The Happy Camper: Reviewing the Ghost Whisperer Snap Jacket
I just finished my third late fall canoe trip. I’m hoping to get one more in before the lakes freeze. The latest was a good old bass fishing competition with the YouTube celebs Paddleheads. Check out the video I put up on my KCHappyCamper YouTube. Then check out Paddleheads version on their YouTube channel.
And yes, I humbly declared the Paddleheads the “elite bass fishing anglers” of the trip. I can’t wait for the rematch.
Kevin Callan
I must say, it sure is getting cold and damp out there. The temperature plummeted below zero at night and we had hail and snow to contend with on the last day of the trip. The worst part is it was a warm day when I was packing my gear. I should have stuffed in a pair of long johns and another layer of wool. But I didn’t. What saved my butt from the evening chill, however, was my new puffy jacket—Mountain Hardwear’s Ghost Whisperer Snap Jacket. I stuffed it in my pack at the last minute. I thought I’d use it as a cozy pillow. It probably would have worked out well as a pillow but when the temperature dropped, I used it as a base layer instead—and wow, did it ever keep me toasty warm.
The biggest advantage of this puffy jacket is the weight to warmth ratio. It weighs a mere 7.1 oz / 202 grams, but its 800-fill down insulation kept the chill out. A bonus is the elastic binding on the cuffs and hem to seal in warmth. The baffled cuffs that feature synthetic insulation prevents what’s called “wetting out.”
Mountain Hardwear
I went with the new snap closure rather than a traditional front zipper on the older designs. You never know if a zipper will fail you while on trip. The side pockets are nice and deep too. I like that in a jacket. And it’s also a good choice if you’re looking at helping the planet out. It’s made of recycled nylon and responsibly sourced down insulation. Gotta love that.
Kevin Callan
The jacket can be stowed in an internal pocket, which is why I thought of bringing it along for a pillow in the first place. What it ended up being, thankfully, is an extremely lightweight base layer that packs down smaller than a football.