Down Winter Jackets

Down jackets are some of the warmest jackets that you could ever get. For those who don’t know what down is, down is the layer of feathers found underneath the exterior layer of feathers on some birds. It is an excellent insulator and has good lofting capabilities, which means that it can trap small pockets of air very effectively. For these reasons, down is an excellent insulating material for jackets, sleeping bags, and other things that need to be warm!

So what should you be looking for when you pick a down jacket? Well there are several things that you should pay attention to:

• Fill Power - The fill power is the number of cubic inches displaced by a given ounce of down. The higher the fill power, the better insulation the down will provide, and thus keep you warmer!
• Layer of Insulation - This is a must have for people who are getting products that are filled with down. When wet, down loses many of the properties that make it such an excellent insulator, and it takes an extremely long time to dry to boot! This is definitely not good if you are trying to stay warm in the rain!

How warm is down? Well to quote the Down Buying Guide:

As nature’s most efficient insulator, down is warm, yet light and lofty. It takes 14 wool blankets to equal the temperature control of one down comforter.

I don’t know about you, but I think that is pretty warm. There are plenty of offerings for warm down jackets. I’ve provided a few below. You can also visit some of our sponsor sites to purchase these jackets.

Patagonia Men’s Down Jacket (Fall 2007) The Down Jacket by Patagonia provides efficient - low-weight warmth - high compressibility and superior loft retention. We use 700-fill-power white down clusters and this season - a highly water-repellent - downproof and more durable ripstop polyester shell. New quilted side panels enhance mobility and decrease bulk. With zippered handwarmer pockets - a drawcord hem and an interior zippered stash pocket.Specifications for Patagonia Mens Down Jacket: Weight: 624 g. (22 oz.) Fabric: 2-oz. 50 x 50 denier ripstop polyester with a Deluge DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Lining: 1.8-oz. 50 x 50 denier polyester; DelugeDWR finish. Insulation: 700-fill-power European white goose downPatagonia Mens Down Jacket Features: Ideal Uses for Patagonia Mens Down Jacket: Expedition Climbing - Ice - Mixed - & Alpine Climbing - Base camp warm-up - Backcountry Skiing Straight - slightly tapered fit Full-length center front zip backed by a no-snag draft flap Patagonia Mens Down Jacket has two handwarmer pockets with zip closures; Interior zippered stash pocket Covered elastic wrist binding Patagonia Mens Down Jacket has a drawcord hem Includes water-resistant stuffsack

686 Women’s Ace Imperial Down Jacket (Fall 2007) Stay warm with the 686 Women’s Ace Imperial Down Jacket. Features: Westech-10 10 -000mm WaterProof 8 -000gm breathable 70/ 30 Duck Down Insulation Quilted To Shell Fabric Zip-off Hood With Detachable Faux Fur Trim Zip-off Powderskirt

To learn more about down, you can check out its’ wikipedia entry.  Have you had good experiences with down jackets?  We will explore other materials as well, feel free to share your opinion!