Larry, your comment about $69.50 down jacket piqued my curiosity. Thanks for the tip. The Lands End Quilted Down Jacket has a nylon shell and 650 fill down. The online chat info service was pretty handy. There, Darcy called to the product information folks who reported that the men’s size L coat, Item #04025-1AF6 has a shell weight of 2.12 ounces and a total weight of 2 lb. 4 oz.
That is certainly not the lightest down jacket but it may fit the bill for those of us that only need high loft insulation a few times each winter.
$70 leaves plenty of opportunity to reduce gear weight in other areas.