Down Works Balaclava (Richard Nisley)

Hi Richard

Of course it's reversible. the one I used came with the double layer (and tag) to the inside, and this seemed a sensible way to wear it because of the aforementioned potential to reduce transfer of grime to the down. The UL version has the same fabric on the inside as the outside, only the middle layer is different (looks coated), so from an aesthetics POV it looks identical no matter which way you wear it (aside from the tag). It is definitely not baffled though…maybe the standard version is? That would be interesting…!

I received a private email asking about the Fugu's down equivalence weight value I used in the balaclava table. The question is probably of general interest and so I will post the question and answer here.

Question: If I understand the chart you have the Fugu as 10.7 oz of fill when you match it with the Nunatak balaclava. With the total weight being 14oz isn't the fill closer to 6-7oz?

Answer: Please reference the MB UL Down Inner jacket with 15 denier fabric. The non-down components weigh 4.9 oz. Subtracting this from a Fugu medium results in ~8.4 of fill. The 850 fill versus 800 fill and the unique spaced IR barrier appears to account for the remaining 2.3 oz of 800 fill down equivalence difference.

The NB Fugu thermal tested 6.18 Iclo. Other down jackets, without 850 down and the Fugu’s unique spaced IR barrier, required 10.7 oz of 800 fill to achieve the same Iclo. I am not aware of any other down jacket (hoodless) with an Iclo that is a good equivalence for the Nunatak balaclava. I could have just said that the Nunatak was only viable for use with a quilt but that would have sounded biased.

"I could have just said that the Nunatak was only viable for use with a quilt but that would have sounded biased."

Another way to word it might be that the Nunatak is warmer than most of the light to ultralight jackets on the market you might pair it with, but maybe good for use in a winter quilt. I doubt the extra weight of the Nunatak as a jacket hood would be that much if you were gonna carry it anyway as part of your winter sleep system. I wouldn't say it's "not viable"… that kinda does sound biased ;)

With regards to using balaclavas with a sleeping quilt, which of the mentioned down balaclavas would be best for use with a summer+ quilt (6 ounces of 800+ fill power down), when pushing the limits of the bag around the 30 degree mark(using layers in sleep system such as Montbell UL down inner jacket and wool base)?

Just based on pictures it appears that your mouth would be covered by the balaclava and that your nose would be easily covered with just a little cinch up of the draw string.

Would someone include a photo that better allows me to assess scale or share experiences about how you were able to avoid breathing into the balaclava?

Thanks

Alexander,

The Black Rock Benie (1.9 oz) is the best match to your Montbell UL Down Inner jacket.

Ty,

When you cinch the DW balaclava tightly for sleeping, it forms an oval shape with just your nose and mouth exposed. You can rotate under your quilt without the balaclava ever moving from this position like it would with a sleeping bag hood.

For use with a jacket to create a parka, I suggest wearing it in combination with a visor either under or over the balaclava. Worn under the balaclava it allows you to both cinch the balaclava opening down and rotate your head position without your sight ever being obscured. If the visor is worn over the balaclava, you loose some insulation where the strap tightly compresses the down but you gain a storm protection benefit. Most jacket and windshirt hoods don’t have enough volume to fully cover the DW balaclava in a bad storm. The visor brim and visor can be used to provide supplemental protection to the front of the balaclava to block it from wind and moisture.

I just got mine Thursday and just got back early (34 F, rain and snow at the Mexican border? Wha!) so here is a pic of it closed up.

I just read that and it is dumb.

I left at 4:00 am Friday morning to do 2-1/2 days on the PCT at the Mexican border and north. Dave had problems with his knee and with the weather it was enough to make us come back early.

I had received the DW bala Thursday but had not played with it yet. I plan to use it in the snow at 9000 ft elevation next weekend. Stay tuned…

Here is a pic with it open.

Thanks for the pictures and info.

I'm curious as to how this DW balaclava compares to say BMW's UL 60 synthetic balaclava?

Both appear to be in roughly the same range weight wise but I'm not sure how it compares in out-right warmth?

I've got a Fugu coming that I'm planning on using in conjunction with a custom synthetic/cuben quilt I'm working on but I'm trying to decide what I need for head coverage.

Eric,

BMW UL 60
60 g/m2 of PGD = 1.8 oz * .68 clo/oz = 1.22 clo

DW Standard
2" of 850 fill down * 2.66 clo/inch = 5.32 clo

NB Fugu = 6.18 clo

See the table in an earlier post to this thread entitled "Down Works Balaclava (Richard Nisley)"

Clearly not in the same catagory… lol

Much approved Richard! Sounds like the DW Standard is more suited for full on cold weather use. May have to take a look into picking one up for my sleep system.