SITKA MicroDown Jacket Cuts Weight, Not Warmth

Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain: A phrase that rings true with most backcountry hunters. In other words, we want our gear to be as lightweight and compressible as possible without giving up too much functionality or comfort.

The folks at SITKA Gear are very familiar with living out of a backpack, and in light of the beginning phrase, created the MicroDown Hooded Jacket. It’s micro in size, but macro in warmth — a perfect combo for a backpack hunter.

In short: Hunters looking for a compressible lightweight insulation piece will be pleased with the MicroDown Jacket from SITKA. Just don’t expect an athletic fit, and be ready to potentially size down.

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SITKA MicroDown Hooded Jacket Review

Overview

The MicroDown Hooded Jacket is a 27D polyester full-zip hooded down jacket made to keep you warm and your pack as light as possible. Jackets are available in M, L, LT, XL, XLT, and XXL.

SITKA offers a wide range of color options, too: black, Optifade Subalpine, Cherry Wood (pictured here), Olive Green, and Coyote.

The MicroDown has both zippered hand and chest pockets to help keep essentials at easy access or just to keep your hands warm. And there is a minimalist hood that is easily deployed and will fit over headwear.

Light precipitation? No problem. SITKA equipped the MicroDown with a DWR coating to help shed water. After all is said and done, the entire package weighs in at a mere 13.6 ounces.

Features

Lightweight, but Durable

Generally, the more lightweight something is, the less durable it tends to be. With the SITKA MicroDown, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The outside of this jacket feels much more stout than other puffy jackets I’ve tested.

The 27D ripstop fabric seems to offer a great blend between durability and being lightweight. Of course, I wouldn’t go brush busting with this, or any puffy for that matter, but I also wouldn’t be worried about ripping the MicroDown.

700 Fill ExpeDRY

The downside of down has always been its inability to handle moisture. Once it’s wet, it’s useless, really, and takes a very long time to dry. This pushes folks toward synthetic options, but in general, synthetic is heavier and less compressible than down. With this in mind, SITKA filled the MicroDown jacket with 700 Fill ExpeDRY-treated Allied Down.

So, you get the pros of down, but being that it’s treated, it’s moisture-resistant. Not to mention, there is a DWR coating. A win–win–win.

Very Compressible

Saving space in your backpack is something that SITKA MicroDown does best. Down is known to excel when it comes to compressibility, and the MicroDown is a fine representation of that. You can get this jacket as small as, if not smaller than, a Nalgene bottle. So, when compressed, it’s a 13.6-ounce Nalgene-sized insulation piece. Compressibility of the jacket gets an A+.

My Experience

I’ve been backpack hunting now for about 10 years. The very first thing that went through my mind on my first hike into a backcountry camp was, “How do I get my backpack more lightweight?” Since then, I feel like it’s been a never-ending quest to do so.

This is why items like the MicroDown Hooded Jacket catch my attention. If I can save either space in my pack or weight from a main gear item like insulation, I’m all ears.

Of course, the very first thing I noticed when I received the MicroDown was how ultralight it felt. With that said, I also took note of the outside material. It didn’t feel nearly as fragile as other puffy jackets I’ve used in the past, SITKA jackets included.

With the more durable outside shell, I wondered if this would hinder the performance in terms of compressibility. I’m happy to report, though, that this jacket stuffs right down into its own pocket. It’s not big enough to use as a pillow, like other jackets with the same feature, but it does get it down small in an organized fashion.

With everything said, the question of the hour is, “Does the MicroDown keep you warm?” From my experience, the answer is yes. I tested this jacket down into the high 30s, and it was fine. I think this is a great early to mid-season insulation piece for backpack hunting, especially. It offers big warmth in a small package.

What’s Wrong?

While I really enjoy the SITKA MicroDown Hooded Jacket, there was something that bothered me a bit. That is the sizing/fit. SITKA usually fits me pretty dang good, but this jacket was off the mark. To me, the MicroDown runs a bit big and wide. It’s not an athletic fit, which is what I honestly prefer. I think a better-fitting jacket not only looks better, but it also insulates better.

Even though the MicroDown has a drawstring around the bottom that one can cinch shut, I can see cold air working up through the bottom if you don’t do this. Maybe sizing down would take care of the issue, but I didn’t get a chance to do this.

Closing Words

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for any backpack hunt is to come out heavy. So, going in lightweight should be in our best interest, which is why pieces like the SITKA MicroDown Hooded Jacket are so valuable. Is it the greatest fitting piece? No. But I’d take it over a heavier, more bulky option any day of the week.

Again, ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.