Down Suit vs Down Jacket & Salopettes

The Poles and the 8000m peaks often bring up the choice between a one-piece down suit and the combination of down jacket and salopettes (or trousers). These are extreme environments, and if in doubt it is always worth asking advice from people who have already been to your destination.

To help you here is a summary of the main points involved:

A simple summary like this is not much help, we know. But it may be worth having the basic pros and cons staring you in the face while you work out which way to go.

When looking at Shell gear the reasons for considering a one-piece windsuit are quite different. Please look at the footnote in our Windchill briefing.