There aren’t many down jackets with Gore Tex shells out there, but they do exist. The main benefit of a Gore Tex down jacket is that the down inside stays dry. Wet down has a tendency to clump together. When the down clumps together it doesn’t do a very good job of insulating you, and so you end up getting cold, at least until the down dries out and you can get it to unclump, which can take quite a while. So whatever you can do to keep the down inside your jacket dry is good.
Gore Tex Down Jacket
What to look for when buying a Gore Tex down jacket.- Hood – If you’re going to get a Gore Tex down jacket then you might as well get one with a hood. Many people avoid down jackets with hoods for the simple reason that part of what a hood gets used for is protection from the rain, and you’re not supposed to get down wet. But the Gore Tex will keep the down dry, in a hood or anywhere else.
- Down Quality – Gore Tex is a good material, but even Gore Tex will leak water if you get it wet enough over a long period of time. For that reason, it’s actually better to get lower quality down, because the higher quality stuff is more lofty, and will lose more insulating power when it gets wet and clumps.
Best Gore Tex Down Jacket
Some of the best Gore Tex down jackets for both men and women.Men's Gore Tex Down Jacket
- The North Face Mountain Light Triclimate - The Triclimate jacket from The North Face is an ideal waterproof jacket for a wide variety of conditions. It comes with a 500+ fill down liner that can be removed when it's not cold enough to warrant all that warmth, leaving you with just a Gore Tex jacket. And the Gore Tex is the high quality 3L Pro fabric, so you know you're going to stay dry. The liner, incidentally, can be removed and worn, making this a true 3 in 1 jacket.
- Patagonia Primo Down Jacket - The Primo is billed as ski jacket, but it's equally suited to all kinds of alpine adventures. It uses a 2 layer Gore Tex outer shell, plus fairly high quality 700+ fill down. Since it's made for the snow you get a few potentially very useful features, like a snow skirt, and because it's all one piece, there are underarm zippers that you can use to stay cool when working hard.
Women's Gore Tex Down Jacket
- The North Face Mountain Light Triclimate - The Tricliamte is 3 jackets in one. The jacket itself is a very high quality 3L Pro Gore Tex shell. The 500+ fill down liner inside is removable, so you can wear either piece separately, or else both together for a very warm and waterproof jacket. So a really excellent combination of jackets that is versatile enough to keep you protected from the elements in a wide of weather conditions.
- Patagonia Primo Down Jacket - The Primo isn't a down liner and shell. Rather, it's a 2 layer Gore Tex outer that's stuffed full of 700+ fill down. It's actually made to be a ski jacket, though many of the features that make it ideal for skiing, such as a snow skirt, also make it a good choice for anything where you're going to be in the snow a lot. And since it's one piece, and not a removable liner, you also get pit zips, which are very useful if you're going to be active in the outdoors in your Gore Tex down jacket.
