By Brock Akers, Rokslide Moderator
The insulation layer. An absolute vital part of any clothing system. When the temperature drops, this layer is what keeps you on the mountain instead of heading back to camp. Hunters these days are blessed with many options for technical clothing, most of which offer an insulating layer. Some focus on weight and packability. Some focus on warmth, durability, and moisture resistance. Spend the time, do some research and pick the right one for you.
I bought my Kifaru Lost Park Parka last spring right before the 2015 Idaho spring bear season. After a week of long days behind the glass in not so ideal weather, I was sold. However, I knew it wouldn’t get much use during the upcoming summer and early season as it’s a very warm coat. I hung it up and waited for the late season.
With late October upon me, I headed back to Idaho for a backpack mule deer hunt. Temperatures were looking chilly with some snow in the forecast. I knew it would be a great test for the parka.
Built with Rhino Ripstop outer material and filled with DWR treated Climashield APEX insulation, this coat is built to keep you warm in harsh conditions. In the construction process, Kifaru sewed the insulation to an inner liner. This created consistent coverage and left no room for cold spots due to clumping—an issue some other puffys I’ve tested have suffered.
The forearms are reinforced with a double sleeve Cordura strip that covers just above the elbows. This is a nice feature if your glassing area is against some rocks and you need to take a break from your optics. You can lean back on your arm and not worry about tearing something.
The Lost Park alse features a detachable hood for those nicer days. If the wind picks up when you are behind the glass, you can simply zip it back on for additional protection. I was also a big fan of the slight coattail. Folks with longer torsos have a little added protection here.
There is also a Cordura kangaroo pocket in the front. This design allows your waist buckle on your pack to be used while retaining a usable pocket. This was a wonderful feature that I used on an Idaho whitetail hunt in late November when the temperature was below 0* and I was hunting old logging roads.
The Lost Park’s “kangaroo” pocket accommodates your pack’s waist belt while retaining a usable front pocket
With the size large weighing in at 21.6oz, the Lost Park is slightly heavier than most coats in it’s class. In today’s world of ounce counting, discounting this jacket because of that would be a mistake. Those extra ounces more than make up for it in the warmth the parka provides. Easily compressible into an XL Kifaru pullout, it takes up about as much room as my rain gear. I found myself either putting it in the main compartment of my AMR Pack last or tucking it under the top lid.
We all like items that are dual purpose right? I am a cold sleeper and on numerous occasions where my feet and lower legs have been chilled I have used the Lost Park as a “secondary sleeping bag” if you will. I zipped it closed, cinched the hood tight, slipped my feet inside the parka, then put my feet back into my footbox in my Enlightened Equipment quilt. This allowed me to sleep comfortably on very cold nights.
I purchased my Lost Park in a solid Coyote Brown so I can wear this coat on a lot of non-hunting related activities. It’s really nice to able to get so much use out of this coat when you are not hunting. You can also choose from Highlander or Multicam patterns.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong in purchasing this puffy. Sure it’s not going to get used much in August and September but when your late season hunts roll around, I don’t think you will regret having it in your pack. Stay tuned for added thoughts as I get more time with the Kifaru Lost Park Parka
You can ask Brock questions or discuss this article here
