WM Flight Jacket

Just got mine in. Awesome feeling jacket. tying it out this weekend.

I hated to, but it was time to retire my heavy fleece ive been using for years. I loved that I could still wear the fleece in heavy fog, drizzle, and not really worry even in very light sprinkles. it stayed warm and dried quickly.

For anyone with a flight jacket, what has been your experience with the same conditions. i know they are slightly water resistant. i know you can retreat the jacket at some point but, has/would anyone added a coat of say, revivex, up front?

thanks in advance.

Assuming it's DWR (durable water repellant) coating on the shell fabric we're talking about, a trip through the clothes dryer should renew its water repellancy if you find water is no longer beading up. I seldom wash my down stuff, far less than fleece, so don't often have to do this. The WM website should have detailed care instructions; if not check somebody else like Feathered Friends.

Enjoy your new jacket!

just spoke to them.

it does have nice water resistance to start off. if it starts to diminish in the future, just apply some revivex. -good to go.

Be interesting what other folks say---I have had one for many years and to be honest the thing is not water resistant and any attempt to make it so has not worked well--there are just to many seams.

Also unless they changed it the zipper is very light and I'd say they should have used one a bit heavier---it continually has issues.

But it has lasted many years so all and all I have been pleased.

1/15/11
“Also unless they changed it the zipper is very light and I'd say they should have used one a bit heavier---it continually has issues.”

I bought mine in 2005, I think. It had a #3 zipper then. In 2006 the zipper broke and WM replaced it for free with a #5 YKK zipper. Their new jackets should have #5 zippers which should hold up well.

I take the WM Flight backpacking in 0F to 40F weather. One time in 30F weather it got soaked with sopping wet snow (backpacking in Spain). I was worried I was going to freeze to death because of all the ‘wet down’ wives tales I heard. But actually, I stayed perfectly warm, even in a wet down Flight Jacket.

WM down is awesome; the colder it gets, the loftier it gets--- it expands! I believe other 800+ down does the same thing.

Who invented goose down ? I can’t think of any man made insulation that expands in the cold. There are other things that you must do to allow this phenomena but I won’t get off topic here…

-Barry