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

Looking at lightweight, packable puffy jackets with down fill (800 with 90/10 ratio) and trying to decide whether to get one with a hood or without a hood. Thoughts?

I prefer no hood and use a hat. But....... the last puffy I bought came with a hood. It's the only one I have with a hood and going to give it a try.

Love the hood on my KUIU Super Down Ultra Puffy. Really nice around camp and especially when glassing up on an open windy lookout...think sheep hunting. I even like the hood on the KUIU Peloton 240 jacket. Often put it up over a baseball style summer cap. But the KUIU hoods fit me and work good....some of the other jackets have huge hoods and don't hold the heat nor turn with your head.

I hate hoods of any kind .They restrict my sight and hearing.

If you can find one with a zip-off hood, that's ideal. There when you need it but not when you don't.

When it's windy, I like a hood. It doesn't have to be part of the coat, though. A thin hooded windbreaker or rain coat over the puffy works just as well. Any hood will keep a head a lot warmer.

I used to never wear any hooded gear, hunting or otherwise, however, once I started, I will not go hunting without at least one layer hooded. When it's really cold, or when the wind kicks up, I really value the added warmth and protection of a hood. I would not consider a cold weather jacket if it did not have a hood, they have just proven too valuable to me to be without. A ball cap and hood pair well against wind and rain. I recently had an experience of being up in a climber when a light rain started and the wind began to howl! I was able to turn my hood up and back to the wind and ride it out for an hour or two, ended up calming down near dusk and had a great hunt.

Without a doubt, for me, it's with a hood. If it's cold enough that I need a down puffy, then I want a hood, too.

No hood for me because my outer layer has a hood

I always thought the poofy WAS the outer layer.....

Hood for sure. No way I would wear a puffy without a hood.

Depends. But honestly unless it's for super cold weather (firstlite chamberlin) I don't know that it matters too much. Personal preference.

Got a 1/4 zip Kifaru puffy with hood. I think I prefer it to a down version where I use it. Worth a look at those too.

Just got this one yesterday, sent it back for a different size but generally like the weight and feel, not quite down but they have that too...https://www.kuiu.com/products/kenai-3defx-hooded-jacket-valo-camouflage?variant=40479548276894

Also prefer a hood. It does restrict sight and hearing when its up, worse than a hat, but it's also way better at sealing the top of the neck than puffies without a hood. More or less a neck warmer when it's down, and convenient to get up when you get really cold.

I had a 800/900 fill Mt Hardware puffy but eventually I gave it away bc it did not have a hood and it just was not as useful a piece of gear.

Down - hood
Synthetic - no hood

And the hood will zip right off. The full zip one has the hood sewn on. Have both...

Yes^^^^. Has long has it’s a well designed hood that actually has fit and function,

Also when the puffy has an affixed hood, tell me how it’s possible to lose the hood or not have it with when you really need it.

Nash, curious on your reasoning here?

Hood