The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Collection (Amazon/Mountain Hardwear) is in a league of its own when it comes to warmth-to-weight ratio.
The Best: The most effective mid-layer is a highly packable, ultralight down jacket or “sweater.” That’ll give you a massive amount of warmth in a package you can easily take with you anywhere. For this reason, Chris and I swear by our Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jackets ($320); they’re the lightest, most packable down jackets out there. At just 7oz and packing down to about the size of a sandwich, you can carry one with you anywhere with no penalty to weight or space. - Indefinitely Wild
While the Ghost Whisperer’s low profile makes it amazing for layering, it managed to be my only piece of outerwear for my October trip to Stockholm. It’s also downproof, windproof, water repellant, and packs down into its own pocket. Weighing in at just 7 oz, it has to be worn to be believed, and at that point you’ll never want to take it off.
Critically, the Ghost Whisperer also won’t instantly overheat you when you enter a restaurant or sit down in an Uber.
We’ll be covering their excellent new StretchDown shortly, stay tuned.