Down has a better warmth to weight ratio than synthetic insulation but basically fails as soon as it gets wet. In the quest to build the perfect warm, lightweight alpine jacket, Berghaus created a water resistant down insulation to be used in cold, damp conditions.
Berghaus took regular high-quality down and coated it with an special DWR treatment (why hasn't anyone else thought of this before?), making the down hydrophobic, much like any softshell fabric. The new water resistant down will actually float on water and though it tends to still collapse more than a synthetic insulation, the down will retain up to 80% of its loft after 3 minutes in water.
The water resistant down will dry more quickly and effectively, something that is hard to do with normal down without the help of your tumble dryer and a few tennis balls. Berghaus will feature their new water resistant down in the Mount Asgard Hybrid Jacket due out in the Fall.
Designed with the help of Leo Houlding, the Mount Asgard Hybrid Jacket uses a combination of water resistant down and PrimaLoft One synthetic insulation. The core area of the jacket (light blue section) is stuffed with 700+ fill water resistant down to give you extra warmth where you need it. PrimaLoft One is used to fill the arms, hem, hood and shoulders, the main areas to get wet if you are caught in weather.
To keep weight down, the Mount Asgard Hybrid Jacket utilizes a wind and water resistant Pertex Quantum face fabric to further protect you and the insulation from the elements. The alpine jacket features a fully adjustable, helmet compatible brimmed hood, an internal security pocket and two harness friendly hand warmer pockets.
Expect to see many more Berghaus down jackets revamped with the new water resistant down for Fall.
(via OUTDOORSmagic)