Synthetic / down jacket warmth..

[sr80]

Does anyone find that a certain insulation warms them better than the other? Or am i crazy? For some reason i feel like synthetic insulation is warmer than down. Like the LPP, i found that jacket much warmer than the big sitka kelvin down WS.

 

[Wapitiwonder]

Funny you bring this up. I have the Kifaru lost park parka and an Eddie Bauer 800 fill down jacket. I find that the down jacket is like a furnace but if the wind kicks up it sucks the heat right out. I find that the Kifaru excels in high winds and moisture, Obviously what kind of fill and how much plays a role (down is useless when wet) but I think the outer membrain also has a big role in warmth due to its ability to shed wind/snow/rain. I don't know if these ramblings help but its what I have experienced.

 

[mtwarden]

^ I agree that the outer fabric will definitely impact the warmth of the garment; what fill and how much obviously influences how warm, but folks often overlook the outer fabric

With a puffy you don't need (or want) a highly breathable fabric- you're not moving with it like an active piece, so wind resistance (and probably under certain circumstances- precip resistance) is definitely something to consider when choosing a jacket for static use

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Does anyone find that a certain insulation warms them better than the other? Or am i crazy? For some reason i feel like synthetic insulation is warmer than down. Like the LPP, i found that jacket much warmer than the big sitka kelvin down WS.

@mtwarden and @Wapitiwonder mention great points.

For me it's a matter of what I want to carry. If I want/need compressibility and less weight, I like down. If those two factors don't matter, I actually like synthetic a bit more.

 

[mcseal2]

I have the Kifaru LPP and the Kuiu Superdown Pro. I've used both for several years.

The Kuiu is warmer than the Kifaru for me. It's also less breathable when moving between glassing spots. Sometimes I'll leave the Kifaru on if I'm walking a moderate distance, the Kuiu I take off if I'm wallking far at all.

For what it's worth I think the first LPP I had with the half zip was warmer than my newer full zip version. I sold the half zip when the other one came out and have regretted it since.

I use the Superdown stuff the most. I have the Pro jacket and the Ultra and Pro pants. Which I use depends on conditions, but they pack small and work well for me. I use the Kuiu stuff most in the midwest and western US. I use the Kifaru most in Alaska or for quick stuff around home. A half hour glassing session at sunset I just throw it over whatever I worked in that day and I'm fine. I also use it during colder trips to the river fishing and camping.

For Alaska anytime I have the weight limit I'll take both. The Superdown will stay dry in my pack while the Kifaru will get worn around camp in the evenings. Both my Slickbag and LPP from Kifaru have done very well at keeping me warm in wet climates and drying fast. I trust them more than anything else when being wet may be lethal.

One thing that has worked well for me is layering a FL Uncompaghre vest under either of these, but especially the Superdown. For weight limited fly in hunts I'll wear the vest flying in under my rain gear. That way I have a synthetic insulation layer to supplement my down around camp or replace it if it gets wet and needs to dry.

 

[sr80]

Right now i have the sitka kelvin down WS and the SG grumman, i dont know what it is with that grumman but i do not find it warm at all. I find it ok or august/early sept hunts. Other than that i freeze in it, i wondered about the material of it. Its very thin and i often thought it was letting all the warmth out of it.

 

[doverpack12]

The Grumman is half the fill of the Sitka WS and 5 oz of down fill (Grumman) is about right for me september through early October until the weather turns in Montana.

 

[Beckjhong]

I’ve had the LPP for 4 seasons. I would say it’s about half as warm as it was. Haven’t washed it. Don’t keep it compressed. Used to not be able to move with it on without sweating, now it’s an active layer when cold. I don’t have the same degradation with down.

 

[sr80]

The Grumman is half the fill of the Sitka WS and 5 oz of down fill (Grumman) is about right for me september through early October until the weather turns in Montana.

yah i wasnt comparing them by any means, just sharing my experience. I just expected it to be a warmer coat.

 

[Beckjhong]

I’ve had the LPP for 4 seasons. I would say it’s about half as warm as it was. Haven’t washed it. Don’t keep it compressed. Used to not be able to move with it on without sweating, now it’s an active layer when cold. I don’t have the same degradation with down.

 

[rideold]

Construction of the jacket seems to be the biggest factor for me. I have a 650 fill Patagonia McMurdo jacket that is really puffy and it's the best down jacket I've ever had. I had a GoLite hooded down jacket for a while that was like 850 or 900 fill with a pertex shell. Should have been the bomb but the reality was that the down fill rating was so high that the result was a pretty thin layer of insulation and I could feel cold spots all the time. I also have a first generation Kelvin Lite (the fully synthetic with the stretch fleece panels on the sides) and a new Kelvin Lite (the down/synthetic combo). The old Kelvin is way warmer and functional. The new one has thin insulation across the low back that always feels cold unless it is in the 50's. Go figure. Everyone is trying to make the lightest most compressible jacket but when it's darn cold out I'd rather carry a bit extra weight and be warm all over! I remember a researcher I took a class from that did most of his work in Greenland. He said everyone that lived there wore the equivalent of a Sears parka. He was the only one wearing a fancy down jacket.

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

Right now i have the sitka kelvin down WS and the SG grumman, i dont know what it is with that grumman but i do not find it warm at all. I find it ok or august/early sept hunts. Other than that i freeze in it, i wondered about the material of it. Its very thin and i often thought it was letting all the warmth out of it.

I am with you. I tried two grummans and came to same conclusion. Grumman has 5.3 oz of down and the KUIU superdown pro has 5 oz and i find the superdown pro warmer and I think its because the face fabric is twice as thick as the grumman.

 

[gav]

Does anyone find that a certain insulation warms them better than the other? Or am i crazy? For some reason i feel like synthetic insulation is warmer than down. Like the LPP, i found that jacket much warmer than the big sitka kelvin down WS.

Good down is always warmer but wind and wet weather is detrimental but I always carry a shell jacket it's worth it's weight. The new generation synthetic down style insulation is way better then older sheet style and they usually have a more durable outer material