daily driver during the winter, and on all of my alpine/ice climbing trips. I'm excited to get a new one and see the design updates!

I am a loyal MH fan for years. This particular jacket is a big disappointment. I wore it the first time for a trip to Japan and the down leakage is beyond frustrating. It becomes an embarrassment to take my jacket off at a restaurant because the inner layer shirts would cover with downs.

I absolutely love this jacket. The weight/packability, color, fit, and the warmth are all outstanding. It looks great everywhere from the driveway, The grocery store parking lot, and all over the back country. The only thing keeping me from giving this full marks is how delicate the outer shell can be. You’re paying for ultralight and unfortunately that comes with durability drawbacks. Even when not bushwhacking and just on a well-maintained trail, watch out for any small branches or sticks that might be sticking out into the trail, it will snag this jacket. Know what you’re buying and you will have one of the best UL down puffies on the market.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My only regret is not making this purchase sooner. I had seen the jacket and read reviews, all which piqued my interest. Already had an insulated jacket that thought satisfied my need. Finally pulled the trigger on the Ghost Whisperer and best insulated, functional jacket ever. So lightweight you can forget you're wearing anything. Perfect for those early morning 14er starts...and the chilly summits reached. Great for alpine camping nights too. Trim fit. Looks great. Cannot be happier with this purchase. Highly, highly recommended.

To clarify for those contemplating this purchase, the Whisper Peak Hooded Down jacket is the same as the Ghost Whisperer. When the jacket arrived, the tag reads "Ghost Whisperer Hooded Down Jacket". Maybe they got lazy and didn't feel like typing a new label. Who knows. For sizing, I ordered a Medium - I'm 5'9", 175 lbs. and have a 41" chest. I read a few sizing guides, and thought to order a Small since the bottom of the jacket apparently runs long, but the chest was too tight with a similar build. I can say Medium is probably best. The jacket doesn't run too long, although it does go down my butt.. It doesn't look too awkward due to the shape/baffles of the jacket. And the top of my butt stays warm. Yes, this jacket is light. Yes, it feels like you're wearing nothing. Yes, the Zour color is pretty awesome although it doesn't exactly match the photo. I wouldn't say it's that "neon", more like a day-old highlighter color. Still, I like it. You could also say it's like a lighter color of split-pea soup, or what color the new flavor of Starburst should be. Jacket compresses down into the right front hand warmer pocket. No frills. About the size of a nalgene bottle. I saw some complaints about the loose elastic cuffs, but the arms on the jacket are long enough that the cuffs slide down and close the gap. This works just fine. The cuff opening 'dilemma' I'd say is an opening roughly two fingers would fit in, but with your arms at your side, it doesn't make a difference. If you're the kind of person to raise your hands in the air like you just don't care - well, expect cold hands. The YKK zipper is made out of carbon fiber, or compressed feathers, or angel farts. Either way, although it weighs less than helium, it's just ever so sticky when trying to unzip the jacket. Not something that would keep me from purchasing the jacket again (as I recently hit the lotto, I can afford to purchase one more) but just writing home to the MH team. Awesome jacket. Definitely warm. Will be wearing in the backcountry in Alberta, Canada. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for lightweight warmth on the trail. Very impressive.