Down vs Synthetic - Which Jacket Is Right For You

How to measure the warmth of an insulated jacket?

When comparing the warmth of down jackets, there’s a lot to consider: there’s fit, baffle design and length, just to name a few. At the end of the day, it’s always going to be a trade off between warmth and weight, so before anything else you need to consider the activity you’ll be using your jacket for most. Here, we are going to focus on two factors.

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The first is loft

Loft (or fill power) is one measure of down quality. It’s the space in cubic inches that an ounce of down will occupy, and the measurement takes the form of a number – think 600, 750, 800 etc. Macpac down jackets use responsibly-sourced, high-quality RDS goose and duck down with fill powers ranging from 600-800. The higher the number, the more effective the insulation.

The second is fill weight

Fill weight is the actual amount of down inside the jacket. For example, our 800 loft Icefall Down Jacket would be warmer than the same jacket made using 600 loft down, because its higher lofting down means it has a greater warmth-to-weight ratio. However, if it’s compared to another jacket with less loft but more fill, it won’t be the warmer option.

Our Sundowner jacket is a prime example of this. It uses 600 loft down, but because it has 205 grams of fill it’s technically warmer than an 800 loft Icefall — filled with 95 grams (men’s) or 88 grams (women’s, size 10) of down respectively. The trade off, of course, is that the Sundowner is heavier and less packable.

Outer fabric

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It’s not just about the insulation itself, but also what it’s encased in. The outer fabric has a lot to answer for – it dictates the entire garment’s performance from durability and warmth, right through to weather resistance.

We use a range of fabrics on our insulated jackets. Our outdoor essentials collection will generally feature classic 100% Nylon Taffeta as found in our Halo and Uber Light Jackets. This is for a more classic look, best suited for wear around town and designed specifically to handle the wear and tear of daily life.

Our technical garments use performance outer fabrics by Pertex®. Jackets like the Sundowner are designed for maximum warmth, weather resistance and durability at minimum weight for harsh environments.

If you’re still unsure about which insulated jacket is the right choice for you, head in store and talk to an expert! Knowledge is power, and they’re more than happy to show you what we’ve discussed. Arm yourself with the tools to make an informed purchase and you’ll be ready to take on the elements for many winters to come.

I experimented with vapor barrier clothing for the situation in the OP (hanging around camp). I had polypro upper and lowers, then the vapor barrier clothing. Any thin, preferably synthetic, base layer will do. I used the cheap, lightweight frogg toggs. They say the breath, but if they do it is hard to tell.

I have tried it with a down puffy jacket which is more of a sweater than a jacket. Also tried it with the Lester River wool anorak thing. In either case I was totally warm and comfortable down to 22 degrees.

Without going real deep into the weeds, the idea of vapor barrier clothing is that it stops evaporative cooling by virtue of the vapor barrier. Evaporative cooling is what cools us off when we sweat in the summer months. It does the same thing in the winter. Then the insulation layers keep you warm and will not get wet due to the normal sweating we all do even at rest. (If we didn't sweat, our skin would crack and fall off).

Contrary to common sense I did not get clammy under the vapor barrier. When I tried the experiments I was certain the idea was stupid, but tried it anyway. It seems that once our bodies sense 100% humidity against the skin our normal sweating slows down or stops, thereby preventing the clammy feeling you would expect.

Eventually when you take off the vapor barrier, there is a bit of a jolt of cold but the thin base layers dries in moments and, at least for me, I'm not sweaty underneath.

Edit: This concept is for temps under 25 to 30 degrees F. If its warmer than that, I wouldn't do it.

I do recommend trying it out in a controlled situation. If your body reacts differently, just don't do it again. If it works out you will be much warmer with less insulation.

There is a lot more to the idea, but this is Vapor Barrier clothing 101.

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