Time to Update Down Jacket

[Duggie Bravo]

Hi all,

I’m wondering if it is time to update my down jacket?
I have a Rab Extreme Peak 1/4 zip overhead jacket that is in immaculate condition.
I also have a Buffalo SP6 and Rab Vapourise Shirt and a Rab BAS Arctic Parka.
I don’t plan on going anywhere and the only new requirement will be to, hopefully, walk the dog.

Is there anything out there that is worth upgrading too?
I have no need to, but having just received the latest GoOutdoors brochure thought about a thinner Rab jacket.


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[Tengu]

If its ok why do you need a new one?

 

[Billy-o]

I had a Rab Microlite but traded it out for an Arcteryx Cerium ... ended up getting the SL for me and the LT for dearest wife. We are both more or less the same height ... very different weights though. Point is that I have had a go of both jackets and they are both really good. However, being an itinerant I do need another downie and I think I will revisit the Rab microlite .. Part of the reason I ditched it was because I didn't much like the navyblue/red combo and feathers kept coming out. But I think that was silly of me. Still there is an opportunity to get one of the nice green ones they are currently doing. Sales soon.

I was very impressed with the Patagonia R2 Techface recently, but in the end bought a Rab Alpha Direct, which has just shown up this am. Haven't tried it in the cold and wind yet. Maybe try a breathy, wicky, warm fleece as an alternative to an excess of feathers. You may avoid getting told off that way

 

[Duggie Bravo]

If its ok why do you need a new one?

I’m curious whether the new jackets are significantly better, not as bulky just as warm, waterproof etc.

I only tend to wear the Rab when it is dry and cold, so being able to wear it when it’s cold and damp might be an improvement.


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[Robson Valley]

Time for a Carhartt and some woolen toque, scarf, sweater and mitts/gloves.
Just -17C at 8 AM. I'll switch to down at -20C.

The Carhartt coats are moderately water repellant (not needed today!) and best of all, windproof.
Not as warm as you might hope but layers will help.

 

[Billy-o]

when it’s cold and damp

This Rab Alpha Direct has an interesting characteristic. I wore it a couple of days in the cold and dry .. too warm just yet for anything other than standing around chatting and chucking a ball for the dog. But, two or three days ago I wore it and got caught in 45 degree medium and heavy rain for an hour and a half. The DWR did a great job of beading up and I thought that it was actually repelling the water. However, when I got back to the car, I took the jacket off to discover that whilst I was warm and completely dry except for a bit round the neck, the Rab weighed a bit with all the water it was holding on to.

 

[bigbear]

Just got a Mountain Hardwear down jacket, citadel or fortress or some name like that. Its a full on thick jacket, not yer modern skinny down ones, and I must say its half the weight and twice the warmth of me old Rab, again non skinny. I
got it by searching those sites which find an item, and offer you millions of options, a lot of time but well worth it.
As with a lot of kit, ask yourself what you need it to do, then buy what fits the spec.
Down or synthetic?
Would fleece or wool mid layer be better an more flexible ?
How warm / packable does it need to be ?
Do you need a goretex or similar outer on it ?
There are so many options out there, IMHO PHD, Mountain Equipment and now Mountain hardware are all good, Patagonia also have a huge range of stuff, some of their softshell jackets almost replace a down jacket in a lot of conditions.

 

[Suffolkrafter]

I'm looking for a relacement to my down jacket too, but I'll be going for synthetic. My old north face 700 fill down jacket has not aged well. I've done some research, considered snugpak for a while, but ultimately I've settled on the montane flux which I'll get for Christmas. Hopefully. Any one had experience of this jacket? I took a look at it at go outdoors, looks very lightweight but warm. Not sure what it equates to in down fill, and hard to imagine how something as thin can perform as well as the bulkier jackets. But it gets great reviews.

 

[Erbswurst]

I don't know especially this jackets but I generally recommend to buy and wear off one piece of plastic clothing after the other instead of buying several in the same time.

Usually this stuff doesn't become very old. You can't store it for many years.

I recommend to buy only what you really need now and to buy the next when the first is broken.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I ended up replacing my waterproof with a 3 in 1 Jack Wolfskin that has an artificial down style inner jacket, which is showerproof so now have lots of coats to choose from


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[Erbswurst]

Can you still bring it back to the shop?

Jack Wolfskin clothing has an outstanding bad quality nowadays.
It's totally overpriced.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

Can you still bring it back to the shop?

Jack Wolfskin clothing has an outstanding bad quality nowadays.
It's totally overpriced.

It’s better than the Tog24 coat it replaced and has held up pretty well so far. I don’t expect it to get the same level of use that previous ones did as I have now left Scouting, so is for walking the dog really.
I’ve been a fan of theirs since the early days, my Orange Paw Print fleece has been going for longer than I can remember.
I went to other brands when they stopped doing bright colours in the coat I wanted.


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[MikeLA]

Seeing what you have don’t bother until your current one is ruined.

I like a thick down jacket 650 +. Most the new ones I see now are just too thin. Back to going the synthetic route recently (a lot) been caught on a dry day with my down coat and it rained. It’s not brand new so I was not so much wet but very very cold. The down obviously stopped working straight away.

 

[Erbswurst]

For dog walking the stuff is probably OK.

My brother also bought their clothes a very long time, but stopped buying it after he realised that they intentionally lowered the quality of their products.

But, well, they aren't the only ones who did it.

 

[CLEM]

Slight tangent but What do you learned folk reckon to the PCS thermal smocks etc. They sound very good for the money.

 

[MikeLA]

PCS thermal smock.
1st you have got to be the right fit even the soldiers complain. They use an usual sizing these days either too tight or too big. In the 70-90s the sizing was better.

2nd they tent to stick to your underclothing like glue. Not a real problem though

If you are a good size for them definitely get one they are cheap and handy to have. Just for me need a old size UK, European size of 180/112 can not fit into a new sizing of 190/110 or 200/120

 

[FerlasDave]

For anyone with a go outdoors catalog I’d personally just throw it in the bin. They don’t sell any decent kit anymore imo and may as well be a high street fashion outlet. I find most brands now have gone the same way, catering to gucci fashion styles rather than kit that works.

I’m currently on the look out for a decent no bones, old school Gortex jacket. I’ve tried a few jackets the last few years and none of them have done a good enough job. However, going back to the OPs post, I pocket up a spray way down jacket last winter and I have to say the old brand is still killing it, it’s lightweight, tough and warm. I’ve worn it in a few light showers too and it’s held up very well.

 

[Van-Wild]

Slight tangent but What do you learned folk reckon to the PCS thermal smocks etc. They sound very good for the money.

There's two types.

This one:

It's a lighter weight mid layer designed to be worn over a base layer, under the field jacket or as a lightweight windproof outer layer. I have one and it's very good. Easy to vent if you warm up, a town friendly colour (you can buy them in black). It has roll up hood in the collar. I find it's very useful as an 'active insulation' when moving or as a lighter insulation when static. The hood is surprisingly handy to block wind when glassing.

Then there's this one:

Now this bad boy is designed to be worn as an outer layer when static, over the top of all other layers which is why they're bigger than you think they'll be..... a soft collar is a nice touch as is the chest pocket. A carinthia knock off design(ish) and much more rugged than the older style softie jacket. Very warm, most soldiers carry only this as their warm layer, under their smock due to fashion and dress codes. Not designed to be worn when active because you'll slowly cook yourself!

I highly recommend both, to be worn as they are meant to be. Both do require a goretex hardshell in anything other than light rain.

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[Duggie Bravo]

Update 2.

Been wearing the jacket most days, it rained the other day so I put the hood up, pulled the draw cord on the hood and it came out.
After several emails I have the option of sending the coat to Scottish Mountain Gear for repair and wait 6-8 weeks for a repair or send it back to JW and get a refund.

So it’s going back.


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[Robson Valley]

Down cannot keep its loft when damp/wet. You have to go synthetic.
I bought a seaman's weather coat shell at a chandler's 4X large, to wear over any other coat I own. Waterproof wrist seals and all. Up to my elbows = they really work!
Snow here is a mess like sugar, it gets into and onto everything in a day. Biggie, it will melt like last year. Actually, I picked a bunch of compact chunks off the driver's floor mat in the Burb today. They melt and the vapor condenses on the insides of all the windows at night.

You guys have wet. I'm not sure what to do with a lot of exercise that would warm you up.

Here, the snow is dry = sugar/flour) just brush off the most of it. The wind is the killer. Carhartt, Tolko and Dakota are in the picture with serious snowmobile clothing.