OK Thru-Hikers, some time has passed by now since Climashield XP arrived and now there is a new CS on the market, Apex.

Just thought I would check and see what opinions were on this ever advancing and changing synthetic insulation.

Any opinions yet on if this Apex stuff is any improvement at all over the XP? The ratings for loft and CLO that Ayce lists seem virtually identical to XP, if memory serves. So what are the advances, if any? Maybe more durable, maintaining loft longer(does one dare hope?). Maybe more compressible? Or did they just decide to give XP a different name and it is actually the same stuff?

On that durability/maintaining loft question: has any one noticed if their XP or Combat have been holding their loft any better than PG Delta, or PG 3D or any of the previous incarnations of Polarguard? Though actually, some folks say that the newer versions, with thinner and hollow fibers, were even worse than the earliest PG at maintaining loft.

Any way, what do you folks think? Apex better than XP or Combat, and both of those holding their loft any better than 3D/Delta?

I made a couple under quilts with combat.  One with a combination of 2.5 and 5 oz APEX.  APEX seems to have distinct outer layers that have structure and a inner layer that is pretty much pure fluff.  The outer layers are the same on both weights as far as I can tell so the extra 2.5 oz is all fluf.

I think the consistency of the thickness is better than the xp/combat.  I would definitely do some quilting on the thicker stuff especially.  I could see damage from stuffing without it.

Overall I think it’s an incremental improvement over xp/combat.

Thanks, Merganser!