'Tis the season for water repellent down. Appearing in a variety of gear this winter, a number of brands have either sourced hydrophobic down from Down Decor or are using their own proprietary technology. If you want to try out this innovative new insulation for yourself, choose from the below items featuring three different kinds of water repellent down.
Sierra Designs DriDown: Sierra Designs is using their own proprietary water repellent down technology inside their gear, including a line of sleeping bags and jackets. With its hydrophobic finish, DriDown helps prevent sweat, rain, or melting snow from soaking in, keeping your down drier and lofting better for optimum warmth. If the down does happen to get wet, it will always dry faster than untreated down.
Gnar Lite Down Jacket ($229): The Gnar Lite is packed with 800-fill power DriDown goose down. The 30-denier ripstop polyester shell is treated with a DWR finish to further repel moisture.
Sleeping Bags ($150-$240): DriDown is featured in 5 different Sierra Designs sleeping bags including the 0°F Zissou Hi, 15°F Zissou, 30°F Zissou Lite, 20°F women's Eleanor Hi, and 30°F Eleanor Lite.
DriDown Tov Jacket ($259): The Tov uses 600-fill power DriDown goose down and weighs around 4 oz. more than the Gnar Lite.
DownTek: Down Decor, wholesale supplier of DownTek water repellent down, has teamed up with quite a few brand partners for the winter and coming spring season. The DownTek nanotechnology creates a down fill that is water repellent with additional anti-microbial and anti-bacterial protection for long term durability as well as an increase in protection from bad weather and your own body moisture while being active in the outdoors.
Big Agnes Sleeping Bags ($280-$380): The mummy style sleeping bags from Big Agnes are packed with DownTek 700-fill power duck down and include the 17°F Bellyache Mountain SL, 26°F women's Juniper SL, 18°F women's Spring SL, and the 5°F McAlpin SL.
Brooks Range Mojave Down Jacket ($299): The hooded Mojave uses 9 oz. of 800+ fill down that has been treated with DownTek, all encased in Pertex Quantum fabric.
L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Down Jacket ($179) and Coat ($199): L.L. Bean took their lightest down jacket and made it even better by insulating it with water-repellent DownTek 850-fill goose down that maintains its loft in wet conditions.
Berghaus Hydrodown: Every cluster of this hydrophobic goose down undergoes a water-repellent treatment, so it absorbs significantly less water, keeps you dry, and your gear light. You can find Hydrodown in the 850-fill Ilam Down Jacket (pictured above- £200), Magma, Ramche, and Mount Asgard II jackets.