DOWN JACKETS

[climberwannabe]

Hey does anyone know what ratings of down are good for what temps??

ie.: how cold is a 550, or 700 good for??

[mathieu]

Depends, if its goose down or duck down or moose down. No seriously there is different quality of down. Usually, you get sleeping bags with 600-700 in the - 20 range. If you get a -40 bag then they usually 700+. I don't think its a straight conversion, lots of factors to consider.

[Shawn B]

There is no rating for down jackets that I have ever known of. Only for sleeping bags and that imo is only a guestimate by the manufacturer anyway. Some people sleep warm and can use a -15C bag in the dead of winter yet others who sleep cold freeze in a -40 bag in -15 temps. But back to down jackets...the down rating won't tell you how warm a jacket is. I may be talking out my butt here a bit too...but the down rating has to do with the quality of the down. I don't know this for sure, but my guess is that the rating (550, 700, etc.) is probably the # of feathers it takes to make up a standard weight (lb or x # of grams). Thus the higher the rating, the more feathers in a pound and thus a greater loft/weight ratio. And loft is what gives you warmth. So consider both the loft and the fill weight to determine how warm a jacket hypothetically should be. Also offset baffles will make a jacket warmer. And a removeable hood is a nice feature for when it is really cold.

[szymiec]

Found this info:

The fill power rating for down is an indication of the ability of the down used to “loft”. The number given is the amount of volume one ounce of down with fill in cubic inches, (ie. one ounce of 775 fill power down will loft to 775 cubic inches). 600 fill-power down is quite adequate for most applications. Those wanting “The Best” will find the 750 and 775 fill power down bags to be well worth their extra price. In addition to being lighter and more compressible for the same warmth rating, higher quality down will retain it’s loft longer.

chris

[martha]

The MEC website has a ton of technical information about gear.

here is the link for the info on insulation.

http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp ... 5261745276

[climberwannabe]

wow thanks guys.. I bought a North Face Aconcagua jacket last night, its a 550. It was on sale for $199 at Coast, and it seems to be pretty warm. Although I havent obviously used it for a long period of time in the cold. I was a bit reserved to buy it, as the 700 was on sale for $270, but I went with the lighter loft because I am usually very warm, and I believe that if I layer appropriately I should be ok.

[jeremy]

I have the same 550 jacket, its good . I like it more than the 700 because you can wear it in the fall and spring and not be too hot. I have worn mine in some very cold weather and its good enough for me, but everyone has a different temp preference.

jeremy