I am not sure if there is such a thing as too warm.  I grew up in Maine and learned at an early age the wonders of down as an insulator.  My childhood winters were spent skiing, snowmobiling, sleding and even ice fishing.  We never really thought about the cold it was just there.  The other thing that was always there was a down jacket.  Fast forward a few years (ok decades) and I find myself spending my winters still skiing, snowshoeing and playing outside (ice fishing, not so much) in the comparatively warm winters of Utah.

I have not really though of my beloved puffy coat until this Christmas when my awesome girlfriend got me a Mountain Hardware Sub Zero down jacket . The heavy, clumpy puffy coat of my youth has been updated into a lightweight, packable, insanely warm jacket in equally at home walking into your local brew pub as it is summiting Mt. Rainier. The jacket comes with Taslan reinforced shoulders and arms to resist abrasions and a stuff sack for easy packing. It is really too warm to wear while skinning up but it packs down so small and is oh so warm for the well earned turns when you get to the top. My favorite feature is the fleece lined pockets, they are perfect for warming numb hands wet hands before putting your gloves back on. For cold days skiing inbounds and riding the lift this jacket cant be beat. It is also nice to have waiting at the car after a long run or snowshoe.

In the short time I have had it the Mountain Hardware Sub Zero has become my most prized winter possesion. Everytime I put it on it brings me back to those winter days long ago whooping it up in the woods of Maine.