Should I keep this jacket? (Primaloft)

I decided not too long ago that I wanted to try a nice synthetic-fill jacket as an outer or mid-layer on backpacking trips. I got a great deal on one of these from REI the other day, before I could educate myself much about these sorts of jackets:

http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond...Y2VzcyBoeWJyaWQ

It seems to fit the bill, but at 15 oz., a little on the heavy side compared to most of the others that I see (e.g., north face dnp) . I wonder, however, if that is because it is a more substantial (i.e. warmer) jacket, so the extra few ounces are worth it. Anyway, I have a while to return it and I thought I would see what you outerwear experts think.

Some background ... I want what you would expect out of the jacket -- good warmth for weight/volume, lightweight, compressable/ packable, reasonable durability. I tended towards the synthetic fill because I want something that will dry out and still keep me warm if it gets wet. I thought the hybrid would be superior to a non-hybrid, but I could be wrong about that.

Thanks in advance!

No outerwear gear heads that can weigh in with an opinion???

You said you got a great deal on it.. So, dollar wise, what you got and could have gotten is unknown to us.... And many folks on here are down users. I don't use down because allergies. Least it could be coincidence that I sneezed when i tried on a down in the store.. If you're comfortable with the jacket and think it keep you warm, then by all mean keep it.

I'm still using the same Marmot Caldron jacket I got in 2011. It's the only synthetic insulated jacket I own and have used.. I probably buy another one for next year. And what brand might that be? I have no clue. Maybe Patagonia Nano Puff with a hood. Or another brand with a hood.

Edit: Only way you can tell the warmth and weight comparison, is compared the weight of the insulation material vs. another brand in the same price range.

BTW, the "warm when wet" label for synthetic insulation is a myth. Synthetic is a little easier to dry out than down, but once wet, there is no warmth in either insulation type (been there, done that with a flooded campsite), With any insulation, you must take extra precautions to keep it dry.

At least one study (admittedly limited) showed down insulation drying faster than synthetic in comparable vests, but at least with synthetic you don't have to keep pulling clumped feathers apart. Unfortuntely, a paid BPL membership is required to read this article.

Since I have a down sleeping bag, I always preferred synthetic insulation for clothing just to keep all options open. However, I bought a down jacket a couple of years ago and can't believe how much warmer it is for the weight. Your Mileage, of course, May Vary. Also to be considered are your budget and the fact that you already have a jacket, a bit heavy but obviously warm. Have you tried this jacket outdoors on a really cold winter day?

Also, to compare the warmth of different jackets, you really need to compare the weight of only the insulation. Any other difference is due to the shell fabric and/or various features such as pockets and extra zippers. For a warmth comparison, those don't really count, unless, of course, they are features that you really want!

Thanks. As for the deal -- I really just want one jacket, and the jacket that I was thinking about regardless of price was the Patagonia nano puff pullover. I thought pullover to save weight on the zipper. If I were going to buy that at full price, I would have to spend more than I spent for the Black Diamond jacket. But the "reward" would be a lighter weight insulating layer.

What I really need to know -- is it really a "reward" to shed those ounces or am I just losing a few ounces of worth of warming later. If the extra ounces of the Black Diamond go into warmth and/or durability, they would probably be worth it for my purposes. If the extra ounces are mostly just bad design or heavier-but-not-better materials, then I'll probably return it and look for a better designed jacket.

If that is true that down is not really worse at drying out, I might consider down options. It sounds like you definitely get more warmth per ounce.

That jacket is not designed as a lightweight backpacking jacket. Look at the website - it is made for climbers. Never seen one in person, but my guess is part of the weight is to make it as sturdy as possible for the weight it is. As far as it being a "bad design" or poorly made, I doubt it, but it may not be the jacket for you because it sounds like you don't intend to use it for its designed purpose.

I'm not a "gram weenie." I don't consider trading warmth for a few ounces to be much of a bargain. I'm one of those people who hates being cold, even though I enjoy winter camping, so go figure.

See that parka I have on in my photo? It is about as heavy as my sleeping bag, BUT, it will keep me warm in temps far lower than I plan on being in anytime soon which is why I bought it. I have a much lighter down jacket as well, but nowhere near as warm as "Big Red." Worth every ounce to me.

If it's designed for climbing, I take that as meaning that the extra weight is probably going into durability. That is probably an acceptable trade off for me, as most of these insulated jackets that I have seen seem pretty flimsy to me and don't seem like they'd last all that long for how I use them (brushing up against rocks/foliage, resting on rough mountain rocks, getting snagged on various things from time-to-time). Maybe I'm underestimating the durability of most of these jackets.

The lightweight (i.e. lighter shell fabrics) jackets are designed for layering rather than to be worn by themselves. Generally in cold weather you'd be wearing them under a wind shirt or under a rain jacket (those also increase the warmth factor a lot!). It's really up to you!

To follow up on OM's comment-- my parka is designed for deep winter and high altitude climbing. The shell is Goretex; the newer version is made from Pertex and Hyvent. This jacket weighs more than 3 pounds (around 52 oz. or so.), but the shell is made for hard use.

On the other hand, I have another down jacket made of ripstop and a lightweight down vest with a very light shell, neither of which have a very durable outer shell. The point being, evaluate what you going to buy based on your needs and the specs. That will save you a lot of aggravation and probably some money.

Thanks, I think my needs for this are to have a mid-layer when I stop hiking and the sun goes down but also to have something that will have a pack rubbing on top of it if I want to wear it while I'm on the move. It might scrape up against rocks and have sticks poked into it, etc.

Comparing it to the patagonia nano puff to try to see where the extra weight comes from, it looks like it may be due to (1) perhaps? some more insulation and (2) definitely the use of the heavier scholler softshell material in the hybrid design. The main shell material is the same in weight as the nano puff's, but the nano puff's is "recycled nylon" versus the black diamond's pertex.

I guess that brings it down to whether the pertex is any tougher and whether I should want the softshell hybrid design vs. a full insulated design (I'm not sure what a hybrid's virtues are vs. a non-hybrid jacket). If the hybrid design is not better for my purposes, I could go with the black diamond stance belay jacket, which weighs the same but has more insulation and a slightly thicker shell (http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/mens...Mineral#start=4)

Any further thoughts would be much appreciated.

Seems heavy. Maybe you could use it for other stuff? Where and when are you packing tho? For Calif it would be overkill.
I do personally like synthetic over down for jackets. But I seldom bring a jkt...usually just layers that I can wear all at once.

A lot in the eastern sierras and other mountains, so not sure if it's overkill, unless it is way warmer than I expect it to be. I try to pack for sub-freezing temps whenever I head up those trails.