Feathers or synthetic?
Last week I suggested some Christmas gift ideas for the outdoors. In particular I focused on stuff to get people outdoors and active. Go out and frolic like a kid in the snow, instead of just looking with disgust at winter though the living room window. That was my theme. I believe it to be an important matter, despite seemingly more serious stuff going on in the world, missile testing by North Korea, free trade negotiations, global warming, and the like. You know what? Us average folk can do very little about complex international affairs, frustrating as that reality is. So we should take a bloody break from the day-to-day, turn off CNN, and go for a hike. But it can be cold playing outside in the winter. Somehow kids never seem to mind.
A week ago I explained about dressing in layers for high energy activities in cold weather. I mentioned that one of my layers is typically a goose down or Primaloft insulated jacket. You might guess the most popular e-mail question. What’s the difference between a Primaloft and down jacket? Which should I ask Santa to bring me? Like many things, it depends.
Insulating 101
First let me tell you a little about each of these wonderful insulating materials. Down is 100% organic, in a modern synthetic world where that is considered a very good thing. It’s been around for millennia, ever since men and woman noticed that birds could stay warm in winter without wearing any clothes. Down isn’t the feathers visible on the bird, rather it’s the fluffy stuff underneath, between the outer feathers and the skin.
If you are a hunter who has plucked ducks for the table, you’ve seen it. Down is so light and fluffy, it just floats in the air. It actually traps air, and that’s how it functions to keep the bird warm. After a kitchen murre plucking session you’d be finding down all over the house.
Humans have always been resourceful critters. Ancient peoples figured out how to harvest down and stuff it inside cloth to make super warm blankets and clothes. You may have heard of an eiderdown, a sort of duvet or bed comforter stuffed with the best insulator on planet Earth, the down of the eider duck. My understanding is that Viking mariners used eiderdowns to stay warm on long ocean crossings. I read that somewhere. The second best down is goose, followed by plain old barn variety ducks. I’m not sure where other wild ducks fit into the pecking order. Nowadays most commercial down is produced in China, speaking of free trade. Maybe we can get cheaper down jackets.
In the 1980’s researchers developed Primaloft for the United States Military. It is a patented synthetic microfibre thermal insulation material that can be used in jackets, mitts, sleeping bags, hats, and so on. I suppose army campers were sick of feathers constantly poking into their butts at night. I had one of those army surplus sleeping bags when I was just a novice winter camping kid. The feathers keep poking out through the nylon shell, and that can indeed get quite uncomfortable. That does not happen with Primaloft, but neither is it a problem with modern high-quality down sleeping bags. I use both nowadays.
Now let’s get to the question at hand. Should Santa drop done your chimney with a goose down or Primaloft synthetic hiking jacket?
Pros and cons
What are the pros and cons of each? To begin Primaloft is generally cheaper, but not by a country mile. The Patagonia Nano Puff that I mentioned last week sells in Canada for about $240 and a similar quality down jacket runs about $280 or so. It’s not a deal breaker. There must be more, or we would all go full organic goose down.
There is no doubt that waterfowl down is the ultimate insulator ounce for ounce. That is if you need the absolute lightest to carry warmest jacket, go with the down. Mountain climbers use down for the most part. They need the best warmth to weight ratio possible. I have a Marmot Greenland Baffled Down parka, a mountain ready coat that is incredibly warm and light. On the coldest Avalon Peninsula night, you could sit by tree from dusk to dawn and survive. That’s impressive I think. If I were to sleep in a snow tunnel, that would be my jacket.
The downside to down is that it loses 90 per cent of its insulation value when it gets wet. It doesn’t work as well in a damp environment. So here’s where the depends business comes into the mix. Primaloft doesn’t possess quite the warmth per unit carry weight, but it performs even when it is wet. And the weather is wet quite often here in Newfoundland. I’m a big fan of Primaloft insulated jackets for all but the coldest outings.
I use my Nano Puff four seasons. It’s my primary salmon fishing jacket. I stuff it in my pack and pull it on in the evening to ward off the chill as night falls in Labrador. On rainy cold spring fishing days I wear it under a Gore-tex shell. I never go moose hunting without it. When the trudging heats up it compresses in a tiny corner of my fanny pack. And the Nano is the key element in my threelayer snowshoeing outfit. If it gets wet I can dry it by the wood stove in under an hour. Not so with down, it’s tough to dry out.
So the bottom line is this. Down is No. 1 until it gets wet. Primaloft is a close second in warmth, but takes the lead if the slightest amount of water leaks in. You have to choose based on your habits, needs, and philosophy of use.
I’ll close with some advice for the frugal. Good outdoor gear is expensive, but there are deals out there if you know where to look. Sales are rare, except when styles and colours are discontinued. You will discover half-price bargains on past season colours on dedicated clearance websites and in bargain bins on the manufacturers’ own websites.
You have to keep checking because the common sizes sell out fast. Last year I picked up a lime green Nano Puff Pullover for 80-bucks. If you like black you are out of luck. It’s never discontinued.