Why We Chose It: Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, innovative construction
There’s nothing as certain in this world as death, taxes… and The North Face pushing the envelope of technical outdoor clothing design each year. The example for 2021 is this: the North Dace Summit L6 Down Belay Parka, one of the big winners at the ISPO Awards last winter. It’s certainly one scorching belay jacket.
Who Is The North Face Summit L6 Down Belay Parka For?
Just by taking a quick look at some of the stats of this down jacket, you’ll soon realise that it’s not been designed for the mass market. 780g, 800 fill power, an intricate baffle design and superlight but durable fabrics ; this jacket is designed to be worn explicitly in cold climates, whether that’s standing around on frozen belay ledges in Rjuken, battling jet-stream fuelled storms in the Scottish Highlands, or bagging airy alpine summits.
Materials
The North Face Summit L6 has a lot going on in the materials department. First of all, let’s talk about the insulation that gives it it’s furnace-like warmth. You’ll find premium 800 fill power goose down towards the body, while 700 fill power has been used in the arms for compression resistance.
One of the things that really impressed us about this is its baffle construction. Each one is laid out asymmetrically on the inside and outside of the jacket to allow maximum space for the down to loft.
“This jacket is designed to be worn explicitly in cold climates.”
The North Face has made use of lightweight but durable fabric throughout the jacket. This brings a good level of water resistance thanks to a DWR treatment throughout and there’s also a hydrophobic barrier applied to the down.
