What are your thoughts on the Kenai jacket? I wanted down for the weight but I want something a bit heavier for warmth and not sure I want the Pro down jacket just in case it gets wet.
The Kenai is a phenomenal synthetic jacket and I have a few buddies who swear by theirs. I don't personally own one, but had a Teton jacket until a Wirehaired Griffon named Toby had it for lunch. The Teton was their cheaper line, but very similar to Kenai in insulation material and fabric. It definitely made the list for favorite pieces of hunting gear destroyed by bird dogs. It was warm, super tough, and one of my favorite pieces of gear. Damnit Toby! Not sure what the fabric was, as the specs are hard to find on discontinued gear, but it was surprisingly good at shedding water for the first 2 seasons. I was pretty rough on it which accelerated the wear. I probably wore it for 100+ days hunting and skiing. Near the end of it's life it was probably 75% as effective as brand new, but still awesome-sauce.
The fabric on the Kenai is a 51G with DWR coating. The Super Down is a 9D. The G is for grams/m2 and D is for grams/9,000 m yarn- hard to compare except that 9D is about as ultralight you can get. From hunting with guys that have the Kenai, the material is definitely more durable, windproof and better at shedding water, but by no means going to keep you dry in a downpour. My experience with ALL DWR coatings is that they will inevitably wear and lose their water repellant properties.
In regards to the insulation, 3DeFX+ Toray is all marketing hype for classic Polyfill/Primaloft material. It uses polymer fibers like any other insulation material, the difference is slightly larger size fiber. It is rated about 30% better than "traditional" fibers in a lab according to ASTM standards. Toray never tells us what they are comparing it to. While it MIGHT have better properties, I don't suspect you are going to notice anything revolutionary about it. You'll see similar quality in most higher end synthetics found at REI or similar stores. Essentially, you know it's not cheap knockoff stuff in a typical Cabelas jacket.
The takeaway? DWR jackets with synthetic fill will do well if taken care of. All synthetic insulation loses quality with repeated wear and compression cycles. The microfibers will crack and break down. My hunch is that this is accelerated substantially when cold. Store at room temperature on a thick padded hanger to prevent a crease in the shoulder, minimize folding, avoid folding in the same places, and don't compress too often. I've learned with my synthetic to alternate between 2 folding styles, any more than that, I can't keep track. Don't use it as a pillow, and keep it out of a stuff sack. Backpacking pillows are so light these days and have one of the best ounce to quality of sleep ratio. Don't expect compressibility anywhere near down. Overall, I think it is better suited for day hunts or short 2-3 day overnights when you have room and can afford the weight. If you have bird-dogs, keep blood soaked, gamey smelling clothes in a vault.
