First Lite Puffy Zipper

[jherald]

Since the zipper has a rubber seal I put a good bit of zipper lube on the main zipper before I started using the jacket. I've had my FL puffy for near 2 years now and its been doing fine. Try some Mcnett or Aquaseal brand zipper lube, it comes like a a tube of chapstick and really helps with zipper break in and care on any zippers.

FL is really good about customer care and warranty.

 

[COlineman78]

It's interesting that the black and pine versions do not have the waterproof zipper. I have the pine version and the zipper is fine.

 

[weedwacker42]

It's interesting that the black and pine versions do not have the waterproof zipper. I have the pine version and the zipper is fine.

My dry earth version is also without the waterproof zipper.

 

[sr80]

My fusion puffy does and pine does not have that zipper. Weird.

 

[COlineman78]

My dry earth version is also without the waterproof zipper.

Interesting as the picture on their site looks to have it.

 

[Ramcam]

Yep hate the zipper on mine.Constantly catching the lining and very hard to zip up or down.Will try some zipper lube and have the lining stitched up where it has torn through.

 

[LBFowler]

Safe to say they know about the zipper issue, I've heard it pretty consistently from FL users. I know some folks that wear a lot of first lite and they all but sew a new zipper in with the tags still on it rather then wait for it to crap out on them.

 

[weedwacker42]

Interesting as the picture on their site looks to have it.

I definitely have that waterproof zipper on my Stormtight, but my Uncompahgre is just a regular zipper. (I had to reread the thread, but I think you are still talking about the puffy). Northbranch also has the waterproof one. Fortunately, I haven't had a problem with any yet, but it sounds like something I should expect in the future.

 

[dotman]

I definitely have that waterproof zipper on my Stormtight, but my Uncompahgre is just a regular zipper. (I had to reread the thread, but I think you are still talking about the puffy). Northbranch also has the waterproof one. Fortunately, I haven't had a problem with any yet, but it sounds like something I should expect in the future.

Weird, my dry earth has the orange seal on it.

 

[jquarnberg]

My simms puffy has a number 5 ykk and they run a strip of some type of material up the inside of the zipper. Its the only puffy I have had that has zero zipper issues. It never snags and I have never had any kid of failure. Wish more companies made the puffy zipper like this, its a perfect zipper.

 

[COlineman78]

I definitely have that waterproof zipper on my Stormtight, but my Uncompahgre is just a regular zipper. (I had to reread the thread, but I think you are still talking about the puffy). Northbranch also has the waterproof one. Fortunately, I haven't had a problem with any yet, but it sounds like something I should expect in the future.

How old is your puffy? I wonder if they added or removed them to/from the dry earth. The picture on their site clearly shows the orange zipper on all but green and black.

 

[weedwacker42]

I just got mine this fall. I don't remember if I got it from FL direct or if I ordered it from mountain-archery.com or bass pro? I just got it in September I think. Maybe it's an old one?

I'd post a pic, but I've honestly never gone through the hassle of learning to do that on this forum. Definitely no orange seal like on my rain gear and North Branch. Happy to text/email someone a pic if they want to post. I don't have photobucket or any of that stuff.

 

[COlineman78]

We believe you. Maybe they have started throwing the regular zipper on all of them as the puffy isn't really designed to be waterproof anyways. Might just have an old picture on their site.

 

[LBFowler]

My simms puffy has a number 5 ykk and they run a strip of some type of material up the inside of the zipper. Its only only puffy I have had that has zero zipper issues. It never snags and I have never had any kid of failure. Wish more companies made the puffy zipper like this, its a perfect zipper.

a few years ago, everyone was using coil zips. then all of a sudden everyone seems to have jumped on the tooth zip (mostly #5 ykk) boat. Check out Patagonia, Black Diamond, Arcteryx, etc. seems coil zips are pocket-only now.

 

[First Lite]

We switched to a YKK this year in the Uncompahgre and Sanctuary. While the Oreach zippers are more waterproof we found that the extra complexity wasn't needed in a non laminate. thanks

 

[dotman]

We switched to a YKK this year in the Uncompahgre and Sanctuary. While the Oreach zippers are more waterproof we found that the extra complexity wasn't needed in a non laminate. thanks

Any plan to allow people to have their zippers upgraded?

 

[weedwacker42]

We switched to a YKK this year in the Uncompahgre and Sanctuary. While the Oreach zippers are more waterproof we found that the extra complexity wasn't needed in a non laminate. thanks

Yay! I'm not crazy!!! At least not TOO crazy!

 

[kuhn4]

In the summer of 2015 I bought a fusion uncompahgre with a standard zipper. Less than one month later I bought a second in Realtree with an Oreach waterproof zipper. Both directly from FL. I much prefer the standard zipper.

 

[LBFowler]

We switched to a YKK this year in the Uncompahgre and Sanctuary. While the Oreach zippers are more waterproof we found that the extra complexity wasn't needed in a non laminate. thanks

what size of zip?
tooth or coil?

 

[COlineman78]

The pull says it's a YKK 5CNT. Looks to be a #5 reversed coil.