Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Puffy jacket - hood or no hood?

I despise hoods - except on an insulated puffer or rain jacket. Count me in the hood camp.

It’s just kind of happened over time unintentionally but I’ve realized I only use my down puffies when it’s really cold in which I’m usually in high winds or glassing and want the utmost warmth.

My synthetic puffies are used more like a sweater. Worn in cool weather as an outer layer and layered under a shell(hooded), a down puffy(hooded), or both when cold.

Too many hoods becomes a PITA.

Gotcha, and yes more than one hood is too many.

It could be but mine isn't water or wind proof like my outer

I say 99.9% of the time it is. If you wear a layer over a poofy, it has to be extra big like a set of overwhites, otherwise you are smooshing your poofy and we all know that is a no-no. That would be a rare, rare occasion for me.

I hate hoods. Without!!

I can see the use in extreme cold but I seldom go below about 5 degrees F so they're not necessary for me.

I like one with a hood, so if I get cold sleeping in my quilt, I put it on, and the hood really helps. It saves me weight by serving a dual purpose of sleeping and outerwear.

With hood, likes been said if it's cold enough for a puffy I want to be able to cover my bald head. Plus some of my hunting is in the back country sleeping in a tent or truck camping sleeping in my truck and that hood is much appreciated when the temps drop.

I too am a "hood hater"....until I need one. Like one of our favorite sayings in the gun world, "it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it". The extra weight is negligible for the benefit it provides. Heck, one can now buy a lightweight wool shirt with a hood such that it is pretty much unnoticeable. Go that route and get a hoodless puffy. To me, two of the best "puffies" out there are the Kifaru LPP and the First Lite Chamberlin and they come with hoods. I know I may be stating the obvious; but, from my perspective, a hood isn't for keeping the head warm, although it does do that. It is for keeping the entire body warm by completely eliminating the neck draft. I too hate the affect the hood has on my peripheral vision and on my hearing.

I like one when it’s real cold or raining

The very useful shemag eliminates the neck draft.

Puffies are good.

Hood on a waterproof parka.

Usually a soft shell w/hood or a hooded PreCip jacket, one or more balaclavas, HotCheeks face cover, watch cap, etc. manage to show up at tailgate loadout.

Me too. a hood is great when its cold outside.

I mostly want a hood on my cold weather stuff. But its far from a deal breaker for me. I have /use both.

Hood

Hood.

This is the backpacking forum, so I assume you’re talking about backpack trips.


So definitely, hood.

My windproof waterproof outer is lose to allow my puffy underneath

Hoods are invaluable in cold weather. There is alot to be said for keeping your neck covered.

I like a hood. If I'm not using the hood, many times I'll tuck it down on the inside of the puffy so it's out of the way.

On backpacking trips I usually take 3 jackets; a puffy (either a thin one for milder temps, or a thick one for cold weather), a soft-shell and an uninsulated rain jacket. The soft-shell gets the most use so it has a hood. I wear a beanie under the hood if I need more head warmth. Of course the rain jacket has a hood. Given that the soft-shell and the rain jacket have hoods already, I don't use a puffy with a hood. Three hoods on at one time is jut too many. Of course others approach the problem differently so actual solutions will be different. This is just what works for me.

I rarely wear a hood when I'm moving, or the puffy for that matter, I overheat way too quickly and sweating sucks when it's cold. When I stop I throw the puffy on and then I'm glad to have the hood. I guess it depends on your layering system though. Like previously stated, too many hoods sucks. If your mid layer and outer layer have hoods, you probably don't need one with your puffy.