How to choose your down jacket?

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The down jacket is a very popular item of clothing for hikers, it is light and compact to take up little space in the backpack, while remaining very warm and cozy. Down or synthetic, small or full, with hood, sleeveless... there's something for every use. Like finding a shoe that fits, when it comes to protecting yourself from the cold, it is important to find your down jacket. For that, you have to know how to decipher them.

Insulation, down and synthetic

The insulation of a down jacket can be either natural down or synthetic material. Sometimes certain down jacket models combine the two. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.

Down

Down is a natural material derived from either goose or duck, which has a much higher insulating and compression power than synthetic. The insulation of down is directly linked to its fill power. The more the down inflates with air, the warmer it will be. This swelling power is measured in cuin (cubic inch):

Attention, the US standard (American) which determines the cuin is less demanding than the EU standard (European). Thus, 700 US cuin corresponds approximately to 600 EU cuin.

The higher the cuin, the hotter it will hold. To compare two down jackets, simply multiply the cuin by the amount of down (not to be confused with the weight of the down jacket).

In these two cases, the down jackets are as warm as the other, but the second will be lighter and more compressible. This is called the warmth index in down jacket and sleeping bag tests. Obviously, the higher the quality of the feather, the more expensive the down jacket will be.

Down jackets can be classified into 3 categories• 90 to 150g of down: micro-down jacket for temperatures around 0°C• 200 to 300g of down: winter and high altitude down jacket, for negative temperatures• 400 to 500g down: expedition down jacket for extreme cold

Another point to consider is the down/feather ratio. If the feather is essential to stabilize the down, the more down there is, the warmer and more compressible the down jacket will be, but it will be more sensitive to humidity. The ratios generally vary from 85/15, up to 95/5 for high-end products, i.e. 95% down and 5% feather.

Moisture being the main enemy of down, more and more down jackets have down treated to be hydrophobic.

The synthetic

Synthetic insulation is made of polyester filaments that mimic the loft of down. If it is not as efficient in terms of heat, it is less fragile, less afraid of water and above all, it is much more economical. Its insulating power depends on its weight:

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The insulating power therefore depends on the weight, but also on the technology of its design. The most common synthetics are those of the PrimaLoft brand, but there are others:

Having warm clothes adapted to face the cold is essential in winter.

The fabric, lightness and resistance

The fabric has also used its importance in the choice of a down jacket, not for insulation, but for its lightness and compression. The thinner the fabric, the lighter and more compressible the down jacket will be, but on the other hand, it will be more fragile. If a tear in the fabric on a synthetic down jacket is not catastrophic, on a down jacket, it is guaranteed feather leakage.

The majority of down jackets are windproof and water-repellent, but they are not waterproof. Only a few rare down jackets are, as this affects breathability, compression and of course the price, which is often already high.

Little extras that matter

Partitioning is important for down jackets. Indeed, it allows a good distribution of the insulation on the whole of the garment and prevents it from accumulating in a ball, under the pressure of the backpack, with humidity... It can be achieved either with crossing seams (which pierce the down jacket from the inside to the outside) or with H seams (which form boxes).

A hood undoubtedly adds, apart from the weight, a heat supply, not only for the head, but also at the level of the neck, very appreciable at the bivouac. It is therefore necessary to ask the question with or without a hood depending on the usefulness of the down jacket, for the static or dynamic phases.

It is important that the pockets of the down jacket have a closure (a zipper for example) to avoid losses. Or, the pockets must have double insulation, an inner side (palm of the hand) so as not to feel a cold in the hips, and one on the outer side (back of the hand) to keep the warm hands.

The characteristic of a down jacket is its compression, so it goes without saying that it must be provided with a storage cover or that it can fold up into its pocket. In the case of a cover, if it is waterproof/water-repellent, this will ensure that the down jacket will stay dry even if the backpack gets wet. Otherwise, buy a waterproof storage bag with a capacity roughly equivalent to the bag supplied with the down jacket.

These little extras will provide comfort in return for a slightly heavier down jacket. Everything will be a matter of compromise according to the needs of each.

In addition to this article, also read our advice on how to equip yourself for winter or how to prepare for your hike in winter?

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