Staying Warm - Thanks to Sherpa Adventure Gear - Ilam Jacket

I’ve been here on Makalu for nearly a month now and have once again been reminded of the wide range of conditions that one can be exposed to in these high altitude environments. You can be basking in the sun one minute and exposed to full-on-cold, wind, and snow the next – even here at Advanced Base Camp, the difference in temperature from when the sun dips behind the mountains to signify the start of the evening is pretty drastic and will send you diving for your down layers…! One thing I’ve definitely learned is that you can never be too prepared. 

One of my absolute favorite pieces from the Sherpa Adventure Gear outdoor clothing range is the Ilam (ee-lahm) jacket. The Ilam jacket is super warm, insulated, wind proof and seems ‘weightless’. I chose the Ilam over the Varja jacket primarily because of the hood which can fit over a snug Sherpa wool-hat or even a climbing helmet. (I’m a huge hood fan!). The primaloft insulation high warmth-to-volume ratio means I get to stay cosy without the bulk so the jacket can fit under a water-proof / wind proof jacket like the Lithang 3-layer jacket. If you’re wondering where the unusual name comes from, Ilam is a district in Nepal that’s famous for it’s natural scenery, tea production and rain… something that I’ve not seen too much of on this trip thus far!

And, of course, as with all Sherpa Adventure Gear clothing, the zipper pulls on this snug, super handy jacket has two very auspicious Sherpa symbols - the distinctive prayer flags and the endless knot. The prayer flags ‘pulls’, also known as the Lung Ta (wind horse), bless the ground you walk on and help you stay in balance with the sky, wind, water and earth.  The auspicious symbol of the endless knot represents the unity of thought and action, words and deeds, wisdom and compassion and is also a distinctive feature on each piece of Sherpa Adventure Gear clothing.