Thanks Jen. Sounds good. According to the sizing chart measurements I should go with a S, so you recommend going a size down? Would there still be room for a thin sweater underneath? Thanks!

I'm 5'4 and 120. Based on height and arm span alone, the small was too big. The XS is great. I generally wear Small with everything else except for this product and some of the thumbholed Flight Series items.

Once the down comes out, don't keep pulling it out. Pull the down back from the other side so that it goes back into where it came from. It'll stop. If you keep pulling them out, they will keep coming out. If you have an issue with it, you can drop it off at any TNF store and they can send it into warranty for free for you. What warranty does at that time is up to warranty and has nothing to do with the store--Meaning, it is not the store's decision how it is handled.

800 fill simply means that it is using a higher quality down than the 700. Essentially, there is more down and less feather (the stuff with the quill). Down keeps you warm, not the feathers, since the down has the loft or the "poof" which traps the warm air. The fill power is determined by placing one ounce of down in a graduated cylinder and seeing what volume is occupied by it. The higher the fill powder, the more volume. This means that it is more efficient and can do the same job by using less down.

Hi Kate - This is a common misconception with down jackets. The 800 fill rating does not mean it will be warmer than a 700 fill jacket - it simply tells you the grade of the down that goes into the jacket, not how much of it goes into the jacket. In the case of the Nuptse jacket, it probably has at least twice as much down fill than the Thunder jacket, so the difference between 700 fill and 800 fill won't outweigh the total amount of insulation going into the jacket. The Thunder jacket is made more for milder temperatures and also to be used as a layering piece, where the Nuptse is your middle of the winter super insulated down jacket.
Hope this helps

Yes 800 fill means it will be warm!

It is 25" inches in length (center back measurement, which measures from the bottom of back of the collar).
Hope this helps

It does not. The zipper teeth and size are completely different. The Nuptse Vest, on the other hand, will zip into the shell.

Arctic Parka from The North Face. Waterproof, windproof, down insulated, and is a longer coat so it offers more weather protection. The Thunder Jacket is more appropriate as a mid-layer in most instances, and definitely for your daughter's purpose.

Purchase Nikwax's Down Cleaner or ReviveX's Down Cleaner. Follow instructions on bottle; you can machine wash this jacket. The key part of doing it right is the drying process. You MUST dry it in a dryer and on the lowest heat setting possible. Otherwise, you risk burning the down. You will also need to place a few tennis balls into the dryer with it (about 4 is right). That is the most important part. It will help loft and re-fluff the down jacket. You must make sure it dries all the way in the drier using this method or else you will get the down clumping and you will have to start all over from the beginning meaning you will have to wash it again.

I've done this with down comforters, down sleeping bags, and my own jackets.

It is in the middle - not as shiny as the Aconcagua, but not a true matte finish either. Really nice fabric. It is nowhere near as bulky as the Nuptse - it is really a down sweater more than a down jacket. It can be worn as a layering piece where other down jackets cannot.

OH yeah i forgot to mention, did you not also read the weight of the jacket? it says that it weighs 11.8 oz. Thats less the a pound. Next time you want to know about a jacket, all the info is on the side on the same page, you just have to read it.

Ok look the more fill down the best warmth. Did you look at the recommended usage of the thunder down jacket? It says for ICE CLiMBiNG, ALPiNE CLiMBiNG & WiNTER BACKPACKiNG!!! THAT MEANS ITS AT THE BEST LEVEL OF WARMTH. Do you understand what ice climbing is?? TRUST ME thats a PRETTY WARM JACKET ;)

Fill is measured in cubic inches per ounce. So higher number of cubic inches of loft means that for the same weight, much more air is trapped and the jacket is a lot warmer. More warmth for the weight, plus higher fill compresses more, hence the price difference. The higher number means more finely lofted feather which produces many more smaller air pockets in the down and increases the volume while maintaining the same density (weight). Also it is stated that as long as it retains its loft, it works for every day usage. The higher down numbers (+800) matter most for expedition usage.