Alpine Ultra Down Jacket

A climbers' down jacket at the limits of lightness. Even with chest pockets and the optional helmet-sized hood, it's lighter, warmer and packs smaller than fleece. Now also available in custom sizes.

Typical Operating Temperature

-10°C / 14°F

Weight

330g / 12oz

Price

$644.45

Alpine Ultra Down Jacket in red Drishell

Alpine Ultra Down Jacket in black Drishell

PHD Alpine Ultra Down Jacket - just below the summit of Cerro Standhart on Exocet. Patagonia (C) Will Sim

Alpine Ultra Down Jacket (Photo: Jon Griffith)

The best down jacket in the world for light and fast.
Jon Griffith.

See more reviews

Size

What’s my size?

Sizing

Standard Sizing

The PHD Sizing Chart below is based on measurements without clothing, exactly the way you would buy a shirt or a sweater. A 42" (107cm) chest means that your bare chest uninflated measures 42". Inside Arm is measured from armpit to wrist-bone.

Size	Height	Chest	Waist	Inside arm
XS	155-163cm (5'1"–5'4")	86cm (34")	71cm (28")	46cm (18")
S	164-170cm (5'5"–5'7")	91cm (36")	76cm (30")	48cm (19")
M	171-178cm (5'7"–5'10")	99cm (39")	84cm (33")	51cm (20")
L	179-186cm (5'10"–6'1")	107cm (42")	91cm (36")	53cm (21")
XL	187-193cm (6'2"–6'4")	114cm (45")	99cm (39")	56cm (22")

Custom Sizing

Once you've selected a Body Width you can choose Body Length and Arm Length up to two sizes bigger or smaller. For example, a jacket with a medium (M) Body Width can be XS, S, M, L, or XL in Body Length and XS, S, M, L, or XL in Arm Length. If you have any questions about your size, please contact us.

Body Width. Use the chart below to find your Body Width. Measure yourself without clothes, relaxed with an uninflated chest.

Body Width	Chest circumference	Waist circumference
XS	86cm (34")	71cm (28")
S	91cm (36")	76cm (30")
M	99cm (39")	84cm (33")
L	107cm (42")	91cm (36")
XL	114cm (45")	99cm (39")

Body Length -- can be two sizes up or down from Body Width. Use the chart below to find your Body Length size. Measure your height without shoes:

Body Length Size	Your height in cm	Your height in inches
XXXS	139 - 144cm	4'5" - 4'8"
XXS	145 - 154cm	4'9" - 5'
XS	155 - 163cm	5'1" - 5'4"
S	164 - 170cm	5'5" - 5'7"
M	171 - 178cm	5'7" - 5'10"
L	179 - 186cm	5'10" - 6'1"
XL	187 - 193cm	6'2" - 6'4"
XXL	194 - 201cm	6'4" - 6'7"
XXXL	202 - 209cm	6'8" - 6'10"

Inside Arm -- can be two sizes up or down from Body Width. Inside Arm is measured from armpit to wrist-bone without clothes. When you measure your inside arm let your arm hang loosely by your side. Don't extend it horizontally.

Inside Arm	cm	Inches
XXXS	41cm	16"
XXS	43cm	17"
XS	46cm	18"
S	48cm	19"
M	51cm	20"
L	53cm	21"
XL	56cm	22"
XXL	58cm	23"
XXXL	61cm	24"

N.B. PHD clothing is unisex.

Notes:

Down Jackets are sized to fit over thermal underwear & fleece.
Shell Jackets are sized to fit over thermal underwear & fleece or light down clothing (e.g. Minimus Jacket): to cover thick down clothing, go up one size.
The arms of our outdoor jackets are designed to be long enough to keep your wrists warm when your arms are extended horizontally (when using trekking poles, for example) or when you are reaching above yourself (when climbing, for example). In this respect the arm lengths of our jackets differ from street/fashion jackets.

Standard Sizing Custom Sizing Set body width, body length & arm length

Body Width

Body Length

Arm Length

Size

Colour

Hood

Compare

Add to compare list Remove from compare list

View compare list

Features

Rare 950 fillpower European Goose down
Outer fabric: water-resistant Drishell
Inner fabric: superlight MX
Stitch-through construction for lightness
2 chest pockets above harness level
1 internal security pocket
Front zip with internal draft baffle
Fleece-lined collar
Lycra cuff
Double-exit shock cord hem
Reflective tape for night location
Clip loop for securing
Stuff sac
Packed size: 13cm diam x 21cm high*
Option: down filled zip-on hood

^*Please note: We make our stuff sacs big enough to allow fairly easy stuffing rather than reducing the jacket to the tightest minimum.

Description:

Also available in custom sizes. We make clothing to order, so if you’re not a standard size we can make it to fit. To order a non-standard custom size, select the Custom Sizing tab, choose your body width, and then the body/arm lengths, shorter or longer, that work for you. A custom size takes us a little longer (typically two weeks longer) to make and, because it’s personalized, it’s non-returnable and our customer loyalty scheme can’t be applied.

Facing an early morning start, a cold wind high up, even an unexpected bivvy. Whenever you're going to need extra warmth on your peak, it doesn't come much lighter than the Alpine Ultra. It's lighter than fleece, much warmer, packs a lot smaller and has a 100% windproof outer too.

Super-light fabrics and our exceptional 950 down provide the superb warmth/weight performance. Chest pockets and a large (optional) hood allow harness and helmet use. A fleece collar? That's in there too.

Note: The optional hood needs to be ordered at the same time as the jacket.

Water-resistant Drishell outer fabric (weight: 54 gsm)

Ripstop nylon with an ultralight coating: achieves total windblock, along with high breathability and superior water resistance. Superbly efficient for a very light overall fabric weight.

Superlight MX fabric (weight: 32 gsm)

A mini-ripstop nylon with excellent tear strength, MX is the pick of the superfine 15 denier downproof materials. We have tested lighter fabrics, but most have had significant drawbacks, while our confidence in MX is based on several years of extensive use in both our ultralight and our high mountain gear.

950 fillpower down

A newcomer to our range. European goose of rare quality. A high value alternative at the top levels of performance. More on our down insulation.

"Alpine Ultra jacket was definitely the "go to" piece of kit for the whole expedition. Quick on, quick off, stuff it in the pack, clip it to an anchor whilst you sort gear. Drishell is durable enough for arm rappels on fixed ropes and definitely proofed enough for high mountain conditions."
— Ben Kane

"Packs to nothing."
— Petesy (a.k.a. Peter Macfarlane).

"It's the perfect alpine downie - 330g and rated to -10 degrees - it blows the competition out of the water. Whilst the weight is awesome, you also get a tiny packed size out of it meaning that your down jacket won't eat up half your backpack space so you can go with a small backpack (20L) and keep a light and fast rhythm to your climbing."
— Jon Griffith.

"I used the Alpine Ultra Jacket as a belay jacket and emergency outer layer in the Indian Himalaya - I found it to be excellent. It's lighter and packs down smaller than any comparable jacket, and its warmth to weight ratio is second to none. There is no other jacket that I would've preferred to have with me."
— Virgil Scott - Imperial College Reru Valley Expedition (Zanskar Himalaya, India).

"Thank you for the fantastic equipment. Everything (including the Alpine Ultra Jacket) was above and beyond what was required and fended off the elements perfectly."
— Graham B., on a trip to Aconcagua.

Works well with