Why Down Feathers Conquer The World Of Natural Insulation-00-4556

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For many years avid hikers and climbers have been privy to the use of down jackets, which trap in warmth more successfully than any other type of clothing. Down feathers boast a loose structure that traps the warm air and insulates the wearer; be it a person with a down jacket or a chicken or goose with down feathers.

Down feathers are found underneath the outer layer of feathers known as the tougher contour feathers and they are beautifully soft to the touch. Most bird species have down feathers with many having only down feathers during their infant years. There are different types of down that can be used for a variety of purposes. Powder down is a unique type of down feathers that is only found in a handful of birds including parrots and herons while eider down is produced by female eider ducks when they line their nest to insulate their eggs and young against the cold.

Both are commonly used as a fine thermal insulator for goods such as jackets, pillows, bedding and sleeping bags. The fluffy feathers have very few barbs or hooks and a vestigial rachis making them particularly useful as a way to stave off ...
... the cold temperatures during a hike in cold climes. The thermal properties of down-based clothing are immense as down has fantastic lofting capabilities that produce thermal barriers with its small pockets of air. As well as this unique characteristic, down feathers can also be packed tightly into small spaces, making it an ideal substance to use for stuffing jackets.

The soft feel of down clothing is another part of its appeal and pure down jackets will often include around 10 per cent of feathers to create an even more powerful insulator. Down insulation capabilities are measured by fill power so the more cubic inches that are used by an ounce of down feathers the higher fill density it has and therefore the better it works to combat the cold.

There are different densities that work for different needs. For those who wish to wear a light jacket that will keep the wearer warm enough in most climates, a rating of 500 in3/oz is more than adequate and for those expecting to conquer Mount Everest 450 in3/oz will keep you as warm as a polar bear in the North Pole.

Down is considered to be the most efficient insulating material available and as with many products there are cheaper, synthetic versions of pure down available. However the properties of man-made down are incomparable as they often weigh more and fail to trap heat with such effectiveness. Pure down jackets are an unbeatable way to stay warm in cold weathers proving Mother Nature at her best will always out-do man.

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UNIQLO offers a wide range of men's and women's clothes for all types of weather enabling people to stay fashionable whatever the season. Their lines include http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/catalogue/men/outerwear and http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/catalogue/women/outerwear, which are on sale both in store and online.