The Hfx Performance Jacket is a mid-weight winter jacket made of DWR-treated 7D Ballistic Airlight nylon with Super/DS Stretch material. It offers excellent mobility and durability. It is also a good value for money. This article will take a look at some of its key features.
Super/DS Stretch
For the price of a hooded women’s jacket, the Mountain Hardwear Super/DS Stretchdown Hooded weighs 15 ounces. In contrast, popular competitors like the Patagonia Down Sweater and the Outdoor Research Transcendent weigh less. The downside of the Super/DS Stretchdown Hooded is that it’s bulky and has little room for pockets. The good news is that you can easily pack the jacket down into a sub-1 liter stuff sack.
This down jacket has a few good features, such as a down fill made of 80 percent post-consumer recycled materials and a large, roomy chest pocket with a headphone port. Unfortunately, it lacks many of the functional features of a technical layer, such as belt and harness compatibility. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice for casual wear.
The Super/DS StretchDown Jacket is made of 700-fill power goose down, a relatively modest amount compared to down jackets in the same weight class. Rab’s Microlight Alpine uses five ounces of 700-fill down, while the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody has 800-fill down. It is also made with welded seams, which trap heat better than traditional baffles. But it’s worth noting that the Super/DS Stretchdown isn’t as warm as the other two options, so keep that in mind when shopping for a down jacket.
1000 fill power down
Until now, a thousand-fill-down jacket was a scarce commodity. It is expected to become more readily available this year, but the price will likely be higher than usual. For example, Mountain Hardwear created only 2,000 Ghost Whisperer UL jackets with this fill power. Therefore, you can expect to pay at least $50 more than you would for a jacket with a lower fill power.
Despite the high price tag, this jacket packs down in a compact package and provides adequate warmth. Its 1000-fill power down provides the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any jacket on the market. The lightweight construction makes it an excellent choice for ultralight backpacking and thru-hiking. The jacket is available in a wide range of sizes, from S to XXL, so you can choose one based on the size you’ll need.
The down-to-feather ratio is an essential indicator of the quality of the fill. It tells you how much down is in the jacket and how much of it is composed of feathers. The product is more likely to be high-quality when the ratio is higher. Down is more insulating than feathers, so it is the material of choice for good-quality insulated jackets.
DWR-treated 7D Ballistic Airlight nylon outer fabric
Nikwax offers wash-in and spray-on DWR products to extend the life of technical fabrics. These products can be applied to the exterior fabric to repel water and help dry the garment. The down insulation in this jacket is 1,000 fill power, the highest fill power of any down jacket on the market, and offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio.
A water-repellent finish keeps water from penetrating the down insulation in a down coat. It also allows moderate moisture to escape. Most brands of down coats incorporate a DWR-treated outer fabric. This finish prevents water from penetrating the down insulation while allowing moderate amounts to escape.
