Rab or Feather Friends…

[Jack Newton]

I've been on the hunt for a good insulation layer for a few weeks. I've narrowed my search to a Feather Friends Hyperion or a RAB Microlight Jacket.

The environment I would be taking these jackets out in would probably not get too much colder than 20 degrees. As a life long southerner, I get chilly when the wind is blowing when it is 70 degrees. When I get cold, I stay cold and that is why I am looking at these higher fill weight jackets.

Its my understanding that the RAB fill power, while lower than the fill power reported by Feathered Frends, is going to be about the same as the Feathered Friends fill power. With the fill power being equal, the only other consideration towards warmth is that the Feathered Friends jacket has about 20 grams more down.

Will 20 grams make a monumental difference in warmth?

Also, the RAB has more construction features. How does the RAB's mini baffles compare to the larger baffles of the Feather Friends? Does it affect the effect (I couldn't help myself) of the jacket at all?

If all things are too equal, including price, then the obvious choice is the American model, aye?

Thank you,

Jack

[Ross Bleakney]

I would think that the FF jacket is a bit warmer, just because they use higher quality down.

It looks like the two jackets are available in different shell materials. I'm not sure about the comparison (Epic or NanoSphere versus Pertex MicroLight). Perhaps others would like to comment (or maybe spin off a different thread). I have a sleeping bag in NanoSphere, which works fine, but I haven't gotten it very wet.

[Jeff Patrick]

there is a feathered friends hyperion jacket in the gear swap if you are a size lrg http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=24495

[Diplomatic Mike]

" would think that the FF jacket is a bit warmer, just because they use higher quality down."

Maybe not. Depends how the down is measured.
EU down fill ratings are different from US ratings. The US measuring system gives a higher reading.

[Jack Newton]

Thanks for bringing up the shell fabrics, Ross. I did not dive too far into that when doing my research. Epic and the Pertex do seem very similar and some field reports on the matter would be very nice. I'll have to dig into the forums a bit more on that a little later.

As for the down, everything i've read here indicates that EU standards for down are more strict than US standards. 750 EU equates to ~ 850 state side.

The construction may ultimately decide the matter. I have not been able to find any in depth information on how or why baffles work especially with down and insulation. I get baffles ultimately in that they keep a variable amount of down in particular spot on the jacket, though that limited understanding does not quite encompass the jackets.

Is there room for cold air to seep through the excess stitching with dozens of baffles over just a dozen?

Do the mini baffles in the RAB jacket allow the down to fully loft?

Will small baffles allow for better layering?

Thanks,

Jack

[Matt Allen]

FF all the way. While RAB generally makes extremely high quality gear, the microlight being no exception; the FF hyperion will probably be a better fit due to the baffle size.
Think of it this way… which jacket has more holes in it? (each stitch is a hole).
The fact that you can special order the hyperion in eVent is amazing. It will give you the most water resistance possible in a garment of this weight. If you do not want to pay more for the custom made eVent hyperion, then both the nano and the epic are phenomenal. The nano will still look brand new after years of use due to the characteristics of the shell fabric. The fabric repels darn near everything.
Just my 2 cents.

[Brad Groves]

The Hyperion should be warmer… tighter baffle spacing will minimize the loft of a jacket, whereas larger baffle spacing will allow more loft. So the Hyperion will loft a bit better, and you'll has less heat loss due to the increased number of baffles. That said, if you're worried about layering, the Microlight should probably layer better since it'd be a bit thinner and lower profile. If you tend to get cold in the 70s, and you've narrowed your search to these two, I'd go for the Hyperion.

[J. R.]

Sorry – I tried deleting my post but can't find how to do that!

[Dewey Riesterer]

I can comment from experience on FF gear. I just gave a friend of mine a custom FF bag,GT and down I had made by FF in spring, 1989 and, after considerable use, it still is like new. That, to me, says a lot in terms of which gear I would buy and FF and Valandre are what I would choose in another down jacket.

[Jolly Green Giant]

Sewn through vs. baffled. Check out the Nunatak Skaha. It's warmer and lighter. Oh…and pricier.

[Mark Hume]

Feathered Friends products are widely accepted to be among the very best in the world. For good reason.

It would be an easy decision for me.

[John Haley]

Another top quality jacket or pullover you might consider is one of the PHD line. After a long comparison, I recently purchased a PHD Yukon pullover rather than either a FF or a Nunatak for really cold conditions. A PHD Minimus or Ultra Down would be in the temperature range you're looking for. The prices on the internet site include VAT and the actual price, including shipment to the US, is actually less than that shown. I received the Yukon in less than two weeks and it's a top notch piece of gear.

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/insulated-clothing.php?cat=110

[Author]

Posts