For backpackers in all but the most temperate and low elevation climates, a down jacket is an almost indispensable piece of gear. While fleece jackets, wool sweaters, or synthetic insulation pieces can provide warmth, their ability to do so at a comparable warmth-to-weight ratio as a down jacket is lacking. Although synthetic pieces are certainly catching up in the warmth-to-weight regard and their ability to insulate when wet provides a distinct advantage, there is a reason why the most common insulating jacket you'll see on backpackers is the down jacket – it works well and has been proven (and improved) over time.

There are also plenty of down jackets to choose from – hundreds of options appear when searching "down jacket" on online outdoor retailers. Most backpackers will want a jack-of-all-trades type of down jacket. The Feathered Friends Eos jacket is an excellent example of this type of down jacket and, after a year of wearing it on various trips in the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, I’ve found that it’s overall an excellent jacket in general.

The Feathered Friends Eos Jacket

One of Feathered Friends lightweight jackets (the company also offers jackets in midweight and expedition categories), the hooded Eos is an ideal jacket for serious backpackers who don't cancel trips because the forecast might involve some ice forming in their water bottle overnight. While not warm enough – or intended for – use as a primary insulating layer in extreme cold, this jacket will keep you warm in all but the most record-breaking temperatures or highest elevations for most three-season backpacking in North America's mountains.

Filled with 900+ fill power goose down, this jacket leaves nothing be desired in regard to insulation. Worn over a midweight baselayer, this jacket was plenty of insulation while watching the sun rise from the breezy catwalk of an abandoned lookout with temperatures in the mid-teens. Tossing a shell over it in similar conditions has kept me warm during periods of low-activity at temperatures down to the upper single digits, but any lower would've been stretching the limits of comfort. The sewn-through construction does theoretically leave the jacket vulnerable to cold spots, but the overall impact on the warmth provided was negligible.

The pockets on this jacket were extremely comfortable and just the right size – large enough to hold a glove, warm a pair of socks, or stash a headlamp, but not so large as to swallow the item and have it awkwardly rolling around. This jacket unfortunately lacks one of my favorite features of another down jacket I own (an Outdoor Research Transcendent that was slightly less warm and four ounces heavier, but a solid jacket which the Eos replaced after eight years of dutiful service): internal stash pockets that are perfect for warming up a pair of socks or gloves and storing other bulky clothing items.

As warm as this jacket is, its weight – at 11.93 ounces for a men’s medium (advertised average weight is 10.6 ounces) without the stuff sack (0.38 ounces) – is exceedingly reasonable. There are certainly other jackets on the market that are much lighter, but they often either have dialed back features, less down fill, lack a hood, or are extremely expensive. For a hooded, full-featured down jacket that is this warm I think just shy of three-quarters of a pound is nothing to agonize over.

After having experienced the bane of zipper failure on other pieces of clothing and gear, I’ve started paying a lot of attention to zippers. And the zippers on this jacket are as solid as they come. The pockets and the main zipper function as to be expected and, somewhat surprising given how stuffed with down the jacket is, I’ve yet to experience anything other than the slightest snag, and that only rarely.

A hem cord helps keep drafts out of this jacket, which is helpful since I found the cut to be capable of layering over a very thin fleece in the coldest conditions, but which otherwise fit perfectly. The lycra cuffs snugly fit my wrists and kept their shape well even after lots of use and pulling the cuffs up my forearms when washing dishes, filtering water, and other tasks where I didn’t want to get them wet. The hood is not adjustable but its design was so efficient that it never left me feeling like I needed the cinch cords that are on most of my other hooded down jackets.

I’m a big believer in the power of Pertex Quantum fabrics and was pleased to see that was what Feathered Friends used for this jacket. Not only is Pertex Quantum a practical fabric choice, but I find it to be very comfortable when touching the skin, like when the jacket is worn over a t-shirt at a chilly lunch break or around camp on a mild evening. The outer shell of the jacket is treated with DWR and sheds drizzle and snow as well as would be expected for a non-waterproof fabric – which is basically to say well enough to not panic if your rain shell was mistakenly placed at the bottom of your pack. Since the down is not hydrophobically treated, once it gets wet you’re out of luck, but as any reasonable backpacker knows you carry a shell to protect the layers you don’t want to get wet. Over time and after washing, you can always restore the DWR / durable water repellent using a spray-on DWR restorer if needed.

With all the bases covered in regard to warmth, weight, and basic features, this jacket is a solid piece of gear by any objective standards. I was also pleased with the subjective characteristics of this jacket, like its color and the color of the zippers. It adds a nice bit of richness to what could otherwise be a bland and utilitarian item. The cut of this jacket was ideal for me (5’11”, 160 lbs.) and fit true to the size (men’s medium). The stuff sack included with the jacket is functional, but I most often opted to store the jacket in an eVent compression sack with my sleeping bag to consolidate the items in my pack.

Feathered Friends Eos jacket packed size

Conclusion

Last but not least, it is worthwhile to note that this jacket is made in Seattle, Washington from imported materials. I’ll refrain from getting into a discussion of economics, trade policies or non-economic values, but I think that buying a high-quality piece of gear made in the United States is something worth feeling good about. At $409, this jacket is certainly not a purchase to be made on a whim. But given the cost of other similar jackets (both in regard to warmth and weight), this price seems to fall within the ever-vague bounds of “fair”.

Overall, I found this jacket to be excellent in all regards and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who backpacks in areas where the temperatures dip down to freezing or below. Down jackets, like most big gear purchases, are an item that you want to get right the first time. Opting for the Feathered Friends Eos gives you solid odds of doing just that.

The Feathered Friends EOS retails for $409. Find it here at Feathered Friends and in both men’s and women’s versions.

Editor's Note: This review originally appeared in Issue 38 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original review here featuring additional photos, pros and cons, and our rating of the Eos jacket from Feathered Friends.