Not another puffy question...

[The Minimalist Hunter]

I am apparently a gear whore.

Now that we have that out of the way,

What really matters in a puffy?

I have been doing a ton of digging to understand fill, insulation types and shell materials.

I have an Amazon brand puffy. I really like it for the 22$ I got it on sale for. The fit is OK, it's a big huge in the body. It's surprisingly warm (but not having any experience with a higher end puffy it might not be as warm as something else) it's even kinda wind resistant.
It's decently quiet unless its super cold (I have shot 5 or 6 deer in it, and it generally doesn't do anything great or poorly.

However, I have this strong desire to upgrade for no other reason than I really want to.

I am looking at a few options.

Sitka Celsius Midi-
Eddie Bauer cirrus lite hooded
Sitka aerolite hooded
Sitka kelvin lite down

I can't quite figure out what really matters in a puffy. Here is what I want the puffy to be able to do-

I want a packable puffy that I can take elk hunting so I can glass, wear it to bed at night to stay warm and wear first thing in the morning because I'm turning into a freeze baby.

I want a puffy that I can take deer and turkey hunting that isn't so loud that it will spook deer on a calm cold morning. I can wear it under a quiet fleece or shell too, so I guess this isn't my #1 priority.

Camo is unimportant to me in a puffy. If it's camo, amazing. If it's earth tone, amazing. If it's blue or bright yellow, I'm out. Lol

Dwr might be nice to have to slick light precip off.

Price is relatively unimportant to me in this case. I'd love to buy it on sale if possible but if it's something that I will love, I will pay for quality and dependability.

I want something durable enough to not need to be super careful. I'm not gonna wear it busting brush, but I use my gear. This cheap one has held up so far.

Having never owned anything down except my sleeping bag... is down the way to go or is synthetic better for my use?

Is there one puffy that will meet my needs, or am I stuck with a two puffy (or 3 let's be serious I'll end up buying a vest too I'm sure) system for early/ mid season and one for cold cold?

Are expensive puffy jackets really that much warmer? Am I missing out by not having a better puffy?

I have read through a bunch of forums here and Google it to the point where now all the ads on my phone are for puffy jackets...

Help me figure out what I really need

I have worn the zip off Kuiu down pants and jacket since they first released them. They are legit and you can regulate the heat with the zippers. I often will hunt with no outer layer, just the down. Just be careful how you move through the woods and you’ll be fine. Zippers are key imo.

 

[sneaky]

Goosefeet Gear will make you a puffy with however much down you want in it. Custom just like Nunatak does. Will it be cheap? Nope. But you can get exactly what you want.

 

[ForlohFamily]

FORLOH - Thermoneutral Down is Buy 1 Get 1 30% off - NOW until 10/2 - don't miss out.

FORLOH | 100% Made in the USA | Hunting & Outdoor Clothing & Gear

Premium manufacturer of American-made jackets, pants, shirts, and tops for camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, watersports and other outdoor activities partners with Willie Robertson, best known for starring in and executive producing A&E's Duck Dynasty. He is also the founder of Buck Commander &...

forloh.com

 

[Erussell01]

FORLOH - Thermoneutral Down is Buy 1 Get 1 30% off - NOW until 10/2 - don't miss out.

FORLOH | 100% Made in the USA | Hunting & Outdoor Clothing & Gear

Premium manufacturer of American-made jackets, pants, shirts, and tops for camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, watersports and other outdoor activities partners with Willie Robertson, best known for starring in and executive producing A&E's Duck Dynasty. He is also the founder of Buck Commander &...

forloh.com

Dang thats a great deal!

 

[ForlohFamily]

 

[ForlohFamily]

24 hour Flash Sale!

Free Shipping $99+* | Pay Over Time | Free Returns**​ To celebrate the first snowfall of the season at our flagship store in Whitefish, Montana we are having a special 24 HOUR FLASH SALE on our Snowfall Camoflauge ThermoNeutral Down for the ENTIRE FAMILY!​ SHOP SNOWFALL DOWN NOW​

 

[carsonkeys]

24 hour Flash Sale!

What’s the fill weight of your jackets?

 

[ForlohFamily]

What’s the fill weight of your jackets?

650 fill RDS organic duck down

Men's ThermoNeutral Down Jacket

Not your ordinary men’s puffer jacket, this down hunting jacket has been tested to the extreme. Waterproof, insulated, & packable for any outdoor adventure. Shop here.

forloh.com

 

[carsonkeys]

650 fill RDS organic duck down

Men's ThermoNeutral Down Jacket

Not your ordinary men’s puffer jacket, this down hunting jacket has been tested to the extreme. Waterproof, insulated, & packable for any outdoor adventure. Shop here.

forloh.com

And how many oz of 650 fill RDS organic duck down per jacket?

 

[ForlohFamily]

And how many oz of 650 fill RDS organic duck down per jacket?

7.5oz

 

[carsonkeys]

7.5oz

That makes your jacket one of the warmest made by a hunting brand. I bet you’d sell more if you included that info on the product page.

 

[DakotaBPNW]

7.5oz

What made you go with duck vs goose down?

 

[ForlohFamily]

That makes your jacket one of the warmest made by a hunting brand. I bet you’d sell more if you included that info on the product page.

I know, it's an amazing piece and the warmth is outstanding . Our marketing, ecommerce team, is working to get all the weights updated.

 

[ForlohFamily]

What made you go with duck vs goose down?

USA baby!! All of our gear is sourced and produced in America. One of our core values is that we support US local with the best quality and warmth on the market.

 

[stephen_seeks]

I know, it's an amazing piece and the warmth is outstanding . Our marketing, ecommerce team, is working to get all the weights updated.

We need a hooded version!

 

[DakotaBPNW]

USA baby!! All of our gear is sourced and produced in America. One of our core values is that we support US local with the best quality and warmth on the market.

Is it tougher to find goose down in the US? My understanding is that you lose fill power between the two.

 

[Juan_ID]

I get pretty nerdy about this stuff...here's a spreadsheet below that's really helped me quantify warmth and therefore value. There's a few notable jackets missing because they don't list the fill weight and therefore are out of contention for me and my numbers brain (looking at you, Firstlite Chamberlin). Hope this helps.

Company	Fill Power	Fill Weight (oz)	Total Weight (oz)	Coating	Warmth Scale
Stone Glacier	850	5.3	11.8	Pertex Quantum Shell	4505
Feathered Friends Helios	900	7.8	18	Pertex Endurance LT	7020
Rab Positron Pro	800	10.6	27	Pertex Quantum Pro	8480
Montbell Permafrost Parka	800	9.5	25.7	30D Gore Windstopper	7600
Mammut Meron IN	900	4.9	14.8		4410
Black Ovis Anchor Point Jacket	800	4.2	12		3360
Stellar Equipment M Ultralight Down Hood 2.0	850	5 (in XL)	12	HyperDRY	4250
Kuiu Super Down Pro	850	5	13.4	Quixdown	4250

What do the “warmth scale numbers” translate to? I notice the heavier jackets are 7000+ while the stone is the highest rated of the lighter options.

 

[ForlohFamily]

Is it tougher to find goose down in the US? My understanding is that you lose fill power between the two.

 

[carsonkeys]

What do the “warmth scale numbers” translate to? I notice the heavier jackets are 7000+ while the stone is the highest rated of the lighter options.

I’m not 100% sure on your question.

Unless you have a jacket on the list to use as a “base”, breaking it down to percentages and comparing jackets makes the most sense to me, personally.

 

[Juan_ID]

I’m not 100% sure on your question.

Unless you have a jacket on the list to use as a “base”, breaking it down to percentages and comparing jackets makes the most sense to me, personally.

Did you make that spreadsheet? If so what does the “warmth scale” number mean?
Stone glacier- 4505 “warmth scale”
Rab positron pro-8480 “warmth scale”