Skiing, snowboarding and ski touring may not always take place at low temperatures, but they often do - after all, the beloved powder snow is rarely found at temperatures above zero. Precipitation in frozen form is also usually welcome and the wind, with its well-known chill factor, is more frequent and stronger in the high mountains compared to the lowlands. The sports that PowderGuide is all about can therefore make you feel cold. Or rather, you can get cold if you're not properly dressed! First aid against freezing, and also so nice and small to crumple up in your backpack, are often insulation jackets filled with down or synthetic fibers. A lot has happened with these in recent years, with more and more types and models coming onto the market. It is even said that the high demand from the outdoor sector has contributed to a sharp rise in the price of down on the world market. We cannot provide any information on this topic, but we are already familiar with insulating clothing and will give you an overview of materials, uses, models and care in the following article.
General information
The human body needs insulation to maintain a body temperature of around 37°C in cold temperatures. How much of this depends on factors such as temperature, activity, wind, humidity, body type and personal perception of cold. In principle, clothing insulates the body by keeping air and therefore heat close to the body. Down, synthetic fibers and the like are so interesting because they have a high volume despite their low weight and pack size and can therefore trap a lot of air. The thicker the jacket and thus the insulating layer of air, the less heat the body loses and the less you have to freeze. Sounds banal, but it helps to remember that even a very thick down jacket will only keep you warm if it is properly puffed up, i.e. the down "lofts". If the jacket is compressed, for example under a backpack or another jacket, it insulates less. Logically, the wind must also not be allowed to blow through. A lot of warmth can also be lost quickly at the cuffs or the jacket hem and collar if a jacket does not seal there. In addition to the filling materials presented below, the cut is therefore also decisive for the insulation performance and should of course be adapted to the intended use.
Down - natural high-tech
When you hear the word down, you usually think of feathers. After all, it's usually these things with the long quill that cheekily poke through the supposedly down-proof material of the sleeping bag or down jacket! Far from it, the material is usually really down-proof, so you rarely see the actual down. In contrast to feathers, which are usually added in small amounts to products with down as insulation material for reasons of stability, down does not have a keel that could drill through ultralight fabrics. Instead, it spreads out from a very small core with up to two million (!) very fine knots in a radial pattern, which is why it can take up a lot of space even with the lowest weight (one kilo of down contains around one million individual downs). The large volume means that a lot of air can be held in place, which leads to the down's excellent insulating properties. In terms of the ratio of weight and compressibility to insulation performance, down is still unbeaten in outdoor clothing, but only as long as it stays dry! Down does not like moisture and wetness at all. Wet down collapses and almost completely loses its insulating properties. The down used in outdoor products comes from geese and ducks, with duck down being smaller and less puffy. Down is often a by-product of the meat industry and therefore comes from young animals whose down is not yet fully developed, so the difference between duck and goose down is not too significant. In addition to the age of the animal, the quality of the down also depends on the climate of the region in which it grew up. The best down comes from older geese from cold, dry regions such as Ukraine, Poland or northern China. But how is the quality of down actually measured? In the outdoor sector, there are two relevant specifications that you come across time and again: Firstly, the mix ratio of down and feathers. As mentioned, a small proportion of feathers is added to the down to stabilize it. The mixing ratio is given as a percentage. For example, a jacket with a mixing ratio of 80/20 contains 80% down and 20% feathers. In the outdoor sector, mixing ratios of 85/15, 90/10 and 95/5 are common nowadays, but 80/20 and occasionally 97/3 are also used. The higher the proportion of feathers, the more stable and resistant the mix is. A higher proportion of down usually results in a higher loft and therefore a higher insulation capacity for the same weight. The loft, i.e. the loftiness (sometimes also referred to as "fillpower"), is usually given in "Cuin", which is short for cubic inch. To measure the cuin value, an ounce of down is compressed for 24 hours and the fill power or loft is then measured in a measuring cylinder. Usual values in the outdoor sector range from 600 to 900 cuin, although higher quality down is sometimes used. It is important to look at the two figures together. For example, a 90/10 mix with lower quality down can achieve a significantly lower cuin number than the same mix with higher quality down. One goose provides about 50g of down (a typical lightweight down jacket is filled with about 150g of down). The methods of down production have been and are sometimes heavily criticized. Many manufacturers therefore only use certified down (or at least most of it) that does not come from live plucking. Find out about this before you buy!
Example: Mammut Broad Peak IS Hooded Jacket
The Broad Peak has been in the Mammut range for a long time and is a fairly typical down jacket. It's warm, lightweight and packs down small, so it always fits in your backpack, even if you're not sure you need it. At the summit or during a break, it is quickly pulled on and closes well at the waist, sleeves and collar (or with the hood on the head). As the Broad Peak is not too bulky, it also fits under a hardshell jacket in really adverse weather conditions. The down used by Mammut is certified according to the Responsible Down Standard by the NGO Textile Exchange.
Artificial fibers - high-tech from the lab
Synthetically produced artificial fiber insulation is available in a wide variety of forms, such as compact fibers, hollow fibers or loose flakes, to name just a few. Compared to down, they are less susceptible to moisture as they retain a good proportion of their insulating properties even when damp. They also dry noticeably faster. Another advantage is the price. As the price of high-quality down has risen sharply on the global market in recent years due to high demand (including from the outdoor industry) (increase of 200% between 2010 and 2013), synthetic fiber insulation is becoming increasingly interesting for manufacturers of outdoor clothing. In addition, synthetic fibers are also getting better and better thanks to continuous further development and are thus steadily catching up with the natural material down.
High-quality synthetic fiber insulation consists of fibers with a very high volume. To get a better idea of this, let's use another comparison: one gram of the well-known Primaloft synthetic fibers would be up to 40 km long if it were in one strand! Such fine fibers naturally have a very large surface area, which leads to very good insulation performance. However, less high-quality synthetic fibers can also become entangled with each other during washing or repeated compression and therefore lose some of their bulk. Also, even very high-quality synthetic fibers do not yet come close to the top ratio of weight and compressibility to insulation capacity of down. On the other hand, synthetic fiber insulation is generally easier to work with, as it does not usually have to be stowed away in chambers that require complex sewing to avoid cold bridges. Example: Mammut Runbold Tour IS Jacket
The Runbold Tour IS jacket is a typical base layer jacket. It is relatively thin and close-fitting, making it particularly suitable for wearing under the outer weather protection layer in cold temperatures. For this reason, it does not have a hood, as this should also be present on the hardshell so that several hoods are not in the way. The synthetic fiber filling is less compressed under the hardshell jacket or backpack than down and also does not mind moisture (which, according to rumors, is occasionally found under a hardshell during physical activity). In terms of thermal performance, however, it is clearly superior to a normal fleece, making it a mid-layer for colder days or for low activity levels.
Wool - low odor and warm
Not so long ago, you would have been looked at askance if you claimed that wool clothing would become a trend among skiers, but this has changed dramatically in recent years. Merino has taken the outdoor world by storm and not without good reason. More and more manufacturers are trying to transfer the positive properties that countless athletes appreciate in underwear - first and foremost odorlessness and a great body climate - to outerwear and insulating jackets. In most cases, pure wool is not used, but a certain amount of synthetic fiber is added. However, wool does not have to hide from the competition when it comes to insulation. In addition, its ability to absorb water means that it offers the well-known good body climate - wool feels "wet" much later than other materials. The odor-inhibiting properties of wool are also noticeable in modern wool insulation jackets, although they often cannot keep up with down or synthetic fiber products in terms of weight and compressibility. On the other hand, wool insulation products are definitely less harmful than down and synthetic fibers in terms of both ecology and animal welfare. Wool from New Zealand merino sheep is no longer the only material used. Wool from Scandinavia, the Alpine countries or even yak wool from the Himalayas is also used in the outdoor sector. Example: Mammut Runbold IS Hooded Jacket
The Runbold IS Hooded Jacket is not filled with sheep's wool but with yak wool, which has comparable properties. It is combed from the yaks' undercoat in spring and is therefore not only a renewable raw material, but also impresses with its quick drying and good insulation values. As the jacket is rather thin, the slightly higher weight and poorer compression capacity compared to down is practically unnoticeable. The jacket can be worn both as an outer layer and as a mid-layer and is very comfortable to wear even in damp conditions. The elasticated gaiters on the cuffs and the well-fitting hood further help to minimize heat loss and make the jacket a real favourite! The Runbold IS also fits into any backpack.
Material mix
A trend that more and more manufacturers of insulating clothing have been following in recent years is the strategic combination of different insulating materials. In general, the aim is to combine the best of different worlds. As already mentioned, various manufacturers are combining wool with synthetic fibers to reduce pack size and weight without losing the positive properties of wool. Down is also often combined with synthetic fibers, for example by using synthetic fibers in strategic areas of down jackets, such as the shoulders, where the insulation is heavily compressed by the backpack straps, or under the armpits, where you sweat a lot. Example: Mammut Trovat IS Hooded Jacket
In the Trovat IS Hooded Jacket, Mammut uses a new down and synthetic fiber combination from Primaloft (Primaloft Down Blend), in which both materials are mixed together. The blend of 40% high-quality synthetic fiber with 60% robister duck down is said to absorb considerably less moisture than pure down while maintaining almost the same loft, resulting in a moisture-resistant jacket with a relatively low weight. The cut of the jacket is similar to the previously presented Broad Peak, and from the outside you won't notice any difference to the latter in normal use, only the weight is a little bit higher...
And what do I use for what?
Down
If you like to travel as light as possible and only use your jacket during (short and long) breaks, down is still unbeatable due to its high insulation value, low weight and high compressibility. Lighter down-filled jackets (often quilted) are actually extremely light and compressible and can therefore really be stored in any backpack. The low weight of down is of course most noticeable in models for low and very low temperatures. This is why down insulation is generally used in thick expedition jackets (and pants) and the warmest winter sleeping bags (these would have the pack size of a refrigerator with synthetic fiber filling). Synthetic fiber
In wetter climates, synthetic fiber insulation shows its strengths and is preferred over down. Its positive properties also come into their own when used as a mid-layer, as it is less compressed by the layers worn over it and it is less bothered by increased moisture on the inside. Another advantage of synthetic fiber insulation clothing is that it is often relatively inexpensive. Especially for very thin jackets and vests, the difference in weight and compressibility compared to down is also negligible. Wool
Wool is not only the most environmentally and animal-friendly material, it also has a certain odor advantage. The latter naturally predestines wool-based insulation jackets for use as a mid-layer. However, the poorer ratio of weight and compressibility to insulation performance has a negative effect from a certain thickness of the material, which is why thinner jackets are usually offered here. Material blends
Mixes of different materials are becoming more common and will probably take up a larger share of the market in the future, as will treated down or new types of synthetic fibers with further improved insulation values.
This article was supported by PowderGuide partner Mammut
