Sherpa make good quality gear mainly from their own production centre in Kathmandu and money from each sale goes to a Sherpa education foundation. It’s not the most high-end gear, but it is well-made.
This down hooded jacket is a good example. The fill power is less than most here at 650, lowering its warmth to weight ratio and making it bulkier, but its warmth should be sufficient for most UK use. The outer fabric is polyester with a DWR coating like most other jackets in the test. I like the addition of a chest pocket, a rarity among the jackets tested. Although you may not be walking too far in a down jacket (they are more for camping and very cold days), pockets tend to be covered by hipbelts and that is a problem if you want to use them to warm your hands. There are also two open internal pockets.
All the zips, including the front one, have a lined baffle that stops them snagging. The fit is good, generous if anything, and comfortable. I struggled with the hood as there was no volume adjuster and the cords around the face don’t do the job. Apart from that there’s very little wrong with this jacket, but the competition here is stiff as there are jackets with better fill quality for a similar price.
First published: Feb 2014
