I have always been a down jacket kind of guy.  I love the feel of down,  and the lightweight warmth that it provides. I have always worried about the classic achilles heel of down, and avoided bringing it on trips where I thought there would be any sort of precipitation involved, bringing my heavy bulky fleece instead.  I have never really considered the synthetic insulated jackets as a backpacking piece, as I thought they would be as heavy and bulky as my fleece jacket.

This perception changed the day that the GoLite Cady jacket arrived on my doorstep.  The GoLite Cady jacket features a recycled polyester shell and 3M’s Thinsulate insulation.  The jacket is manufactured from recycled content.  This jacket is fairly thin, compact, and loaded with features for such a light jacket.  The GoLite Cady Jacket has quickly become my go to piece when the weather gets a little nippy both in town and on the trail.

This jacket has zippered side hand pockets, a couple of interior pockets (one with an iPod port), and pitzips.   The jacket fits loose enough that I can layer underneath,  but is not bulky,  and does not make me look like the Michelin Man.  The collar has a nice soft fleece lined liner, and the elastic cuffs on the sleeves are functional, comfortable and simple.  The front zipper has a double slider that allows one to open up the bottom while the top remains zipped.  Unfortunately, this feature makes it much harder to engage the zipper,  and I often struggle getting it zipped up.  The jacket comes with a small stuff sack that fits the packed jacket nicely.  I would prefer a reversible chest pocket that would double as a stuff sack, as I always carry the included stuff sack, so the extra weight would be negligible.

The GoLite Cady jacket has been everywhere with me the last few months.  From rain to snow to blowing winds, the Cady jacket has kept me warm in an amazingly thin sleek package.  The inclusion of pit zips in an insulated jacket allows for an expanded usage, as I could ventilate the jacket while doing moderate activity (such as hiking and snowshoeing in cold weather) without having to take it off and put it on during breaks.  The jacket would be even more versatile if it had a DWR finish, and would shed precipitation rather than soak it up.   Despite the propensity to wet out easily, it remains warm, even when the outside is wet.  Layered with a waterproof shell, you have a fantastic do it all combo that will serve you well in just about any condition.

GoLite has taken a good synthetic insulation piece, and have made it as functional as possible, while maintaining their core philosophy of using recycled materials whenever possible.  This jacket is well made and well thought out,  demanding consideration for those in the market for an insulated jacket.