Gear Closet-Goosefeet’s Down Vest

After searching a while for the perfect down coat, I settled on a vest. For me, a 6″5′ ft. guy, it was seemingly impossible to find the right cut coat that had the correct length of sleeve and was long enough too. So after a lifetime of disliking them, I decided that a vest was the best bet for me. The reasons are simple, I can double up with my trusty mid layer a Patagonia .5 fleece for arm warmth and save some space in my pack at the same time with the vest. So from there, I started looking for the right one and found myself with more problems than answers. It seemed like all the ultralight vests out there were either, not packed with enough down or the fabrics they were using would add bulk from lack of compressibility or were two heavy for a realistic solution to high mileage trekking. It was then that I remembered Ben Smith and his company Goosefeet Gear, and solution was found! Goosefeet makes custom gear for folks at a reasonable price, and after using some of their gear for a few years now, I trusted their craftsmanship. So to sum it all up, I got my 4.9oz. vest cut to my dimensions using high end 10d fabric with a substantial amount of down (30z.) for $210 with shipping. Every inch of the vest looks great, made right here in the U.S.A. by Ben and his crew, I couldn’t be happier.

My new layering system!

Nice and puffed up, a great collar with a full zip!