8000 Meter Parka Review by Luanne Freer

“How was the summit?”

That is the usual smirking comment I get when I enter the basecamp dinner tent on Everest sporting my 8000m Marmot parka. It is usually spoken by someone utterly envious of my garb.

Well, yeah, it is designed for peak wear and lots of folks keep it tucked away for their higher climbing, for their nights spent on Everest at camp 3 with 70 mph winds and unspeakable windchill temps. But I’m built for comfort. Why suffer? I’m on Everest, it’s cold and windy, and I want warmth. So even though I’m at 17,600ft base camp most of the time, I slip into my 8000m parka when the sun sets and our temps dip down so low it hurts to even look at the thermometer. And you know what? I’m comfy.

Called out at 3am to take care of a climber who’s short of breath? No worries when I have my 8000m parka (and a cup of coffee…) – it’s like taking my sleeping bag along with me, only decidedly more functional – thanks to its ingenious Angel-Wing Movement™ , which allows full range of motion when I’m reaching for the medications and prevents jacket ride up.

But although it’s nice inside a tent, the parkas’ Paladium Membrain keeps me dry and protected from wind too; when out on the icefall waiting for a rescue to arrive from up high, it’s a real treat to be wearing my 8000m. And can I say a little bit about the Attached Hood with Drawcord Hood Muff? Awesome. So I look a little bit like Kenny from SouthPark – this one feature keeps the core temperature intact more than anything else when out in the driving wind.

8000m? Don’t live in basecamp without it!

Learn more about Luanne and her organization, EverestER, at marmotpro.com.