Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Warmest puffy?

Polartec is a brand that makes a ton of different fabrics from outer layers all the way down. Primaloft is makes different products too but 99% of the time it is used by clothing manufacturers as a lightweight, lofty insulation material, which means it is in mid and outer layers.

Another quick question for you bwinters.

And before I ask it, I want to thank you for your time in answering and responding to my comments.

When you are referring to patagonia capilene, you sometimes use a number behind it. Do those numbers indicate how much insulation in that particular piece?

Patagonia recently changed it's nomenclature. It used to be Capilene 1, 2, 3 with lightest weight with the lowest number. Now they go by Daily, Lightweight, Midweight, Thermal weight. Those correspond to Capilene 1, 2, 3, 4. I have the Cap 1 and 2 I wear hiking. Gonna evaluate using them.for hunting purposes.

I'm no expert on all this - others are likely reading this going "duh", but I've never been accused of being the brightest bulb - just passing on what I'm finding. I also really like the contributions others have made. 12 pages and no pissing matches or name calling yet!

I am curious what others experience with base layers in mountain hunting scenarios. Please post!

Not really a gear head anymore, but this puffy has 50 reviews and 5 stars, and that's hard to pull off for a hunting puffy/parka.

Kifaru Lost Park Parka

Good thread. In my experience, I have found Merino works well as a base layer, but only if it is very light. I prefer nothing heavier than a 150 weight in Merino when used as a base layer. I have lots of heavier Merino and it works well as mid-layers.
I have used primarily Merino as base layers for the past 15 or so years, but recently have gone back to synthetic, using the Sitka Gear Core Lightweight Hoody.

https://www.sitkagear.com/products/big-game-subalpine/next-to-skin/core-light-weight-hoody

It does a great job of moisture transfer and with the hood, I can get by most times with just a ball cap for head insulation.
The Sitka can overheat me if my mid layer is too much.

Recently I have been using the Patagonia NanoAir Light Hoody as my primary wind/mid layer. It is a great piece, I only wish it were a full-zip for greater ventilation. In early fall, I did overheat some in it.
This past weekend, I sewed a zipper into the hood of my NanoAir Hoody, so that I can zip on my wolf fur ruff. I now have what I believe to be the ultimate winter garment.
A fur ruff is amazing in very cold temperatures. At -10 the other day, I zipped the hood all the way up and my nose felt like it instantly went from Fairbanks to Honolulu.
I can layer a light fleece or synthetic vest or jacket under the NanoAir, as well as layer over it with a big puffy or W/B shell. Having the ruff on my wind/mid layer is working out much better than having it only on a shell or big puffy.

I'll post up some photos of the NanoAir with ruff.
As far as a puffy, I still use a Mont-Bell Thermowrap parka a lot. Thoughl not "puffy" in looks due to the insulation it works well in most conditions.
A Feathered Friends Helios parks that is over 20 years old, gets the call when it is vey cold and I want down. A 30+ year old Black Ice down parks is overkill for nearly anything north of the Antarctic, but has functioned as a great ice fishing parka.

Another thing to consider for a "puffy" is something like the HPG Serape or Thermarest Honcho Poncho. I have used the former quite a lot and currently use the later.
The longer length makes them great to pull on for long glassing sessions and both can be used as a quilt. I have used the Honcho Poncho as extra quilt in cold conditions and even used it as both my insulation and sleeping quilt both in the summer and on winter trips to Forest Service cabins that are wood heated.

https://hillpeoplegear.com/Products/CategoryID/4/ProductID/19

https://www.thermarest.com/catalog/product/view/id/16680/category/111/

Polartech is generally a moisture wicking base layer of some sort- think fleece. Primaloft is generally a synthetic version of goose down for insulation- think puffy coat.





After a couple years of testing, trying, learning, and exercising clothing systems and measuring how how quickly they wet out, fast they dry, how warm, etc. I'm having a hard time finding anywhere for pure merino in a performance clothing system- and this is from someone that HATED synthetics beforehand. For wear around town, general clothing I still like merino, and for super arid conditions it has some benefits, but for general mountain hunting, backpacking, etc. synthetics just perform better. The merino/synthetic blends look to be a very good option as well. The Firstlite Areowool is doing really well and while merinos dry times are about double synthetics- maybe a bit more, the Aerowool is about 10-15% longer than pure synthetic. It also maintains the good qualities of merino with regards to feel and lack of stink.








That's exactly what I would have, and did say, as well.... right up until we started measuring it. It's pretty hard to convince anyone how good merino is at "warm when wet" when you're 3 hours in a spotting session and absolutely freezing because your still wet, yet your partners are warm as can be and dry in synthetics.









I've got right at 60 days of wear this year with the Lost Park as my sole puffy. I really like Anoraks so prefer what is usually the biggest complaint (lack of full length zipper). I've used it from 11k feet while snowing in below zero temps, to 60 degrees and raining, and everything in between. The first thing to say is everywhere you read people will Ben saying how it's a "furnace" and ridiculously warm. It's a matter of perspective, as it has to be the first puffy of people that claim it's so warm. It's made with 3.6oz Climashield Apex- that Ian exactly the same as Kifaru's 20 degree sleeping bags. Due to reduced body coverage, airflow, etc. that means it's about a 30 degree jacket which is exactly where it's fallen for me so far.
With a lightweight base layer, and light to mid weight fleece am fine the Lost Park I'm good to around 30-35 degrees stationary. With moderate movement I've been fine to below zero.

None of that should be taken admin a slight in the jacket- it's actually the first puffy I pick for most things. Just wanted to give some reality to most of the reviews that you'll see.

Been trying to find someone who had used one. Any thoughts on whether it would be adequate for glassing at 10k if over a capalene base and a Sitka Kelvin Active? Possibly a rain jacket over it all as a wind blocker. From what you wrote above I’m thinking another layer may be a consideration. I do have a Kuiu super down puffy I could add

It's all on the temperature and the person, but with a base layer, the Kelvin Active and the LPP, I'm good to around 10-15 degrees stationary for long periods. That's actually a really versatile system.

Perfect, thanks

Great thread, thanks to Bwinters for the effort (sweat effort).

Looking forward to a similar thread on bottoms (pants), when this one is done.

And then socks!

I've been using the Cap 1 and 2 exclusively for years now. I find that a R1 Hoody works better for me, over a Cap1or2.The Cap3&4 have been languishing in my closet for years.

For socks, I've settled on Smartwool liners (50% Merino, 50% poly) with Smartwool extra heavy cushion socks. I'm looking more for the cushion aspect than warmth. That system seems to work good for me but my feet don't sweat much unless I'm really exerting myself as in carrying out an animal or hiking when it's fairly warm.

What do others use?

I use a tip from form and wear Injinji toes socks for liners. They make synthetics and wool blends. And Smartwool or Darn Tough on top.

Works for me.

As far as base layers, I stay away from anything more than "lightweight" for hunting in the mountains. And it's not just the "weight" but also the weave of the fabric and how open it is. Heavier fabric and/or tighter weaves don't move sweat as well and some of the stuff I've worn is just too warm for climbing. You can always put another layer on but you can't do anything about a base layer that's too warm. I prefer the zip necks over crew necks because they're a little more versatile and warmer when you zip them up.

We go over this stuff in our hunter ed. classes and bring in different layers for the students to see. For base layers to be used for hunting in the mountains we tell them to hold up the fabric to the light and if you can't see through the weave it's going to be too heavy for anything other than being stationary.

Great video demonstrating the differences between synthetic and merino. I think I'll be moving towards synthetic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHFBMT_pR9Y&t=0s

This has been the most informative and least acrimonious thread I have read in along time, thanks all.

I grew up wearing wool in the mountains and gratefully switched to synthetics in the late 1970s. If you regularly spend cold times where you can make a fire wool works better. If you want to dry out from body heat syns rule.

Injini sox are magic.


mike r

I use a thin sock such as Cabela’s Thermax under a wigwam merino wool sock.

I dunno, I kind of like having holes in my clothes, makes for better ventilation.

Those Injini Hikers look awesome. At least the materials appear to be designed for moisture management which is what I need.