Outside Magazine - SD Gnar Lite
November 2, 2012
Download PDF VersionSierra Designs Gnar Lite
"The trend in insulation this year is water-resistant down, like the stuff inside Sierra Designs' Gnar Lite. By treating each feather with a special coating, Sierra figured out how to keep down dry up to 10 times longer."
"Each goose feather inside the water-resistant Gnar Lite is coated with a hydro-phobic treament marketed to keep the down dry "10 times longer" and, should you still manage to wet it through, dry out "33 percent faster" than old-fashioned feathers. To test those claims, we wore this basic sweaterlike coat - it weighs a scant 10 ounces and packs to the size of a grapefruit - as a layer and on its own. During a cold and seriously drizzly March hike, it took about 30 minutes to wet through. Though it did get a big clumpy, the jacket retained some loft (and thus warmth) despite being almost moist enough to wring out a sleeve."
