PHD, Rab, North Face, Alpkit, Finisterre ???

Watching this one. Would like to get the missus a down jacket for Christmas as she’s always cold. Are the ones with a water resistant treatment worthwhile?

Watching this one. Would like to get the missus a down jacket for Christmas as she’s always cold. Are the ones with a water resistant treatment worthwhile?

I’d say no, depending on how hot or cold she runs. But they do hold a certain amount of moisture inside which defeats the object.

Synthetic if you’re out in the rain, down if it’s just for blue skies.

Synthetics: I wear my Montane Prism ALL the time, and have done for the last 4 years. It’s still going strong and hasn’t needed any TLC bar washing it once a year.

If for use in the UK — synthetic for function, down for posing. End of debate.

Got a Rab one, its ace. and a gillet. my jacket of choice. also wifes and kids jacket of choice. brilliant

Patagonia Nano Air for synthetic (walking climbing skiing)

Haglofs Essens 3 for down (cold dry or just jobbing around with jeans on).

Had a Rab microlight which I swapped for the Haglofs. Far better jacket for the size/fill/weight.

I love my mountain hardware ghost whisperer

I wouldn’t bother with expensive down as you can’t just stick it in the wash with everything else, i used to wash mine in the bath with specialist down wash and then traipse down the launderette to use the tumbler. if you must have down then get one that doesn’t quickly show the dirt around collars and cuffs ie black.
I’ve got a few synthetics and down of differing warmth made by Mountain Equipment, Patagonia, Macpac and Mammut. favourite is probably the Patagonia nano air.
Also, they’re very expensive and quite fragile (I’ve snagged a couple of mine).
The only thing that I use down jacket for these days is if staying in draughty bunk barns / camping barn / tent in winter

Rab, had a Summit for 10 years and now a microlight, summit still going strong, just fancied another jacket
Awesome, good quality bits of kit,

I got a waterproof down jacket from the North Face outlet at the NEC, reduced from £300 to £160, it’s incredibly warm, probably too warm for the UK if you layer up. I don’t like wearing layers so it’s perfect.

I also have an icebreakers Merino down style jacket which is great, not waterproof but you can wash/tumble dry it with your normal clothes.

B A Nana I would concur, I have
PHD down about four years old and worn little as synthetic is better for outdoor,general use.
Arc,teryx combination down and synthetic bought as I thought it may be a good alternative, very nice

Decathlon down three years old bought for 20 quid in sale possibly the best value I have had

Decathlon synthetic bought this summer and brilliant

Montane had a prism but odd fit for me

Finisterre gilet seriously abused and used still going as down the gym or after muddy ride….found the jackets to be too square cut

Alpkit , SO has a filo down and it is big and bulky but very warm and she likes it

Alpkit synthetic daughters have a couple really good good value for money, pretty much used and abused and still going strong

Musto synthetic we have a coup!e of gilets and jackets and really recommend bought in tk maxx of all places

RAB I would not go for their down VR range is pretty excellent

North face SO has a down that she bought 22 years ago in USA still going as a cold night coaching coat…..I suspect the newer ones will not last as well

Paramo Tora for synthetic. Low bulk for the warmth, washes well (and wash-in waterproofing) and even if it does wet through it behaves well and drys quickly.

Cheap in comparison to other paramo stuff too

My wife and I both have the Alpkit Filo – as Vondally says it’s incredibly warm but a bit bulky. Ours are three years old now and lasted well. Managed to rip one, but Alpkit were great in sending us some repair stuff.

I’ve just bought http://www.kilpisports.com/products/men/p-svalbard-m one of these on offer. Always liked their kit but no way could justify paying full price for it.

I’ve a question, what about the legendary Buffalo Six shirt? I’ve been tempted but never actually got round to buying one, I hear they’re perhaps too warm??

I have just bought a decathlon branded down jacket. Well made for the money (£55) and looks ok. I have only bought mine for walking with the family on dry days so not too fussed about it not bring waterproof.

If you are buying down, please check to see it is ethically sourced.

Montane Prism is my go to light insulated jacket. It’s not so warm that you can’t exert yourself, a fault of some of the higher weight down equivalents.

I’ve just bought a ME lightweight down jacket for bikepacking etc. Weight for warmth, down still wins.

Mountain Warehouse down jacket here, ridiculously warm, well worth the money, T-shirt only underneath and I’m toasty.

H&M, Uniqlo or Costco all work great, mrsmidlife has a big apres-ski type DKNY one which looks and works as good as new after about fifteen years.

What do you want to use it for? That will most likely steer you’re choice. Synthetics are better if you’re using them as an outer layer for the outdoors as they’ll still maintain warmth when wet. Downs with dwt treatments or hydrodown work better than those without in the wet, but it doesn’t take long for them to become overwhelmed and loose the majority of their thermal properties. That said, if it’s outright warmth (in the dry) down still wins in my opinion. Big / full down jackets are great for warmth when stationary for a long time (sitting around camping / strolling round town etc) but are too warm for any real physical exertion unless it’s below zero). My favoured choices are a hagloff barrier synthetic for cold outdoorsy days in mixed conditions or a micro down under a lightweight shell if going to be properly cold and likely wet, currently using a berghaus scafell which works a treat as an insulated mid layer or lightweight top layer with a fleece underneath

I replaced alll of my down jackets with synthetic. I also replaced a down sleeping bag with synthetic as it’s easier to clean and look after.

I use my stuff so it has regular washes and still performs as new.

Just been out in my buffalo jacket 25 yrs old and great…..it is warm and what are you using it for, they are not great for town or stationary things, coaching and so on.

After years of trying merino and softshell i find that fleece and a windproof or waterproof work best for strenuous activities ….
Down becomes a mess when wet from rain or sweater….. synthetic insulation is great but I find it too warm at times for strenuous activities….

Watching this one. Would like to get the missus a down jacket for Christmas as she’s always cold. Are the ones with a water resistant treatment worthwhile?

I’d say no, depending on how hot or cold she runs. But they do hold a certain amount of moisture inside which defeats the object.

I assumed the OP meant hydrophobic treated down here, rather than waterproof shells?

Anyhoo, I’d second what others have said about what you want to use it for. I have a Rab jacket that’s about 18 years old now but it actually gets used quite rarely. It’s far too hot for anything active, and it’s a bit too bulky for carrying around backpacking. Consequently it mainly gets used for camping, huts, walking to the pub in the Lakes etc. I’ve found that in those cases keeping it dry is not really much of an issue in practice.

If I were doing more winter backpacking or bivvying I’d probably look at one of the hydrophobic down ones as AFAIK they still have the edge on size/weight over synthetics, although that difference is probably quite small and also reflected in the price!

Lastly, MrsSalmon has an Alpkit Filo and she’s very happy with it.

As I am now officially out of the price bracket of ME, Rab, NF, etc and I find Decathlon’s sizes a bit odd fitting. I took a punt on a Trespass Igloo down jacket (£49), I have always pulled a face at their stuff in the past, but I am impressed. It’s like wearing a sleeping bag, loads of pockets and routing for headphones from the inner pocket (I personally like this), has hand warmer pockets. Overall I think it’s great, especially the warm hood. I previously had a Montane Flux and it was OK, I thought it was really good at first but after a wash or 2 it started to die.

Got an Alpkit Filo, great value, ultra warm.

As above, perfect for camping and climbing huts, slow winter days.
Been soaked a few times, still fine.

Also got a Decathlon ultra light one which is excellent.
Just right for dry winter stuff over a base layer.
Much more versatile.

They’re supposed to be scruffy and filthy.
Gaffa tape, curling slightly at the edges makes the perfect long term repair.
🙂

Moncler or Canada Goose.

I’ve a question, what about the legendary Buffalo Six shirt? I’ve been tempted but never actually got round to buying one, I hear they’re perhaps too warm??

I have a Buffalo cyling top. Just the job or me on a frosty morning. But they are a bit one trick. If your hanging around then you need something over them.

Moncler or Canada Goose.

Essex can get a bitter East wind, all the way from the Urals…

Love my Montane North Star for pottering around in. They don’t seem that robust so I sort of keep it for best.

Have a Prism which is not as warm – so better when active. Also easy to stow away. Not really a deep winter coat but very useful year round. Robust too.

Also have an Extreme smock (like the Buffalo) – don’t generally wear it as much but the Pertex/ pile is great for putting on after a ride or for a day in the hills if the weather is bad. Very warm, good venting, very robust. Bit more difficult to get on and off, plus can’t really stow it due to bulk.

Ordered my wife a Sweet Protection Down jacket off Sportpursuit last night – good clothing in my experience and decent discounts.

Haglofs Barrier iii here brilliant bit of kit. Gets used for everything my go to jacket from autumn to end of spring. It passes the hardest test of all which is watching kids football all winter on wind swept playing fields. Only in torrential rain does the full waterproof get worn as an outer shell.

Jottnar Fjorm, I’ve got this, its ace.

I love my mountain hardware ghost whisperer

I’ve got, Rab, Hagloffs, Patagonia, Berghaus and several others (I have acknowledged I have an issue and have a self imposed coat ban for at least another year) but my favorite is the above Mountain Hardware jacket, looks good, very warm for a compact jacket, packs down reasonably well.

Love my Montane Prism, for a not too warm jacket.

If for use in the UK — synthetic for function, down for posing. End of debate.

Maybe five years ago, it’s a little more complicated these days. Stuff like PrimaLoft down blend blurs the lines pretty effectively. Down-like warmth to weight, synthetic-like water resistance.

Anyway, it depends on what it’s going to be used for. In really basic terms, you get more insulation bang for your gramme from down, but if you know it’s going to get wet regularly and you want easy care, synthetic is the obvious choice.

The water resistant down is good as a sort of insurance policy against getting caught out in a cloudburst. It doesn’t lose its loft like untreated down, dries faster if it does get wet, and retains most of its loft once it dries out again.

If you’re only going to use it in really cold conditions where it’s unlikely to get wet, down makes plenty of sense and isn’t quite a fragile as folk tend to make out.

Brands? Plenty of good stuff out there: Rab and Mountain Equipment do a good job with a nice cut. PH Designs are fantastic for function, particularly ultra-lightweight, but the cut isn’t that sophisticated. Arc’teryx does nice stuff. Rab’s latest Filoment jacket is really nice and very good value for money. If you want a light, very warm mountaineering down jacket, the new Berghaus Ramche 2.0 or the Jöttnar Fjorm are both very warm for the weight and bulk.

But it depends on what you want it for. If you’re after something for use on the move, you’d be better off with something like Polartec Alpha to be honest. Rab’s Alpha Direct is brilliant, like an evolved Buffalo but not as warm.

Oh, the MHW Ghost Whisperer is very light, but it is not very warm. If you want warm and light, look at the jackets with midi-baffles rather than the micro-baffled stuff. Every one of those stitch-lines loses heat.

I’d go and try a few on. Quite often brands’ fit is the most significant difference between otherwise very similar spec jackets.

Stuff like PrimaLoft down blend blurs the lines pretty effectively. Down-like warmth to weight, synthetic-like water resistance.

Yep, I’ve got a Black Diamond jacket with that filling and then numbers for warmth when wet vs dry are very impressive….

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PNRGFW]Primaloft Gold[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

Recommending what we have, Alpkit Filo.

Big, bulky, toasty warm, reasonably water resistant, and based just down the road for easy bargain hunting. Hers is 4-5 years old and is soon to need replacing, though it has been washed in the washing machine and tumble drier fairly regularly which may not have helped.

Show me better spec/prices than Cumulus PL ?

I’ve had a Jottnar Fenrir jacket for around a year, it’s a lovely jacket, just the right weight for most UK conditions, and having been fought out in pouring rain while out on a walk, some miles from my car, it still managed to keep me fairly warm while being pretty much soaked through. A Buffalo wind shirt over the top would probably have helped keep the worst off. An update has added an internal chest pocket, but it’s a fine jacket, and significantly cheaper than an Arc’teryx equivalent.
https://www.jottnar.com/uk/mens/down-insulation/fenrir/

I’m currently rocking a Black Diamond Belay but tbh a Prism is hard to fault.

Got a down jacket from Izas through Sports Pursuit. For £60 it’s been tremendous!

https://www.sportpursuit.com/sales/izas-nov16