Puffy-over or under shell?

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I used to do some alpine climbing BITD and the standard practice was you'd throw your puffy/insulation layer on over your shell once you got to the belay. This system would use your body heat to dry out your shell and additional layers while you were stationary. When it was time to climb again, you'd simply remove the insulation layer and get moving.

Dry the shell? Are we all talking about a hard shell layer or are some of you talking about soft shells (something I rarely use hunting)?

 

[Poser]

Dry the shell? Are we all talking about a hard shell layer or are some of you talking about soft shells (something I rarely use hunting)?

Whatever type of shell you were wearing depending on conditions. A lot of times it was a hard shell of some type if we were climbing ice. Its the same idea as a guys getting into their sleeping bags with wet gear on to dry it out.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Whatever type of shell you were wearing depending on conditions. A lot of times it was a hard shell of some type if we were climbing ice. Its the same idea as a guys getting into their sleeping bags with wet gear on to dry it out.

Except the hard shell doesn't adsorb moisture other than fabric wet out, I'd rather keep my insulation layer dry than trying to drive surface moisture off a hard shell.

If a soft shell sure, makes more sense.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Wouldn’t it block the wind just as well under the puffy?

In theory wind blocker layer breathes better closer to skin.

Lately my puffy and wind blocker fabric are so ultra thin it’s a toss up… x1 and ghost whisper

 

[tim tarras]

Insulating layer on the inside.

 

[Macintosh]

Both, depending. I always buy puffies sized to go over all other layers—imo its simoly wring approach to get a puffy sized so small that you cant pull it on over all other layers—thats the entire point of a puffy to me. But I also frequently will wear one under a shell. Depends on situation.
If Im adding a puffy to stay warm while stopped during stop-and-go activities, then it almost always goes outside.
If Im using a lighter puffy as a packable midlayer for cold conditions and I’ll be wearing it for longer periods of time, then often under.