Do I need a special type of down jacket?

I have limited knowledge on the subject but can explain a little bit.

Usually a down jacket will have a DWR (Durable water resistant) coating on the shell. This will repel and resist some water for example a light and short rain shower, light snow showers as well.

There are water resistant downs out there. My wife has a Sierra Designs 850 Downtek jacket that has a DWR coating on the shell and waterproof down.

What I would recommend is a waterproof/resistant shell to go over your down jacket.

a down jacket (MHW Ghost Whisper or Patagoina Down Sweater) paired with a light shell (Patagonia Houdini, etc) would be unstoppable in light snow showers and really warm as well.

Hi,

What's the expected coldest temperature you think you will be standing around in?

I agree with Nathan.
I happen to know where and when you are going, so my advice is to take a rain jacket that you can layer on top of the down jacket at camp if you need to.
Reason is that you will most likely get sleet or wet snow when you go (or just rain) not the nice fluffy dry stuff that some claim to have seen..
Now, you should not walk with that jacket on because you will sweat in it then wet your jacket (from the inside) and so it will be almost useless at camp.
Don't worry if you feel cold without it at the start of the walk, you will warm up.
Then as soon as you arrive at camp , if it is cold, put that tent up, get inside, take your wet clothing off, give yourself a wipe (as soon as you can) then put the dry camp clothes on , including that jacket if you need to.
Take some plastic bags that you can slide over dry socks at camp so that you then can walk around in your possibly wet shoes/boots without getting your feet wet and dirty again.
Wear the wet socks again the next day.
Thin shopping bags do the job for a night or two.
(NOT for walking on the trail)
Stephen,
There is a good chance that it will not go below 10c but it does at times get down to just above zero and on a couple of places maybe a bit less.
It often rains and hard…(wind driven rain)

Down jackets with water resistant shells can get pretty heavy. Often the user will put a separate Goretex shell over a non-water resistant down jacket. That gets you more versatility, but it weighs more. I have one hooded down parka with PTFE (Goretex-like) shell, and it is incredibly warm, but we are looking at 2.5 pounds.

–B.G.–

Most down garments have a water repellent treatment(DWR), but that is about it. You want some breathability in a down garment to prevent moisture building up in the down and to aid drying. Downproof fabric is low enough on breathability as it is. There are water resistant down fillers available, but I wouldn't be rushing to replace any down gear that is still in good condition.

For that matter, I like polyester fill and fleece insulation as I tend to hike in PNW conditions that are cool and wet vs below freezing. Down just gets soggy and doesn't dry. If you in the Sierra or Rockies, down is a better bet.

Temperatures for late Spring snow are usually hovering around freezing rather than bitter cold. 32F is a lot different than say 20F or colder. Unless you area really cold sensitive you don't need a big puffy. At 32F, a long sleeve base layer, intermediate fleece and maybe a down or polyfil vest plus wind or rain shell would be okay for basic camp stuff for me. I always have light gloves and a beanie, which really help with the perception of being cold. Cold fingers and ears tend to make you think it is colder.

When you are walking on the trail with a pack, you need very little insulation and would normally be wearing a down jacket only on rest stops or in camp, where you have a low level of activity and wearing your rain gear over it doesn't present a problem (provided it doesn't compress the down too much). If it started snowing in camp, I would be headed for my shelter, so the down would be out of the precipitation anyway.

I couldn't imagine sitting on a log or rock in camp when it's snowing when there is a comfy shelter with my sleeping bag ready to go. I usually don't spend a lot of time standing around in camp anyway. I put up my shelter, cook a meal, hang my food bag and get in bed for lounging around.

On a rest stop, I'm going to be warm from hiking and I might be wearing wind shirt, poncho or rain shell if it was snowing already. I would take off my pack, add insulation and put my rain gear back on if it was a lengthy rest break.

Down jacket plus rain shell / shell for wind / rain / snow is a classic layering technique and gives you more options then a down jacket with waterproof / resistant layer …. imho. ;)

Yeah, I own a nice Eddie Bauer down jacket but if I were to do it again I'd buy a jacket with some form of "water resistant" down. i.e. down that has been treated with a DWR.

IMHO I feel any treatment that keeps down from absorbing moisture is better than plain down.

The problem lies in discovering WHICH down DWR treatment is the best.

Oh, yeah, treating your down jacket or sleeping bag shell with a good DWR like REVIVEX is one of the best ways to protect the down inside, even if I does have one of the new DWR treatments.

Thank you guys for the responses, all the ideas a great to read and digest!!!

In my experience, even the fanciest down eventually gets wet and loses loft given enough time spent in unfavorable weather. If you know you're going to face wet conditions, I would possibly forego the down in favor of something synthetic that won't lose insulation when damp. If you really do want to go the down route, my suggestion would be to get something very lightweight (material wise, not warmth or weight) and invest in a very good rain shell (GoreTex or similar). This way, you can just use the down when dry, or the rain shell when warm and wet.