Onebag: Cotopaxi Fuego Down Jacket
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In a parallel timeline where Covid never happened, I had an epic summer 2020 adventure touring Tibet from Potala Palace in Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery at the foot of Mount Everest. Unfortunately, I got stuck in the darkest timeline where that never happened. My consolation prize was all the gear I bought in preparation for that trip, including the incredibly warm, light, and stylish Cotopaxi Fuego hooded down jacket.
Among many other things, I left my bulky (but very toasty) Patagonia down jacket behind in the northern reaches of Heilongjiang province shortly before Covid hit. Really kind of wish I didn't one-bag for that vacation home. It gave me a happy excuse to get my new Fuego, which did end up keeping me warm later that year on my trip to Scotland. Thanks to its extremely packable size, the Fuego has definitely earned a long-term spot on my packing list. It's getting chilly, and the holiday sales are upon us, so I'll offer my tried and tested experience with the Fuego to aid in your quest for a new jacket! I can't promise there won't be several down puns.
Cotopaxi knows how to make a statement.
There are a thousand different outdoor gear companies making down jackets out there, but Cotopaxi's brave use of color immediately sets them apart from the crowd. Much like the eclectic palettes that Hoka One One applies to their shoes, people will love or hate the color schemes Cotopaxi dreams up for their products. Personally, I find I'm somewhere in between, preferring mostly neutral colors with a bright accent.
The retro color bar pattern on their Fuego line is pretty cool and not quite as loud as some of their other apparel. I went with the graphite (more of a grayish purple) with red stripes for something I felt looked as good in town as it does on the trail. It's worth noting that Cotopaxi usually has at least a couple of neutral options for all their products if, like me, you feel you can't pull off some of the more adventurous stuff.
Let's get "down" to the details (wink).
Style is of varying levels of importance for different people. The real question here is whether the Cotopaxi Fuego will keep you warm or not. What temperature range is comfortable, and when will it begin to fail? It all comes down to the down. I'm sorry, guys. I really can't help myself. That won't be the last one, either.
The latest iteration of the Fuego is stuffed with 800-fill down that is Responsible Down Standard-certified. We need to translate some terms here so you know what you're actually getting.
Fill power is the volume that one ounce of down can fill. A higher fill power number (500-900) means that a product has greater loft, insulation, and compressibility.
The RDS certification guarantees that geese and ducks live happy lives before providing down for your product.
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Cotopaxi hasn't rated this jacket for temperature, so there's no way of giving an official range. I have felt comfortable wearing the Fuego in the low 40s to low 20s Fahrenheit. It is an incredibly warm jacket for the weight thanks to the 800-fill down.
Worn as a mid-layer beneath the Fjallraven Sten jacket, the Fuego allowed me to forget about the wind trying to kick my shit in while hiking around Skye in December. You can extend the temperature range of this jacket by probably 20 degrees Fahrenheit if you are following a proper layering strategy, e.g. base layer, mid-layer, outer (shell) layer.
Finally, gear that doesn't fit like a box.
My previous down jackets have been from Patagonia and Uniqlo. I love both companies and chuck a decent amount of cash at them, but their jackets often feel like a rectangle draped over my shoulders. Admittedly, I'm a pretty lanky dude so I'm not necessarily criticizing them for a fit that probably works well enough for others.
I find that Cotopaxi Fuego has a more athletic fit for a skinny distance runner like myself. The closer fit prevents wind from blowing in, and the insulation feels more efficient. If you have a similar frame, you might find you prefer this over some of the other brands that have dominated the outerwear industry.
“There are a thousand different outdoor gear companies making down jackets out there, but Cotopaxi's brave use of color immediately sets them apart from the crowd.”
The Cotopaxi Fuego packs "down" small (ugh...sorry).
If you travel a lot or put in multiple days on the trail at a time, then you know how important it is to consider every square inch of space and every ounce of weight in your pack. Jackets and other bulky items are always a challenge to squeeze in when you're traveling to a colder climate. You have to make some hard choices, which usually sacrifice some combination of style, space, versatility, and comfort.
The high fill power enables the Cotopaxi Fuego to pack down incredibly small (about the size of a Nalgene bottle) for the amount of warmth it provides. While that might be a little bulky for smaller backpacks, you can easily clip it onto the outside or slide it into a stretchy water bottle holder on the side of the pack. It fits comfortably in my REI Flash 22, which has a single large compartment and was purpose-made for cramming in stuff for day hikes. I have to clip it onto my everyday carry Thule Enroute 20L backpack since the compartments are a bit more rigid and made for work rather than trekking.
From the plane to rugged terrain
Durability is always a concern for down products. All it takes is one nasty snag and feathers are flying all over the place. A good down jacket strikes a balance between a durable shell that keeps your down where you want it and maintaining packability. The stronger the outer fabric the bulkier the jacket gets. The Cotopaxi Fuego’s shell is 20D giant-ripstop nylon with a DWR (durable water repellant) finish, which is an ultralight but extremely durable fabric.
I’ve hurriedly smashed this jacket into its stuff sack and pulled it out again without much grace during variable weather. It’s survived all of the standard motions of travel and hiking - shouldering and unshouldering a backpack, used as a pillow during fitful travel sleep, lumbering through a patch of branches, etc. It looks great, it keeps you warm without overheating you in a broad range of temperatures, it packs up to the size of a water bottle, and it doesn’t start shedding down from mystery holes a week after your purchase. If you’re in the market for a new puffy down jacket, the Cotopaxi Fuego ticks all the boxes that make it more than worth its price point. ◉
Written by Seth Barham
