Water-repellent down and Thermo Max
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Takuro Hayashi, a freelance writer and photographer active in ski, snowboard and outdoor magazines, who also runs the outdoor equipment store "Transit Higashikawa" in Hokkaido, reported on the performance of this season's updated Hybrid Down Hoody.
Every material has its pros and cons. Down's pros are obvious: it's lightweight, warm, and packable, but its cons are that it doesn't get wet.
So, water-repellent down was developed to address the drawbacks of down. However, it should not be taken lightly. Water-repellent down cannot be achieved by simply dipping the feathers in a water-repellent agent. The details are trade secrets of the processing manufacturer and have not been disclosed, but in order to apply a water-repellent coating evenly to each and every fine feather, a method is used in which plasma or lasers are used to apply a water-repellent agent in the form of particles even finer than mist to the surface of the feathers.
Teton Bros. recommends using down jackets in situations where you are doing relatively little exercise and are unlikely to sweat (if you are doing intense exercise and sweating, we recommend Octa or VIVO).
Although HYBRID DOWN is designed to be used as a thermal garment for static exercise or in situations where sweating is minimal, it also takes measures to protect against sweat and getting wet.
This is because we know that the human body is constantly releasing moisture, even when you do not appear to be sweating.
Furthermore, while the water-repellent coating on down is a very stable technology, if the coating begins to peel off over many years of use, the down's shortcomings will suddenly become apparent, and if that happens, it will no longer be able to maintain its heat retention, making it pointless.
This product is designed to maintain body heat in truly harsh environments, such as snowmobiling in Montana during the dead of winter, skiing at a Colorado ski resort in the bitter cold, or exploring the backcountry in Hokkaido in February.
That's why Teton Bros. didn't rely solely on water repellency. While using down with ample loft (1000 fill power), they blended it with Thermo Max, a synthetic fiber, in a 50:50 ratio. The HYBRID DOWN HOODY's padding is mixed together before being sealed, so there's no uneven distribution of the down and synthetic fiber. Even if the down gets wet, the moisture-resistant synthetic fiber will still provide warmth throughout the garment. Additionally, Thermo Max provides strong support in the air space, preventing the down from collapsing, allowing it to maintain its heat-retaining properties to the fullest. In some cases, the down can dry out in the air space, restoring its loft.
In this way, they were able to create tough, warm clothing that focuses solely on the advantages of down, without being overly conscious of its shortcomings. They know the shortcomings of each material and combine them with other materials that have strengths that make up for them. Teton Bros. has long used a method of assigning materials to positions that can maximize their strengths, in line with individuality. HYBRID DOWN was born from the result of excellent teamwork, and is truly a product that only Teton Bros. can offer.