FL Source vs. Sitka Ambient vs. ??

[Macintosh]

Hoping to get feedback on differences between these and any other options I should look at, hopefully from folks who are familiar with both.

Looking for a non-hooded, synthetic insulated jacket to wear both as an outer layer and as a heavier mid-layer, mainly for hang and hunt stand hunting in northern new england (roughly 40f down to 0f when used as a mid-layer). I am a large/tall usually if it matters, 6’2” 195 lb. The above jackets I mentioned both seem spot-on, wondering about relative warmth, quietness of fabric, fit, packing size, versatility for other uses, and any other similar jackets I should check out.

Right out of the gate the FL jacket has that (gimmicky??) hole for a harness in the back—I dont use a traditional tree stand harness and I add/remove layers over a harness anyway, so this feature seems more of a negative than a positive for me, just added baggage I wont use with a potential downside. if you have any feedback on how this feature affects bulk, warmth, weatherproofness, etc Id love to hear firsthand from someone who has used it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sconnieVLP]

I have both, for static insulation while sitting in a stand I prefer the Source. It’s warmer than the Ambient is, although they are designed for different purposes with the Source trying to fill the “puffy” role and the Ambient an active insulation piece. The Source is also quieter with a brushed outer layer. Source is fairly packable, but the Ambient beats it there.

I don’t really understand what you’re trying to convey IRT the harness pass-thru, but you won’t know it’s there with the way it’s designed.

 

[Rich M]

Buy the pricier one, that one has to be better right?

 

[Macintosh]

@sconnieVLP thank you, thats great feedback. I edited my original post regarding the hole, hopefully that makes it clearer.

 

[arisakalife886]

I have the ambient and the kelvin aerolite jacket and they are both great for different reasons.
Kelvin is great for packability, rain/water resistance but it is noisy. The ambient is a little bulkier, much comfier, but also worse for wind and rain.

 

[Rxtim83]

I don’t have both, just the Source. I like it quite a bit. Very comfortable and easy to pack. Warm enough with a decent base layer to around 45 or so for me. Then I’m reaching for more clothes.

 

[TN2shot07]

I still have the Celsius (what the ambient replaced) and I’m amazed at what a difference it makes under a shell.