Marmot Down Jacket Seeks Adventure
Half-way through a much-needed tidying up session this afternoon, I unearthed this Marmot 8000M Parka in a slowly-growing pile of expedition gear in the corner of my living room. I bought it for my 2004 North Pole expedition as an outer shell that I could wear on the very coldest days while I stopped to eat, drink, or put my tent up in the evening. I haven't used it since then, and seeing as a) we'll have some custom-made down gear on the way for SOUTH and b) it's slightly too big for me, I want to give it away to a good home.
It's size XL (large enough to go on over the rest of my expedition clothing) and I bought it for $575 from Mountain Tools in California who describe it as "like a sleeping bag you can climb in, and de rigueur for Alaskan, Himalayan and Antarctic Expeditions. Gore-Tex backed Twilight N- 143R shell, fully baffled construction, 800 fill power high loft goose down, huge draft tube, attached hood, hand warmer and internal bottle pockets are all features you can count on to retain the maximum warmth – on route, in camp or for tipping the scales in your favor on an unplanned open bivouac".
It's amazingly, stupendously warm; I wore it to run errands around Khatanga in northern Siberia at between -40 and -50 degrees c. with just a t-shirt underneath, and on the few excrutiatingly cold days that I used it on my expedition, it probably saved my life.
Yet despite being dragged to the North Pole in my sledge, it's in nearly-new condition, the only cosmetic flaw being a bit of protruding down where I removed the sponsor patches (easily remedied my sewing your own badge over the top!)
So, here's the deal. I'm giving it away for free, and I'll post it anywhere in the world for free, but I want it to go to a deserving home. Drop me an email or leave a comment below if you're planning an expedition where you could do with a jacket like this – it's a top-of-the-range belay/summit day jacket for Himalayan, Alaskan, Greenland or Antarctic expeditions and I'd love to see it being used rather than sitting in my wardrobe. Bonus points if you're an unsponsored, up-and-coming mountaineer/adventurer. Double bonus points if you're using your expedition to get kids involved with the outdoors/adventure.
Edit (24th May) – the jacket's gone to a good home! I'll write more about the winner soon…
— Filed under Miscellany