Feathered Friends Volant Pants
For an expedition grade pair of down pants, designed for winter mountaineering, choose the Feathered Friends Volant. They’re the warmest and most protective pair in this guide, and overkill for all but the most extreme conditions.
- Price: $340
- Weight: 17.0 oz
- Fabric: 30d Pertex Shield XT Waterproof/breathable
- Fill Power: 900| Fill Weight: 5.6 oz
- Percent Down Weight: 33%
- Uncompressed Down Volume: 5040 in³
- Down Volume/Jacket Weight: 297 in³/oz
- Pros: Waterproof knees/seat makes snow camping easier. Durable. Warmest. Full-zip sides. Fully baffled.
- Cons: Bulky. Heavy. Expensive.
Construction & Features
These winter mountaineering pants are sure to invoke gear awe. First off, they’re made with a waterproof/breathable Pertex Shield Shell. This makes them great for camping, climbing, and living on the snow. You can sit, kneel, and lie down on snow, all without fear of soggy pants.
What’s more, Volant is stuffed with 5.6 oz of 900 fill power down. They’re the warmest pair in this guide, and we wouldn’t recommend them for temps above 10F, though they can go much lower. And did we mention they’re fully baffled? That means no sewn-through cold spots.
And like most skiing and mountaineering pants, they have full side zippers for easy on/off with skis, crampons, or snow shoes. This is critical on technical missions.
Okay, so you get all of those features, but there is downside. This is the heaviest pair on our list, by a wide margin. It is also the bulkiest when compressed – equivalent to a typical parka.
Verdict
If you need Feathered Friends Volant pants, you likely know who you are and whatever crazy mission you plan to use them on. Do not choose these pants for anything less than severe winter conditions.