Dakine Drift Down Jacket Review
November 5, 2012
76 The Good
- Good price
- Powder skirt, wrist gaiters seal out snow
- Long hem length
- Lightweight
The Bad
- Less weatherproof
- Hood not helmet compatible, but zips off
- Kind of bulky
Dakine’s Drift Down is a super warm jacket whose 550-fill down insulation helps keep the price a little lower. Tricked out with snowsports features with a relaxed fit for dynamic riding—though it’s a bit too relaxed around the waist, making it a bit bulky.
Materials
The outer shell is recycled polyester ripstop with a durable waterproof repellent finish to keep the insulation dry in wet snow. Some seams are taped for waterproofness, but the baffle stitching let water in eventually, meaning this is definitely a cold-weather-only rig. The 550-fill down isn’t as light or lofty as 700 and 800-fill feathers, but helps bring the cost down and is just as warm.
Features
The Drift’s relaxed fit means freedom, but I found the jacket to be too big around the waist, so felt billowy and bulky. On the plus side, the hem is quite long, to keep snow out of your pants and waist even when sitting on the chairlift. The hood is a bit small for some helmets, but can zip off, as can the powder skirt. The pit zips are mesh-backed to keep powder out if you want to ride with them open (in case of overheating), and the wrist gaiters are a cozy way to keep heat in and snow out. There are six pockets to keep you organized.
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