MontBell Superior Down Round Neck Vest

Four ounces of easy warmth that accompanies me on every trip.

Years ago I finally figured out a big reason why I slept cold many nights—warm air escaping out from the neck of my sleeping bag, with cold air seeping in. I use a Feathered Friends Flicker for all of my backpacking other than winter trips when temps are expected in the 20's or lower. Historically, even with a traditional bag equipped with a draft collar, I'd commonly wake up feeling chilled around the neck and shoulders when temps were "cold". 

I had a down vest at the time, but it was bulky with a fat collar, and I was astounded how dirty the collar would get after one or two seasons. It proved fortunate a few years ago that MontBell had a brick and mortar store near me so I was able to drop in and "scratch & sniff" all of their products.

This vest caught my attention in how "dainty" it was compared to my other one. The lack of a collar bothered me at first, but then figured I'd be wearing it under something most of the time, so who cares. Since then I've come to totally appreciate the missing collar, as they're mostly a needless fashion thing anyway. 

It weighs in at 4.2 oz (118g), and wads down super small. It's filled with 800 fp goose down, and the shell is 20d ripstop on the outside, and 10d ripstop on the inside. The stuff sack is about the size of a standard pop can, but will compress to half that size.

Background

I've worn down vests for decades, but this particular one for around six years.