This is the quintessential jacket for extreme cold, bivouacs, and winter high-altitude outings. The Helly Hansen Odin Polar Down Jacket is outstanding in terms of warmth. Its 850-fill down allows you to face the most demanding conditions.
There are no cold spots on this very well-designed jacket. The down compartments are perfectly distributed and maintain their loft. We haven’t washed the jacket yet to see whether there might be any degradation—but logically, there shouldn’t be.
We particularly appreciated the exceptional comfort of the Helly Hansen Odin Polar Down Jacket, which offers ultra-efficient protection around the neck. Only the face is exposed; all sensitive areas are well insulated. Every part of the head is wrapped in a substantial layer of warmth. The only remaining question is the helmet: since this jacket is intended for mountaineering, wearing a helmet under the hood is difficult.
As with most insulation layers, you need to watch out for snags and avoid exposing it to abrasive terrain, as it could tear. Of course, you can wear a protective shell over it, provided it’s the right size. We used the Helly Hansen Odin Polar Down Jacket for our first ski outings of the season in the cold of December, and it proved to be 100% effective.
The Helly Hansen Odin Polar Down Jacket is designed for dry cold, as its down is sensitive to moisture.
All the cords, zippers, wrist Velcro, and adjustment systems are high-quality. The zippers are easy to operate with gloves thanks to large pull tabs with cord loops. The jacket also packs down neatly into a practical stuff sack.
A down insulation jacket that fully delivers on its thermal-protection promise—perfect for mountaineering and any outing in polar cold. We awarded it a First Award.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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