Down Jackets

Posted by: UmarNZ

Down Jackets - 05/21/10 09:29 PM

Heya,
can anyone advise me with a down jacket purchase?

i live in Auckland in New Zealand, we have 8 months of winter, 1 month of spring, 2 months of summer and 1 month of autumn. most of the year its cold (9-15C, 48-59F), almost always wet and quite windy.

i want to buy a down jacket, most of my friends told me to buy something of high quality like the north face, which is about $450nz everywhere i look. since i'm spending a chunk out of my student minimum wage savings, i'd like to get all the information i can.

so far, i have seen 3 that seem reasonable:

Mountain Hardwear Subzero Down http://www.rrsport.co.nz/index.php/page/product/pi_productid/32200

The North Face Nuptse Down http://www.bivouac.co.nz/clothing/mens-clothing/mens-jackets/the-north-face-mens-nuptse-jacket.html

Marmot Zeus Down http://marmotnz.co.nz/product_detail.asp?id=M_7202

can anyone help me? also, if you have any other recommendations (my budget is $450nz, roughly $300us)
thanks laugh
Posted by: ChrisFol

Re: Down Jackets - 05/21/10 11:50 PM

The only one that I would even consider is the zeus out of those three, but to be honest they are all heavy and over priced-- brands like TNF, Marmot and MH tend to be expensive for what they are selling.

Personally, if I was going to drop $300USD on a down jacket than I would go with top quality: Nunatak or Feathered Friends.

For half the price-- look at Montbell-- not sure if they would ship to NZ, but you can score some of their down jackets for around $100USD excluding shipping from the gear swap forums and e-OMC currently has the UL Down Inner listed for $125USD excluding shipping. This is the jacket that I use in three-season colorado and combined with lightweight baselayer I am comfortable to around 32F.

Posted by: bowler2

Re: Down Jackets - 05/22/10 07:36 AM

I too am a firm believer in WM and FF down....but it seems that the North Face Nuptse is a pretty good value. You can find them pretty cheap and they have 700 fill down.....not as good as the 800 fill of the previous companies but comparable.

Plus it weighs around 20 ounces which is not too bad.

I'm not sure how the fill weight compares to similar jackets from WM and FF (meltdown and Helios)

Matt
Posted by: Jimshaw

Re: Down Jackets - 05/22/10 11:45 AM

Those are very different jackets. The mountain hardware is a coat, and too warm for the stated temps. The Nuptse is a jacket, not a coat, and maybe more in line with your temp, but its way way over priced for what you get. Montebell has nice light jackts that would fit your needs, but two things - if you get a jacket with a water tight shell it will cost a lot, but then carryng a separate shell can also cost a lot and it adds to the weight. Hood - I wouldn't buy a down jacket without an insulated hood.

So if you have a suitable shell, there are many jackets in the $150 american range that would suit you.
Jim
Posted by: wandering_daisy

Re: Down Jackets - 05/22/10 02:16 PM

Cold, wet, humid and windy sounds to me more like the environment for a top-quality synthetic jacket, that would cost less. The jackets you cited are more for cold-dry conditions. A friend who uses the "Puff-ball" jacket (probably not enough loft for your climate) and says the new synthetics compress quite well. If always windy, you should also consider the weave of the outer material and its wind-proof ability. Is there a reason you are not considering a synthetic?
Posted by: sabre11004

Re: Down Jackets - 05/22/10 04:16 PM

Personally, I would take the Marmot over the other two. I have had The North Face stuff before and I don't think that it is as good a quality as the Marmot brand. I also have several things made by Marmot other than a down jacket and they seem to make very good quality stuff. Never had any problem with any of it, and I can not say the same for the north face...sabre11004... goodjob
Posted by: Redfacery

Re: Down Jackets - 05/24/10 02:29 PM

With the temperature range you gave, and that it's rainy and humid in winter, I'm not sure I agree you need a down jacket at all. Personally, I'd go with a convertible jacket - one like either of these:
LL Bean 3 in 1

Colombia

I know that opinion isn't in the majority here, but do that, and you'd likely save enough money to go on half a dozen extra trips, or buy a bunch of other gear, and won't be sacrificing much. Together, both layers weigh more by a large amount (I have a similar ll bean jacket, and it comes in at like 34 oz for both), but often I take only the windbreaker/rain layer, and am fine down to 32F with a few layers underneath. Or if I take both layers, I leave at least one other top layer at home, so the weight factor comes out about even.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Down Jackets - 05/24/10 06:44 PM

I also prefer at least two thinner layers to one thicker one so I can fine-tune my body temperature better. My insulation layers are a wicking base layer, a 100-weight fleece Montbell Chameece vest and a Montbell UL Thermawrap jacket. Important accessories are my polypro fleece balaclava, thin polypro gloves (that I don't have to take off for camp chores, the problem with thick gloves) and rain mitt shells. Using these in various combinations with a lightweight windshirt and/or my rain gear keeps me warm and dry (from inside as well as out). It's really important not to sweat while actively hiking in cold weather--the moisture inside can degrade your insulation just as badly as water from the outside. I can put the whole schmear on at once and be comfy in a 10* F blizzard. I also prefer synthetic insulation layers because my sleeping bag is down and I am unwilling to put all my insulation eggs, as it were, in one basket. I have thought about switching to a down parka, but I'd still want the vest for active hiking in cold weather and I'm warm enough with what I have--why spend the $$$ to save maybe an ounce?

Your mileage, of course, may vary!
Posted by: phat

Re: Down Jackets - 05/25/10 12:57 AM


For me, if I were hiking in your kinda weather ( and I have - almost - spent some time hiking in Tasmania) I'd probably be layering a little more than looking for just one jacket. Also lets me pick and choose and dry layers out easier.

Now of course to me the amusing part (and it was to me in Tasmania as well) was people referring to 9 to 15 C and rainy as "cold" (you keep using that word..) Although to be fair hiking for 3 clicks through a horizontal downpour on the bottom of South Coast trek was a bit less than what I'd call "warm". I did actually get "cold" on top of the ironbound range in about an 60 - 80 km/h wind with rain 1000 meters up.
but I was warm once I put on a merino and the jacket.

What I carry in your summer was two nice merino long sleeve shirts, a 100 wt fleece and a lightweight waterproof breathable jacket/windshirt. In more like your winter conditions I would add my MEC northern lite primaloft pullover - this is a very light synthetic jacket with primaloft insulation.

Unfortunately MEC doesn't make them anymore. (well they make something of the same name but it is now heavy and sucks because they changed it) But there are other alternatives out there.