Black Diamond Cold Forge Parka / PrimaLoft & down

Haven't tried it but I'm of the same mindset.

Synthetic sucks less when it is wet out and it's cheaper. Those two facts offset the weight and durability issues

Down is lighter, warmer and will last decades but you generally pay for it.

Combining the two limits your replacement options. Once the synthetic wears out you're left with nothing more than a normal down jacket that's less warm for the weight. This applies to ally hybrid designs, whether special insulation mixture like the BD jacket mentioned, or "strategic" panelling like Arc'Teryx's down jackets.

The only time they make sense is if you're a professional and wear out your gear in a season or two through hard use no matter what. In that case the face fabrics are probably more likely to see damage before the insulation itself. Most people are fortunate enough to live that lifestyle though.

We will see what happens. I do wonder if the Primaloft puffs being free floating within the down matrix will makes them less prone to collapse than pure Primaloft.

I can tell you that a Hot Forge hoody is well designed, really well made, and a lot warmer than the loft wold suggest. I bought one in Nightshade, very handsome, and my wife borrowed it and informed me that I wouldn't be getting it back.

Dave, how is the neck and hood fit on the Hot Forge? I tried out a Sharp End shell and was impressed, other than the neck area, which seemed to suffer from the same odd/small cut from the '13 Alpine Start. Hoping their down products are a little more comfortable.

So I just spent 2 hrs at the BD retail store at their headquarters in SLC and I can tell you, the Cold Forge Parka is NOT box-wall baffled tech. "Deep Baffle" means that the baffles are BIGGER, but are sewn-through, ala Rab Neutrino Endurance.

I would agree with Dave on the warmth- BD's down line is WARM….. however I found their hoods to be terribly designed, and create a gasket for a snow/precip to fall in if you are not wearing a helmet or hat. This was the case with the Cold and Hot forge (hoody and parka).

The fit remains the same.

I'm a size L in most everything but have to get an XL in BD to allow for my 36" waist to fit comfortable. Perhaps I need to do a lot more cardio and slim down….

I briefly tried on the Cold Forge Parka locally. The torso length is LONG – almost too long but probably good for tall guys. I'm 5'11" and a size medium came to the bottom of my butt or few inches past – borderline too long.

From a theoretical standpoint (based on no experience), I'm not a fan of down/synthetic blends (i.e. Primaloft Gold) or jackets that use down/synthetic in different areas (i.e. Arcteryx). These jackets seem a bit late to the game with the recent explosion of water resistant down offerings that seemingly work at least as well as synthetic in sloppy conditions without the weight, durability and bulk drawbacks. For truly sloppy stuff you want fleece.

Hi Will, sorry I missed this first time around.

The hood on the Hot Forge (and Stance Belay hoody) is fine, but far from perfect. There is definitely something weird about the template BD used to build their hoods.

Hey, Babak, are you referring to the Rab Neutrino Endurance? The Neutrino Plus is a box wall design.

Sorry, I meant the Rab Neutrino Endurance- which uses a great Endurance fabric, I prefer it over the Quantum and Microlight used in the BD down pieces.

BD puts a great zipper flap and zippers on all of their jackets, IMO. The construction for the garment is equally as bomber. I cut is made for slim, lanky folks with narrower shoulders than the Dead Bird stuff. I own two BD softshells, both in XL- and they work great for their intended uses (skiiing and climbing).

Good sir, I'd appreciate it folks would henceforth refer to me by my 'rap name'.