From left to right: KUIU Super Down Hooded Jacket, Sitka Gear Blizzard Parka, Core4element Elevation Jacket. Details for each below. Outdoorsmen have had a complicated relationship with down ever since Eddie Bauer patented the first quilted down jacket in 1940.

Down’s warmth-to-weight ratio and packability are unmatched. But it has a major technical shortcoming: If it gets wet, it loses all its insulating qualities (and takes 10 days longer than forever to dry). Too much moisture, be it from humidity, sweat, or—heaven help you—a sudden torrent of rain, and your expensive down jacket will suck up the moisture like a sponge. In …read more