Waterproofing
I have really only tested this attribute of the Kickstart during light slush/rain events, primarily on my commute to and from school and on 5-15 minute speed walks from building to building. In these conditions, I have been pleased with the jacket’s DWR coating; it has kept the down insulation dry, allowing it to keep my body warm.
Cold, dry snow just falls off the jacket like a typical nylon shell, and when I know it’s really going to pour (rain), I keep a Gore-Tex shell ready to throw over the Kickstart.
Packability
The Kickstart Jacket has neither a small stuff sac, nor a pocket that doubles as a stuff sac (like the one found on the Komati), and it takes up some space when uncompressed. It feels about three times as puffy as the Komati, and similar in size/bulk to the Arc’teryx Cerium LT Hoody. Fortunately, the jacket does compress down to nearly the same size as the Komati (roughly the size of a Nalgene bottle). In fact, I can stuff the Kickstart into the Komati’s chest pocket/stuff sac with ease.
Durability
I really don’t have too much to say yet in this area, which is a good thing. Although I’ve spent a great deal of the past 5 months in this jacket, the only slight problem I’ve had so far is a single thread coming loose at the elastic wrist cuff. I simply tied a half hitch in the thread, trimmed the loose ends, and haven’t had any other issues since. There are no tears or signs of wear anywhere on the jacket, and the zippers look and feel as good as new.
On top of providing some water resistance, the jacket’s DWR coating has also performed well at keeping the jacket clean. I haven’t washed the jacket since it arrived, and it still looks like new.
Speaking of not washing, I’ve heard a few criticisms regarding the smell of duck down, but the Kickstart has no odor at all.
One last impressive thing to note about the jacket is that not a single feather has made it’s way completely through the shell fabric; only a couple have peeked through before returning back into their home inside. This is in stark contrast to the Arc’teryx Cerium LT Hoody Stella Selden reviewed, which initially lost quite a few feathers through it’s shell material.
Bottom Line
For people who run particularly warm or are looking for an insulator for touring, there are certainly more breathable insulating options out there. However, if your number one priority is to stay warm in cold conditions, the Scott Kickstart Jacket is a nice, affordable option.