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Down Coats and Jackets
The outer shell layer, wind proofing and waterproofing

Down Jackets Men's | Women's | Boys | Girls

The North Face Greenland Jacket - Women's

$248.95
The stylish North Face Women's Greenland Jacket features 550-fill down and a HyVent two-layer fabric that will keep you warm, dry, and looking good.

Traditional Materials: Barbour | Ventile | Harris Tweed | Moleskin | Shearling Travel: Zambezi twill Rhino cloth   Clothing in Antarctica
Category: Down coats | Fleece jackets | Kids winter coatsHats / gloves | Russian Fur HatsTees

There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes - Billy Connolly

This is the layer that takes the direct battering from the elements. It should be at least windproof and preferably waterproof too (but see below in very cold temperatures). Antarctica is the windiest place on earth, so don't skimp on this or imagine that you can get by with an outer garment that is "pretty windproof".

Antarctica does proper wind.
Proper biting - gets through every nook and cranny - straight to the bones - wind.

Some garments such as duvet jackets have a wind-proof outer nylon layer but are not waterproof. This has the advantage of reducing the cost and also of making the garment softer, pliable and comfortable.

Water-resistant or water-repellent are adequate if you will not use the garment in extended wet conditions or and will have the opportunity to dry it out between uses. In cold conditions, waterproof is not necessary as there's not a lot of liquid water about!

500 / 600 / 700 fill down?

What's it all mean? The number is a measure of  "fill power". This measures the amount of space taken up by one ounce of down. Take one ounce of down, compress it and then release it - on release the down will expand and fill up a certain volume. The volume it occupies is measured in cubic inches and is the down's "fill power".

So if a jacket is said to have "550 fill down" for example, it means that one once of down in the jacket will fill 550 cubic inches of space. The higher the number, the higher the quality of the down - generally.

As well as down quality, the fill power is what gives the down its insulating properties. The more the fill power, the warmer the jacket - generally.

Generally? It also depends on the amount of down in the garment too. A small amount of the highest quality down won't necessarily be warmer than a larger amount of slightly lower quality down.

Waterproof shell jackets

Waterproofing has come on leaps and bounds in recent years due to the development of new light-weight, soft waterproof fabrics that all importantly are now breathable. Old fashioned coated nylon is now only found in the cheapest of garments and is to be avoided. Materials such as GORE-TEX® mean that being waterproof no longer means that the inside of the garment becomes damp and clammy from perspiration. New ways of using the material mean that the outer surface remains soft and pleasing to the touch.

A fully waterproof shell is not required for very cold climates however and is not appropriate in that the breathable characteristics become less effective at very low temperatures. For coastal and maritime Antarctica in the summer such fabrics are ideal and I unequivocally recommend the use of an outer layer garment that is made using GORE-TEX®  in such conditions. This also has the advantage of being useful in the less cold, but often wetter conditions in everyday life, so the garment continues to be very useful for many years to come. Gore-Tex is also an excellent windproof barrier too and in appropriate conditions (above about -15°C / +5°F in my experience - though my Gore-Tex jacket is several years old now and the fabric has advanced since then) performs excellently.

See all Goretex jackets

Choosing clothing for cold and extreme weather

The ankles, wrist and neck area should also be covered with no chance of exposing bare flesh when stretching, reaching or otherwise moving around. A scarf of some kind around the neck makes all the difference to losing warm air that can be "pumped" out by even small movements.

Dressing should follow the "layer principle". The number of layers can be adjusted according to how cold the temperature is and the activity of the wearer. A three layer system is most typical:

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Layer one: underwear / base layer (can be short and thin or long and "thermal")

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Layer two: the insulating layer, tops & pants

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Layer three: outer shell layer

Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Down Jacket - Women's

$169.95
Experience a warm winter despite the frigid conditions when you zip up the 650-fill Mountain Hardwear Women's Sub Zero Down Jacket.

Canada Goose Chilliwack Melton Parka - Women's

$359.97
The Canada Goose Women's Chilliwack Wool Melton Parka brings the sophisticated look and texture of wool melton to enhance the incredible warmth only 100% duck down can provide.

Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's

$143.96
Marmot designed the Ama Dablam Men's Down Jacket to be used as an ultralight, ultra-compact mid layer for frigid January ski days and winter mountaineering.

Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Down Jacket - Men's

$274.95
The Mountain Hardwear Men's Sub Zero SL Hooded Jacket surrounds you with 650-fill down for the coldest possible conditions this winter.

The North Face McMurdo Down Parka - Men's

$338.95
The North Face McMurdo Parka gives you urban expedition style with Antarctica-capable weather protection.

Marmot Venus Down Jacket - Women's

$159.95
Wear the Marmot Women's Venus Down Jacket alone when you're scurrying from bar to bar under a clear moonlit sky or wear it under a shell for added warmth when the pressure drops and the clouds dump their loads.

The North Face Nuptse Jacket - Women's

$198.95
Good lookin' and warm, warm, warm, the Nuptse Jacket is one of The North Face's best-selling jackets. With 700-fill down, it's super toasty, lightweight, and highly compressible. If you're prone to cold, you'll dig this jacket.

The North Face Nuptse Jacket - Boys

$124.95
The North Face Boys Nuptse Jacket is the most versatile down jacket in TNF's Boys line. It can be worn alone in cold, dry conditions or under a weatherproof shell for complete snow and rain protection.

The North Face Clear Nuptse Jacket - Girls

$124.95
The North Face Girl's Nuptse Jacket keeps your little gal warm and cozy with high-loft 600-fill down insulation.

The North Face Greenland Jacket - Girls

$178.95
The North Face Greenland for Girls provides the best warmth and weather protection you can get.

Down Jackets - Winter 2007 / 2008 stock Men's | Women's | Boys | Girls

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Copyright 2001 Paul Ward  copyright issues  |  privacy policy  |     |  Last modified:  January 01, 2009