Wool vs Down

[Problem Child]

I bought a cheap 550 fill down jacket a few weeks ago from the "bargain cave" and I'm starting to like it better than my wool(and I have some good wool).
This is my first down jacket.What are the pros and cons of down?

[stevem]

I think down is great if it stays dry. It's light and insulates well.  One shortcoming is the material around the down is usually noisy. If you get it wet, forget about being comfortable and plan for a long drying out session.

[Taiga Recurve]

Just like stevem said, good til it's wet. Down is good city clothing.

[McDave]

Other than what stevem said, down is usually more bulky than wool, so it can sometimes interfere with shooting the bow.

If it stays dry, I can't imagine anything more lightweight and warmer than down.

[cacciatore]

When I am hunting in very cold weather or in the mountains I wear a down vest under my wool/rain gear so it will stay pretty dry and not so bulky.

[ermont]

A down vest or thin down jacket is always in a stuff sack in my backpack. Takes up no room and comes in handy when the temp starts to drop. I don't wear wool anymore. Just too heavy.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Down is great and warm, But IMAO it is best for a cover at bed time. Like others has said, it gets wet it's done till it is dry.. And then You have to put it in a dryer with a tennis ball to fluff it back up to keep you warm outside.

[Bobaru]

Fall in the creek with wool, and it's just a mishap.  Fall in the creek with down, and you better think about getting to a heat source before hypothermia sets in.

I usually use synthetics, and have listened closely to Tony Russ up in Alaska.  I do like wool a lot but don't usually wear much of it. I've long ago gotten rid of all my down as I have too much of a habit of getting wet while hunting.

[Lost Arra]

        for down jacket or vest in bitter cold.

Keeping it dry has never been a problem for me. It isn't exactly delicate but you fall in the creek with Bobaru you might have a problem. I would probably disagree about falling in the creek with wool. You might not be able to move from the weight.    

I like my wool but in bitter cold, a down layer is the ticket for me.

[ron w]

The best of both worlds......down shirt under a wool shirt jac. Toasty!!!

[reddogge]

I wear a lightweight down jacket and wool shirt under my waterproof shell when hunting very cold weather mostly for rifle, waterfowl, etc.  Since I have to pack the jacket and a heavy wool shirt in a pack for a long hike in the morning I like it because it weighs nothing.

[Paul WA]

Down is good for Norweigan Yuppies...PR

[jhg]

I always carry a packable down vest.
 The best, lightest and warmest insulator bar none. Its what those of us use who know how easy it is to keep it dry.
 Would I pull it out in a torrential rain with no  shell? No. But it only takes up the space of a baseball packed and weights nothing. I think some of you are missing out that do not design it into your clothing systems.
Down is a great asset if used smart.

When its cold and you are sitting a set up nothing beats that heatalator around your torso. Ahhhhhh.

Joshua

[larry]

down is still one of the best insulators there is, and it's very light weight. sure if it gets wet it's not going to do you any good. but I sure don't understand everyone who says wool will still keep you warm if it's wet...yeah, maybe if it's 50-60 degrees out and you walk as fast as you can...but if it's below 30 and your wool gets wet, guess what? you're wet and your cold. don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down wool, I use it all the time, but it's not the end all.

[Don Stokes]

Larry, you can wring it out and it will retain your body heat better than anything else when wet. I use nothing but wool gloves for that reason. People say that about wool because it's true. I once managed to pull myself off the front of a flatbottomed boat while duck hunting, trying to scull past a stob and avoid a blowdown. There was skim ice on the river, but fortunately I was wearing a thick wool sweater. I made the rest of the float trip in reasonable comfort. I don't think I was in the water more than two seconds, but it was enough!

I like down too, usually under something else. I have much better freedom of movement with a down vest when it's really cold, as opposed to a full insulated coat. I'll carry it to my stand, though, to keep from overheating on the way. Like others have said, it takes up practically no space and has negligible weight.

[greg fields]

down= more bulk
wool= less bulk, warmer when wet,

[Lost Arra]

>>down= more bulk<<

Greg: you need to shop around a little more for your down vest or jacket.  We aren't talking about down parkas for hunting.    

[ti-guy]

Birds are using their natural oil to prevent down from beeing soaked.

[Spectre]

Wool outergarments and silk undergarments for me. Warm and comfy even when drenched. Surprisingly comfortable if it warms up a bit, too.

[lpcjon2]

Down is lighter and can be compressed by outer garments.It makes a great base layer.Its a lot cheaper than wool,its not as heavy as wool.It dries quicker than wool. If the environment you hunt in is cold with less precipitation use the down.JMHO