Puffy Comparison

[JeremiahH]

Killed two bulls at under 15 yards with my stick bow while wearing a puffy jacket.

I understand people wanting to be quiet but you are right movement will be the first thing to mess up a stalk.


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I was just talking to a buddy yesterday how awesome it would be to have a "puffy" with the outer material of a soft shell. I think the versatility would be amazing. Especially replacing packing in some of these very heavy tree stand jackets.
Sometimes your tree stand is a bit nm of a hike from the truck or camp. Yeah it would be a bit heavier than the standard puffy but I'd pack it if I could use it for more than just glassing and camp. Add some pit zips and you'd have a pretty awesome piece.
Not sure why they haven't produced one yet. Maybe too hard to develop quiet material without risking down loss , idk

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[Kotaman]

I was just talking to a buddy yesterday how awesome it would be to have a "puffy" with the outer material of a soft shell. I think the versatility would be amazing. Especially replacing packing in some of these very heavy tree stand jackets.
Sometimes your tree stand is a bit nm of a hike from the truck or camp. Yeah it would be a bit heavier than the standard puffy but I'd pack it if I could use it for more than just glassing and camp. Add some pit zips and you'd have a pretty awesome piece.
Not sure why they haven't produced one yet. Maybe too hard to develop quiet material without risking down loss , idk

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Sitka Incinerator

 

[JeremiahH]

Sitka Incinerator

Yeah that thing is pretty sweet. Little off price point for a good majority of hunters.
One jacket or a kifaru pack system ? Lol
Also not bad but a little heavier than I think some other company could make one maybe. I'll wait patiently haha

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[RustyHazen]

Down has to loft to insulate. Heavy, durable fabrics will just crush down plumes, not allowing them to “puff up.” Down jackets use ultra light fabrics for loft more than just weight.

 

[fbhandler]

There’s a great thread a few pages back on here. It compares and discusses all of the puffys. Lots of great info.

Anyone got a link or know the title of this thread... not seeing it

 

[Ariettabob]

Anyone got a link or know the title of this thread... not

Anyone got a link or know the title of this thread... not seeing it

Puffy Comparison: Tear It Up!
Sorry, I couldn’t get a link for you but this is the title and it’s on the bottom of page 16 right now

 

[SidTheKidd]

The Uncompagre is not “warm”. That jacket is actually one of the reasons that a few years ago we started an eval to actually figure out how warm puffys really are. I heard nothing but how the Uncompagre is “an oven” and “ridiculously warm”, etc. I got it in hand and said “this is a joke”, but took everyone’s word for it and froze my fugging butt off in 35 degree weather. It has the equivalent insulation to a 45-50 degree sleeping bag. Turns out when people say “stationary” what they really mean is not sprinting up mountains after bugling elk. They don’t really mean stationery.






Haven’t used or seen enough of the Kuiu used to say, other than going off of their fill weight.


A couple years ago, after a few of us got tired of near hypothermia even though we were using clothing that everyone kept assuring us was “like an oven”, we started measuring as best as possible what temperatures puffys were really warm to. Our standard was “comfortable”. Which we defined as sitting on your couch at home. No shivering, no chills, no cold spots, nothing.

We used them while absolutely stationary glassing for 4-6 hours, I.E.- ZERO movement. The comfort temperature was whenever someone started to rub their arms, shiver, get chilled in the slightest, etc. Legs, feet, head, etc were all adequately insulated, and in no wind conditions so just the jackets were being tested. Upper body had a light weight long sleeve base layer (Patagonia Lvl 1, FL Aerowool 150, etc), plus a mid weight fleece (Patagonia R1, waffle too, etc), then the jacket.

Not surprisingly the comfort temperature was a bit above what their insulation value would be compared to sleeping bags.

This is from quite a few people using each, and going off of memory-

Uncompagre- 45+ degrees
Kifaru LPP- 35+ degrees
Sitka Kelvin Down WS- 25+ degrees
FL Chamberlin- 15+ degrees


+/- 5 degrees either side depending on person. Adding a rain/wind jacket over top gets another 5 or so degrees. I’ve been using the Grumman this year and so far using it as above except for switching the midweight fleece for a Sitka Kelvin Active, from negative 10 degrees and up; it seems to be good to around 30-33 degrees.

Great post.

Just got a WS hoody, for my stationary glassing layer.

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

I just wore an uncompaghre through a whitetail archery season this year. I used it as a mid layer under the cataylst jacket when temperatures were in the 30s and I was fine for 4 hour sits. I had some sits in the 20s and was cold but not freezing. Under 20 degrees and I ended up bailing out of my stand after a couple hours as I was pretty dang cold.

It performed exactly as it was intended to in my opinion. I don't think FL advertises it as a late season puffy...

If I was going to spend the money on a late season puffy I would go with Nunatak.

 

[carsonkeys]

I'd go Sitka Kelvin WS hoody and not look back. It'll cover all your bases from early to late-season. Like others have said, it may be a little heavy and warm for early season, however, as a guy who runs cold, I've never complained about being too warm.

 

[Deadfall]

Hands down kifaru LPP is warmest jacket I've ever worn. Had it as outer several times this year. One of my huntes and I got to 50 yards of a mature bull during rifle season. Did so more than once.
Also ran some test with kuiu rain gear during archery season. I always thought tha stuff would be to noisy unless in a rain storm. Tests I ran were during and after heavy snow and cold weather. Hunter and I in a span of few days got to 30 yards or less. With 2 bulls under 15.
As been said earlier movement is what gives you away. As long as your movements are smooth and methodical noise is less important.
High pitch crinkley stuff is bad. The low pitch rubbing of kifaru LPP and kiui gear seems to not bother wildlife. Deer included.
Also, I've found that firstlite gear is equally impressive as the LPP.
Just observations from a guy who spends his life in the field. By that I'm talking around 250-300 days a year. Now that season us over our camps are out. It's off to chase the W. Until march. With some lion running mixed in.

 

[fbhandler]

 

[Gutshotem]

The Uncompagre is not “warm”. That jacket is actually one of the reasons that a few years ago we started an eval to actually figure out how warm puffys really are. I heard nothing but how the Uncompagre is “an oven” and “ridiculously warm”, etc. I got it in hand and said “this is a joke”, but took everyone’s word for it and froze my fugging butt off in 35 degree weather. It has the equivalent insulation to a 45-50 degree sleeping bag. Turns out when people say “stationary” what they really mean is not sprinting up mountains after bugling elk. They don’t really mean stationery.






Haven’t used or seen enough of the Kuiu used to say, other than going off of their fill weight.


A couple years ago, after a few of us got tired of near hypothermia even though we were using clothing that everyone kept assuring us was “like an oven”, we started measuring as best as possible what temperatures puffys were really warm to. Our standard was “comfortable”. Which we defined as sitting on your couch at home. No shivering, no chills, no cold spots, nothing.

We used them while absolutely stationary glassing for 4-6 hours, I.E.- ZERO movement. The comfort temperature was whenever someone started to rub their arms, shiver, get chilled in the slightest, etc. Legs, feet, head, etc were all adequately insulated, and in no wind conditions so just the jackets were being tested. Upper body had a light weight long sleeve base layer (Patagonia Lvl 1, FL Aerowool 150, etc), plus a mid weight fleece (Patagonia R1, waffle too, etc), then the jacket.

Not surprisingly the comfort temperature was a bit above what their insulation value would be compared to sleeping bags.

This is from quite a few people using each, and going off of memory-

Uncompagre- 45+ degrees
Kifaru LPP- 35+ degrees
Sitka Kelvin Down WS- 25+ degrees
FL Chamberlin- 15+ degrees


+/- 5 degrees either side depending on person. Adding a rain/wind jacket over top gets another 5 or so degrees. I’ve been using the Grumman this year and so far using it as above except for switching the midweight fleece for a Sitka Kelvin Active, from negative 10 degrees and up; it seems to be good to around 30-33 degrees.

Form, how well does the chamberlin handle wind compared to the Kelvin WS? I keep going back and forth between the two and can't seem to make up my mind.

 

[wind gypsy]

Form, how well does the chamberlin handle wind compared to the Kelvin WS? I keep going back and forth between the two and can't seem to make up my mind.

Chamberlin does not have a wind membrane or a face fabric that is particularly wind resistant.

 

[wind gypsy]

I was just talking to a buddy yesterday how awesome it would be to have a "puffy" with the outer material of a soft shell. I think the versatility would be amazing. Especially replacing packing in some of these very heavy tree stand jackets.
Sometimes your tree stand is a bit nm of a hike from the truck or camp. Yeah it would be a bit heavier than the standard puffy but I'd pack it if I could use it for more than just glassing and camp. Add some pit zips and you'd have a pretty awesome piece.
Not sure why they haven't produced one yet. Maybe too hard to develop quiet material without risking down loss , idk

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That's exactly what a kelvin WS is. Windstopper is what sitka uses in it's wind shell jackets and it's why the kelvin windstopper is as heavy as it is.

Puffy jackets as used in most peoples kit are designed to be light weight insulation. Think about it, a SG grumman is 11 ounces and most soft shells are 20+ ounces. What you get when combining them is a heavy jacket with insulation that is also naturally compressed by the additional weight of the face fabric.

 

[Formidilosus]

Form, how well does the chamberlin handle wind compared to the Kelvin WS? I keep going back and forth between the two and can't seem to make up my mind.

The Chamberlin needs a wind blocking layer over it in strong wind. It is warmer than the Kelvin WS.