WR Down poll

[OneClick]

I think one question is how much actual moisture by weight does DWR down hold vs untreated. And then in the end the only difference would be in dry times if one holds less.
Keeping dew and external moisture at bay makes the outer shell very important plus how quick shells dry is vital. Sometimes the drying window may be very small
For internal moisture created by the user, does DWR down transport vapour faster or more efficiently than non treated.

For me the ability for the entire quilt to dry very very efficiently is the most important factor. It is not like we are going to purposeful submerge our quilts so that spectrum is a non issue.
No matter what moisture will always be a management issue, so having materials that absorb the least amount of moisture will allow very quick dry times....it is not about whether a soggy insulation package will keep you warm cause you never want to get to that point ...ever.

Well said!

"Treated down" is probably a marketing ploy just like "waterproof rain jackets that breath". But it doesn't hurt anything and doesn't seem to cost much more so why not? I hear Columbia OutDry is pretty close to having a real rain jacket solution. Too bad the jacket will be sold at $200. Gore-Tex Active is also DWR free also but is rumored to cost more than OutDry!

I had my rain jacket out last weekend. Forearms/elbow area soaked after 20 minutes. That's what $150 gets you.

[RecReator]

I prefer untreated down. Mainly because a few vendors like Z-packs and UGQ have discontinued using DWR down because of possible performance issues. That being said, I have both treated and untreated down quilts and have not had any issues with either.

[skyjacker]

I agree with bkrgi. Moisture management is the key. The quilts are going to collect moisture. There's no way around it. Whether it collects on the inside or outside. Buy how much moisture it collects could be the defining difference. I will always choose treated if it's free (which is the case for most manufacturers). No reason not to at this point.

[skyjacker]

I prefer untreated down. Mainly because a few vendors like Z-packs and UGQ have discontinued using DWR down because of possible performance issues. That being said, I have both treated and untreated down quilts and have not had any issues with either.

Just curious, what DWR treatment did Z-packs and UGQ use that did not perform well? I only ask because HG and EE's down are both IDFL certified. This certification is something to look for when buying a quilt. http://www.idfl.com/

[RecReator]

skyjacker,I'm not sure what kind of certification any of them had. I couldn't find the post I saw before on the Zpacks website, but this is what UCQ's website says:
UltimaDOWN is not a hydrophobic treated down, while we have offered hydrophobic treated downs in the past we have discontinued offering them. Their benefits are marginal at best in a quilt/sleeping bag, the down will still wet out and you must still take proper precautions to protect your quilt/sleeping bag from the elements. We have also noticed that hydrophobic downs have a tendency to cling and clump causing possible thin spots if the user isn't diligent in lofting their gear. Effective April 11, 2016 hydrophobic down will not longer be offed for sale.

[skyjacker]

Thanks. This is interesting. I didn't think about clinging and clumping with a treatment. I always loft my gear real well before going down. It's still hard to imagine a quilt wetting out. How would that happen? Would hanging in fog create so much condensation mixed with your body heat that it wet's out? idk