Down jackets

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Aushiker
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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:55 am

il padrone wrote:Hmm........ :?: :o


Thermoball. Is it for real??
GearJunkie = blogvertorial ... interesting a search on Thermoball brings up a fair few "blog reviews" but no real world experiences with the product that I could find. Primaloft's website is not responding so cannot find much more information on the material beside this post at BPL from 2011

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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Thu Nov 21, 2013 3:25 pm

This thread is getting dangerous for my wallet ... :)

Down jackets from 159 grams at Mont Bell ...

Image

The UL Down Jacket at 215 grams or the 9 oz UL Down Parka look interesting to me.

For those preferring soft-shells check out their range at http://www.montbell.us/products/list.ph ... 5&gen_cd=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. The weights start at a low 139 grams. Again for me the Light Shell Jacket at 222 grams looks interesting.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Wed Dec 04, 2013 12:25 am

rifraf wrote:
snafuspyramid wrote:Hi Il Padrone,

It's camp clothing I am concerned with, my actual cycling kit is plenty warm
Snafu,
if I had to make a down Macpac purchase decision now as opposed to last boxing day, I'd be looking closer at the Stellar due to it being 800 loft as opposed to the Sundowners 650.
Also the very down itself appears to have been treated with DWR with Macpac suggesting "it highly water repellent".
It also appears to be a much lighter jacket for similar money currently (than the Sondowner XP).
Well I was talking to someone today who has both the Stellar and the Sundowner XP and its the XP thats reached for when it cold.
He liked the cut of the Stellar and its lightness but says the XP, although it has a weight penalty, is a "much" warmer jacket.
Hmmmmm, I had been thinking about passing my Sundowner on to a family member and getting the Stellar, but hearing that has convinced me to stick with what I've already got.

Not sure I mentioned it earlier but my Marmot Gravity arrived via a forwarding agent (in the US due to no NZ/Aus stock) and I'm both impressed with it and very happy with my purchase. :)
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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Tue Dec 10, 2013 1:57 am

Another option - Kiwi merino wool via Spain; the As Tucas Cabietos Hoody ....

Image

Pretty minimalist in design but does have a bit of a tail ... about $142 delivered downunder.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Wed Dec 11, 2013 5:41 pm

Macpac has a special on currently on the Sundowner XP and its $179.95

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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:28 pm

Aushiker wrote:Another option - Kiwi merino wool via Spain; the As Tucas Cabietos Hoody ....

Image

Pretty minimalist in design but does have a bit of a tail ... about $142 delivered downunder.

Andrew
I found the Spanish connection interesting as I was trying to learn a little about merino and so did a google search as you tend to....
The breed (Merino) was originally from central Spain (Castille) (and Turkey).
Before the 18th century, the export of Merinos from Spain was a crime punishable by death.
The Napoleonic wars (1793–1813) almost destroyed the Spanish Merino industry.
From 1810 onwards, the Merino scene shifted to Germany, the United States and Australia.

Macpac currently has some decent reductions and specials.
http://www.macpac.com.au/clearance" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've just ordered a couple of base layer merino 150 cycling T-shirts in black for $32 each

http://www.macpac.com.au/clearance/mens ... e-men.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

as well as a thicker long sleeve zipped top merino 280 in blue for $59.96

http://www.macpac.com.au/clearance/mens ... zip-m.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is my first investment in merino and I look forward to trialing it as an experimental light weight clothing combo on my next tour. :)
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Re: Down jackets

Postby snafuspyramid » Thu May 08, 2014 8:28 pm

Rifraf, you'll like the jerseys - I bought one a while back and I liked it so much I now have three. My original one has just enjoyed its first 1000km anniversary of sweating, freezing, raining and infrequent washing and it's still going great. Wool dries more slowly than synthetic but the fabric is so thin that the difference isn't noticeable and the lack of stench is wonderful for commuting, let alone touring. I repent of any words I may have spoken to the contrary until now - merino is awesome.

Be aware, though, that the strange orange colour is oddly transparent. Yep, pretty much totally see-through.

As to the sales, in my typical contrarian spirit I went and picked up a Macpac Sundowner down vest, cost about $80.

I used it on a two-day ride to Bendigo last week and it was fantastic - I camped in Kilmore and neglected to open the vents on my tent properly (the Exped Venus II). This is usually a lovely warm tent but even it can't account for idiot user error, and since there was a heavy frost overnight I woke up real cold - the condensation had covered my down bag and caused it to lose almost a third of its loft.

I had a quick snack, threw on the vest and slept soundly the rest of the night - the considerable extra warmth saved me from what would otherwise have been a grim experience. The vest was also great in the morning, when I found myself standing around for a few hours waiting for everything to dry - it was bitterly cold for this time of year but, together with some armwarmers and microfleece, I was perfectly comfortable (with thermal baselayers of course). The vest was nicely windproof, too.

It's really amazing how much warmth the vest produces. I dispensed with my bulkier, heavier fleece and wool mid-layer for the trip and I can't imagine using them again. I carry the thermal armwarmers for cycling anyway and they worked a treat under the microfleece.

The vest was perfect for transitioning between activity and rest - and the other way around - which is what I tend to find myself doing when out riding. But a full down jacket would have been massive overkill in that department, as well as much fussier to get on and off.

I'm extremely pleased with it so far, but I'm yet to see how it holds up to a proper Melbourne winter.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby dalai47 » Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:28 pm

Nowhere near as light as the MontBell jackets posted above by Aushiker, but after trying to stuff my 700 loft Northface down jacket into my Sweetroll yesterday I went searching for a less bulky option. It's not the lightest at just over 420g (size Large), but I just picked up an 800 loft Marmot Zeus from Rays Outdoors for only $149! Elizabeth St store in Melbourne still had a number of M to XL mostly in Blue and a few Large in Gunmetal with neon yellow zips. Compresses to around 10*20cm...

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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:45 pm

dalai47 wrote:... but I just picked up an 800 loft Marmot Zeus from Rays Outdoors for only $149! Elizabeth St store in Melbourne ...
Nice find! I wouldn't have thought of looking in Ray's Outdoor.

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Last edited by Aushiker on Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Down jackets

Postby Leaf T » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:54 pm

Never owned a down jacket. Probably cos I'd look like George Costanza in his puffy jacket.
Image

What are the advantages of down over a fleece jacket?

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Re: Down jackets

Postby dalai47 » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:58 pm

Luckily came up in a google search Aushiker. 8) Was looking at the Montbell UL jacket which is lighter, but even the cheapest price I could find was around AU$230 shipped and here I could try the medium and large to make sure I had the right size.

Advantage over fleece would be size packed and warmth vs weight / bulk LeafT. My first down jacket I bought was a Salewa model which has me looking like George! The 800 loft jacket I just bought has minimal bulk.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby Leaf T » Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:10 pm

Less weight and bulk is a good thing although. I'm xxl and sometimes 3xl. Smaller people might be surprised how much difference your clothes size makes in regards to packing and weight.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:30 am

snafuspyramid wrote:Rifraf, you'll like the jerseys -

As to the sales, in my typical contrarian spirit I went and picked up a Macpac Sundowner down vest, cost about $80.

.
Missed your post initially but found it eventually.

Your right, I like the jerseys.

I've waited and waited and finally an old stock Sundowner down vest come up in the clearance section of the Macpac site.
Slightly dearer than your $80 but at $99, I was happier than forking out the Macpac Member price of $144.00.
It was in Green which whilst not my go-to colour of choice for cloths, I was happy enough and even added another Tui fleece top to the online purchase as it was clearance price $30 also in gren.
Got an email apologising that the computer stock level was wrong and they had no green for the vest. I could have a refund or they would happily upgrade me to the latest model Sundowner vest in either black or red (my choice).
I very happily accepted the black (at no extra charge).
Its on its way and I'm once again a happy Macpac camper.

Edit: Blooming heck, just spotted the date on your post and realised its been a year. Doesn't time fly :shock:
Last edited by rifraf on Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:36 am

dalai47 wrote:Nowhere near as light as the MontBell jackets posted above by Aushiker, but after trying to stuff my 700 loft Northface down jacket into my Sweetroll yesterday I went searching for a less bulky option. It's not the lightest at just over 420g (size Large), but I just picked up an 800 loft Marmot Zeus from Rays Outdoors for only $149! Elizabeth St store in Melbourne still had a number of M to XL mostly in Blue and a few Large in Gunmetal with neon yellow zips. Compresses to around 10*20cm...
Great price
Excellent buying.
Like Aushiker, I never considered looking in Rays for Downwear, not realising they sold quality gear like Marmot.
800 loft sounds premium.
I'm guessing goose down as opposed to duck down?
I get catalogues from Rays from time to time as well as emails, but I've never seen what I thought was high quality clothing.
I'm maybe not looking hard enough.
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Re: Down jackets

Postby dalai47 » Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:34 am

rifraf wrote:Like Aushiker, I never considered looking in Rays for Downwear, not realising they sold quality gear like Marmot.
800 loft sounds premium.
I'm guessing goose down as opposed to duck down?
Was surprised too. Stumbled across it only because I specifically searched for "800 loft" jackets and not brand and these were returned in the search results. I'll check tonight what type of down.

Very happy with the jacket too! I bought a number of Sea to Summit Ultra Sil compression sacks for my Mawson trip and this easily fit in the 2XS 12*25cm stuff sack with room for merino beanie and gloves...

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Re: Down jackets

Postby RonK » Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:47 am

dalai47 wrote:Very happy with the jacket too! I bought a number of Sea to Summit Ultra Sil compression sacks for my Mawson trip and this easily fit in the 2XS 12*25cm stuff sack with room for merino beanie and gloves...
Hehe - so you didn't figure out how to stuff it into its own pocket eh? :)
I have an MD down vest which does this. You turn the pocket inside out then stuff the jacket in.
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Re: Down jackets

Postby dalai47 » Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:22 am

Compression sack is waterproof and compressed smaller than when stuffed into its own pocket... 8)

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Down jackets

Postby RonK » Fri Jun 19, 2015 1:28 pm

SeaToSummit must have new sizes then. I have an XS - I'd like a smaller size but they don't have anything small enough for my down.
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Re: Down jackets

Postby dalai47 » Fri Jun 19, 2015 2:18 pm

Not sure why the smaller size isn't listed on the Sea to Summit website - bought mine from ebay seller hikerideshop which included the 2XS size option. I bought this plus an XS and S from them combining shipping and found these bags really good...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sea-to-Summi ... 4d2f2afeab" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Sat Aug 08, 2015 1:55 am

Spotted on Ozbargain site

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/206155" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mountain Designs Further 25% off Outlet Sleeping / Camelbak Hydration Bag $30 Down Jacket $60


http://www.clearancemountaindesigns.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:55 pm

For an 800 loft jacket Ozbargains points to Catchoftheday

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/206765" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Patagonia Down Sweater (Jacket) for $104.94 Delivered, save $184 (AT) COTD (Club Catch Membership Required)
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Re: Down jackets

Postby rifraf » Thu May 05, 2016 3:07 pm

After much too'ing and fro'ing I decided on buying a Macpac Supernova to trial. :)

Its utilises 800 loft HyperDRY™ water resistant goose down with Pertex Quantum fabric and the hooded and sleeved jacket is lighter and less bulky than my Sundowner Vest.

http://www.macpac.com.au/mens/jackets-v ... 55890.html

Things that leant me towards my new down jacket was whilst not of the ilk, weight wise, of the much lauded Ghostwhisperer or Quasar, they were harder to find and size.
Macpac has a store in Perth where the staff are friendly without being pushy and I feel safe in dealing with them regarding any warranty issues.
Also I could find a jacket that constrained my ample gut without leaving me with sleeves below my fingertips or a hood that came down over my nose.

The other brands mostly seem to be aiming for those wanting a slim fitting jacket and even Macpac has been heading in this direction now for a while with many of its tops/jackets.
Macpac describe this as "regular fit" which equates to room for a gut. :lol: :lol:

My inclination towards some experimental weight/bulk reduction has me also eyeing my rainwear and my cooking gear.

I'm nowhere near ready yet to dip my toes in the cuban fibre shelters yet until they are more mainstream and proven but after that..........
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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Tue May 24, 2016 9:33 pm

The search continues ... came across UniQlo and their Ultra Light Down jacket today. They have a presence in Australia so for some you could see the jackets in store. BPL, Bushwalk.com.au and Reddit seem to be positive about these jackets which are sub 300 grams from what I can found out and really really price competitive at AU$119.90 and possibly cheaper again via eBay.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Tue May 31, 2016 4:08 pm

Torpedo7 have the men's Marmot Ares jacket on sale for $199.99. There is also a 10% discount code, BONUS10 in play which may apply with this jacket.

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Re: Down jackets

Postby Aushiker » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:00 pm

With winter ever getting closer, Massdrop's drop on the Rab Microlight vest, jacket or alpine jacket might be of interest. Pricing is ~UA$130 delivered for the vest and then go up from there for the other options. Seems a popular drop so the pricing maybe on the lower side.

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