Gear Review: Peak XV Down Jacket

(Last Updated On: January 20, 2014)

Earlier this season, I met a man who said to me, “I can’t find a down jacket that’s warm enough for my wife.” This expedition-style 850-fill power goose down is the perfect jacket for this man’s wife! I’ve never owned a warmer jacket. With so many abnormally cold days this winter, and the onslaught of the “Polar Vortex”, the Peak XV was the jacket that gave me the capability to continue to enjoy my outdoor adventures despite the cold weather. The Peak XV comes with a DWR water-resistant shell to shed the falling snow, a soft turtling collar for nestling the face, and an integrated hood that even fits over my ski helmet. Hands-down, this is the best big down jacket I have ever owned!

To top it off, the Peak XV is parts of the FirstAscent line created by Eddie Bauer. What most people don’t realize, is that Eddie Bauer is the original creator of retail down jackets. Bauer suffered a bout of hypothermia while on a fishing trip in 1923, and decided that heave wool outer garments had to be replaced with something better. Bauer remembered stories, told by his uncles, of goose down clothing worn by the military during the Russo-Japanese war. So, he began experimenting with goose down. And ultimately began inventing the down jacket that we have today.

If you need a warm down jacket for those coldest of cold days, the Peak XV is for you. It comes in both men’s and women’s cuts. Don’t let that cold get to you. Stay warm!