Western Mountaineering Meltdown Down Jacket - Men's for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

Having known about Western Mountaineering Products for a while now,,I decided to finally see what all the hoopla is about,,1st made in the USA,,2nd they've been around for some time now,,3rd its not swathed with Logo's all over it,,4th because its warm as well you know.

Email me directly with all your Western Mountaineering questions - jelam@backcountry.com This is what one of my customers have to say about the Meltdown. I put the meltdown jacket to the test this past week in North Dakota. I was up there for a duck hunt but I wore the jacket when I wasn't in the blind. It never got above freezing and constantly blew 25+ for several days I was there. I could literally put the jacket on over my merino wool t-shirt and go outside and do whatever in total comfort. At one point my buddies didn't believe me so I made them take their jackets off and walk outside in the meltdown jacket and they were blown away. Just a solid product from WM.

I don't write a lot of reviews but I had to for this jacket. I got this jacket a few weeks ago and like many of the other reviews I found this jacket to be of the highest quality. Really cannot wait for blizzard or something like it. I bought this jacket for a sheep hunt in the NWT as I needed something with a solid warmth to weight ratio and I found it. Was impressed with the hood, the zippers, and the durability of the fabric. Overall the jacket is of a much higher quality than any of my other insulated jackets and I'm really looking forward to putting it through the gauntlet. Also, the sizing is true to fit and you can still get clothing underneath if need be. My Arcteryx insulated vest fits very well underneath and my Kuiu Yukon Jacket in size XL fits over the Meltdown Jacket (size L) very well.

Everything WM makes is bomber, warm and doesn't really look all that great, but who cares when its freezing out. I haven't done any serious mountaineering with it but i wear it outside daily in mammoth with no t-shirt on underneath. The thing is like wearing the Puma around yourself.

This down jacket is not to be used in place of an expedition jacket such as the Snow Jack by WM. This is more of a great layering jacket in case you prefer to wear a Goretex Shell by Arcteryx or something similar. I prefer this type of layering system because it allows the same warmth as just the expedition jackets but will added protect and more versatility. A lot of mountaineers where expedition jackets because they feel like they need the warmth, as this may be true it is not ideal because weather conditions change constantly and you can easily over heat and burn more calories than needed with a expedition heavy weight down jacket. Where a large Meltdown under an XL Shell. It works extremely well for me.

I recently got this down jacket in and it is even warmer than the Flight Down Jacket. It has a great hood that may be stored away and has plenty of loft, yet not too bulky. The wrist adjustments are adjustable as well.

This jacket has been a life saver. Sort of. I've actually never been in a position to have my life saved before. That I know of. The jacket is very warm and the hood is a big plus. Use the hood when you need it and put it back in it's zippered neck compartment when you don't. It's very warm and a good addition for anyone wanting to make sure they will be warm in the winter. I had to break mine out over the new year while winter camping around lake Tahoe. The temps were much colder than expected so I just put the jacket on and slid back into my sleeping bag. Kept me toasty warm. All in a very lightweight package and super compressible. As a note, you can't hide the hood on the fly. You have to take the jacket off to stuff the hood back inside its compartment. There has been a tiny loss of feathers but nothing major. Not yet. This jacket is really built to last and it should for the price. I'm 6'0 85 athletic build and the large is perfect. Especially when you have some layers underneath.

This is a parka that I wish I could wear more often. My days of expedition climbing are probably over. Having climbed Denali and Western Canadian peaks, I can only say that I wish I'd had this jacket during my most adventuresome climbs. Like all Western jackets, the Meltdown uses minimum 850 fill goose down. Most of our down tests higher, in the 900 to 950 range. The fabric is slightly heavier and water resistant than the stuff used in Western's Flight or Flash Jackets. This adds to the durability and suggests its use without a layer over top. Only the soggiest days would wet out this jacket. This begs the question: Why would you wear this jacket anywhere above 20 degrees F, anyway? The downfilled hood tucks easily into the collar yet reappears to provide super cold weather protection. The jacket's fit is generous to accommodate layers underneath. My size large weighs 17 oz. on my postal scale yet would be my jacket of choice for another shot at Alaskan peaks or winter camping in my state of origin, Minnesota. Don't be fooled by the overall weight. It's got more than enough down to keep you toasty! It's just the good stuff!