During the spring climbing season within the Alaska Range, I had the chance to check out Marmot’s West Rib Parka, one of many largest, thickest parkas I’d ever seen.
My journey encompassed a private climbing journey out to Mt. Huntington, adopted by a 25-day patrol with Denali Climbing Rangers. I patrolled the West Buttress route on Denali as a volunteer for the Denali Rescue Volunteers program.
This was the right journey to place the West Rib Parka by the wringer: over 35 days on a glacier through the spring climbing season in Alaska.
In brief: The Marmot West Rib Parka ($600 MSRP) proved heat for my prolonged keep in Alaska’s excessive ranges, and I solely had just a few grievances.
The Trip
For the primary a part of our journey, two pals and I flew into the East Fork of the Tokositna Glacier. We arrange a base camp for 10 days on the base of the west face of Mt. Huntington. Less-than-ideal climate allowed us solely two climbing outings and plenty of extra days at our base camp.
For the second a part of the journey, I equipped with the Denali Climbing Rangers to accompany them on a 25-day West Buttress search-and-rescue patrol. This was a part of the Denali Rescue Volunteers program.
Our itinerary was to spend a few week going up from base camp to the 14,000-foot camp earlier than spending 10 days acclimatizing there. We would then push to a 17,000-foot camp, adopted by a profitable summit day due to the implausible climate throughout this spring Denali season.
I had the possibility to make use of the West Rib Parka for all 25 days of the patrol. I used to be pleasantly stunned with the West Rib‘s consolation and heat however discovered just a few shortcomings. Below are my ideas after spending 35 nights within the West Rib Parka.
Marmot West Rib Parka Review
Specs and Features
The Marmot West Rib Parka has a Pertex Quantum ripstop nylon outer shell guarding overlapping 3M Thermal R 40g artificial insulation. It has an inside panel of 3D WarmCube 800-fill goose down. The sq. WarmCube baffles stop down from shifting. This mixture of a down inside and an artificial outer layer protects the down from wetting out in damp circumstances. Marmot designed this technique to offer a steadiness of water resistance and packability.
A beneficiant reduce is designed to be the outer layer for winter outings, and Marmot sizes the hood to go over a helmet. But it has a cinch twine to excellent the match with or with out a helmet. An included stuff sack helps make the West Rib compact in a climbing bag and lets you clip it to a harness throughout technical climbs.
The West Rib Parka has two sizeable zippered handwarmer pockets and two extraordinarily spacious zippered chest pockets accessed from the outside. Two inside mesh drop-pockets match a pair of gloves, a Nalgene, or anything to be stored heat.
I discovered the spacious handwarmer pockets and the large-volume chest pockets extraordinarily helpful. I stored odd requirements within the chest pockets, resembling an additional pair of sun shades, a headlamp, a battery pack, or a small digicam. They disappeared into the lofty construction of the jacket and stayed heat and guarded whereas remaining straightforward to entry.
The double-pull heart zipper allowed me to zip up from the underside to entry my belay loop — a favourite function. However, I discovered the selection of zipper disappointing on the West Rib Parka. The small zipper pull would at all times snag on the draft tube and was finicky. This was worse with chilly fingers or gloves.
I discovered the hybrid insulation felt like a artificial jacket however barely lighter and extra packable. This was as a result of inside down 3D WarmCube panels. We had been in predominantly below-freezing temperatures, so I didn’t expertise any really moist circumstances to check the water resistance of the outer artificial layers.
However, I predict this parka would match properly in a Pacific Northwest climbing setting. The typically damp circumstances and technical ice routes with dripping water might completely moist out a down jacket.
Comfort and Warmth
The West Rib Parka is designed as a belay parka for winter alpine/mountain climbing and mountaineering. It’s meant to be layered over climbing attire.
The beneficiant reduce of the West Rib achieved this match properly and nonetheless provided an inexpensive vary of motion. I discovered this parka exceptionally heat for the circumstances on technical ice routes on Mt. Huntington and the 20,310-foot Denali West Buttress route summit.
While mountain climbing within the shade in low double-digit temperatures on Mt. Huntington, it was at all times a reprieve throwing on the Marmot West Rib. I used to be engulfed in heat whereas ready on the belay. On the West Buttress of Denali, we had an unseasonably heat and clear season. I didn’t get the possibility to check the parka in full-storm circumstances. However, I used to be by no means chilly at a 17,000-foot camp in single-digit temperatures through the coldest components of our journey.
I discovered the outer Pertex Quantum shell glorious at shedding wind on the few days we had windy circumstances. Aside from the small essential zipper, my solely different want for the parka was a barely longer reduce within the again (I’m 6 ft tall, 150 kilos) to cowl extra of my hips.
Weight, Durability, and Packability
Coming in at a verified 1 pound 14.3 ounces in unisex medium, the West Rib Parka isn’t one of many lighter belay parkas. It is heavier than full-down parkas however extra packable than full-synthetic parkas. The West Rib strikes a pleasant steadiness of packability and weight whereas providing elevated efficiency in moist environments.
The inside and exterior materials are a lot thicker than on ultralight parkas, including to the general weight. However, this delivered peace of thoughts that the jacket wouldn’t snag, tear, or in any other case rip simply throughout climbing outings involving sharp rock or ice instruments.
Throughout all my testing of the Marmot West Rib Parka, I by no means observed any snags or tears within the material on both facet. This is regardless of shouldering ice instruments or climbing combined pitches within the parka.
Marmot West Rib Parka: Conclusion
Designed to come across any moist or chilly circumstances within the excessive alpine, the Marmot West Rib Parka is a superb alternative as a quiver-of-one jacket. It was mild and packable sufficient for single-day outings and versatile and roomy sufficient for true expedition-style climbing or moist environments.
The generously sized pockets present ample area to maintain any belongings simply accessible. And the helmet-compatible hood and double-zippered essential zipper fared properly for technical climbing goals.
The West Rib Parka could possibly be improved with a bigger, much less finicky entrance zipper. It was irritating when attempting to zip up the jacket with gloves or chilly fingers, and it detracted from the general high quality and usefulness. And for me, an extended tail would have been appreciated.
Despite these drawbacks, I used to be typically impressed with the West Rib Parka’s heat, consolation, and options. And its sturdiness by no means left me questioning its means to endure harsh circumstances.
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