I currently reside in the northern suburbs of Chicago. So that should give you an idea about my winters. It’s not as harsh as yours. I don’t think that jacket will be warm enough for you as a primary jacket for winter. It’s more like a down sweater jacket. I have a similar type jacket by north face. It’s a hooded down jacket also 800 down filled. I primarily use it for light winter days when it’s not that cold. If you look at the specs it’s only 17oz. That’s not much enough insulation for really cold days. I’ll probably say I typically used it around 35 degrees Comfortably. If it’s near freezing then I’ll use a heavier coat with more down. More on reddit.com

You don't need to wash a jacket very often More on reddit.com

As you may know, there's 2 'kinds' of down: goose and duck down. Duck down generally is cheaper, but less compressible and tends to be not as durable as goose down. Also, it's not as warm for the weight. Goose down is pretty much the standard: highly compressible, warm for the weight and, given the correct care, very durable. But, goose down comes at a price. The achilles heel of down is moisture, though DWR-treated down seems to be doing a decent job. Down is categorized in fill power, expressed by numbers. Generally they go from 550 to 1000. There's a difference between the European & American rating, but that's a whole other story. In general, the higher the number, the more the down is warmer for it's weight. Fill power is literally the power the down has to fill it's space. 1000 FP has a lot more power the fill the baffels then 650 FP; so you'll need less down for the same warmth. Thus: a lighter jacket. Higher fill power comes with a higher price. So if you're looking for a decent down jacket, it's important to look at the fill power of the down. If that's not noted, I'd be wary. Like stated here already, some down is sourced in not so ok-ways. Bigger brands (Patagonia, for example) have a whole track&trace system so you can see where the down comes from. Cheaper jackets mostly mean cheaper down which mostly means... you know what I mean. There's also a difference in the baffle-system. Most lightweight jackets use a stitch-tru system, which is fine for us 3 season-lightweight backpackers. Baffles are an important aspect in a down jacket, though. They make sure the down stays in place (if the down starts shifting around, there are a lot more cold spots, and that results in a cold and miserable hiker). And finally, the fabrics. UL fabrics tend to be expensive. Mountain Hardwear uses a thin 7D-fabric for their Ghost Whisperer. Producing something like that is a challenge, because you can't use every fabric for a down jacket. The fabric has to be down-proof; the down must not escape. Trust me, sewing something thin like that is a complete nightmare. An expensive one. But fabric is a important factor when it comes to weight. I like down jackets, but I hate the shifting. That's why, as a sidesleeper who likes to move a lot in his sleep, I prefer a Climashield Apex-quilt. It requires no baffles, so there's no shifting and no cold spots. BUT that's, once again, a whole other story. But finally, to answer your question: if you buy a Ghost Whisperer, you're buying a good jacket with a very decent fabric, decent fill power, decent fill weight... But if you're happy with what you have, I'd wait until the Ghost Whisperer shows up at a discount. Hope this helps! More on reddit.com

Nobis is a lesser known brand in the US that is right up there with Canada Goose - sealed seams, double quilting, wind and water proof, lifetime guarantee… Still pricy but I haven’t seen anyone else with one. More on reddit.com