Puffy-over or under shell?

[Nine Banger]

Are y’all triple over sizing shells so that the don’t compress a puffy?

What are y'all using for your hard shells and wind layers over puffies or 2 layers of puffies?

Especially if the primary purpose is for excluding wind and melting snow? Not rain.

Especially over your puffy pants if you were sitting in the snow.

 

[Cactus kid]

Do you wear your puffy jacket over or under your shell?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Depends on the puffy. To me there are two types of puffys: Midlayer puffys and glassing puffys.

Midlayers are thinner and are ment to be worn under shells. Designed to be warn while moving in cold temps. I dont use these puffys much as a A solid fleece or flannel can also fill this roll and is better suited- more breathable, doesnt compress over time, more durable, cheaper.

A shell and a midweight fleece will keep you warm at almost any temps if you are moving.

A Glassing puffy is different. In the mountanneering world it would be called a belay puffy. Made popular by alpinist Mark Twight, a good belay puffy (or in our world, glassing puffy) has some key fetures:

-Synthetic fill (or some of the new waterproof down) that is warm when wet, a LOT of fill

-Sized to fit OVER every layer

-Windproof, NOT waterproof, for better breathabliity but still maintaining warmth.

-Durable

this layer is taken on and off all the time, too hot to wear doing anything physical. ITs okay to put this layer on when you are covered in rain or sweat, and it will keep you warm, allow you to dry, and allow you to sit long periods of time with little movment (like glassing).

Kifaru lost park parka fills this roll very well. I use an Arcteryx Nuclei SV jacket (not the FL version, i think the SV is discontuned). Others in this category would be the patagonia DAS parka.

 

[huntsd]

Depends on the puffy. To me there are two types of puffys: Midlayer puffys and glassing puffys.

Midlayers are thinner and are ment to be worn under shells. Designed to be warn while moving in cold temps. I dont use these puffys much as a A solid fleece or flannel can also fill this roll and is better suited- more breathable, doesnt compress over time, more durable, cheaper.

A shell and a midweight fleece will keep you warm at almost any temps if you are moving.

A Glassing puffy is different. In the mountanneering world it would be called a belay puffy. Made popular by alpinist Mark Twight, a good belay puffy (or in our world, glassing puffy) has some key fetures:

-Synthetic fill (or some of the new waterproof down) that is warm when wet, a LOT of fill

-Sized to fit OVER every layer

-Windproof, NOT waterproof, for better breathabliity but still maintaining warmth.

-Durable

this layer is taken on and off all the time, too hot to wear doing anything physical. ITs okay to put this layer on when you are covered in rain or sweat, and it will keep you warm, allow you to dry, and allow you to sit long periods of time with little movment (like glassing).

Kifaru lost park parka fills this roll very well. I use an Arcteryx Nuclei SV jacket (not the FL version, i think the SV is discontuned). Others in this category would be the patagonia DAS parka.

I see the comparison to a building and having the insulation inside of the frame ect.. but for western hunting these seems correct. I don’t think I’d ever hike in a puffy. When I get to my spot I don’t want to take off clothes to put more on. Seems simple to just slap a layer on the outside and get to glassing. I’ve been wearing kuiu puffy pants for years. Man they are warm!

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Depends on the puffy. To me there are two types of puffys: Midlayer puffys and glassing puffys.

Midlayers are thinner and are ment to be worn under shells. Designed to be warn while moving in cold temps. I dont use these puffys much as a A solid fleece or flannel can also fill this roll and is better suited- more breathable, doesnt compress over time, more durable, cheaper.

A shell and a midweight fleece will keep you warm at almost any temps if you are moving.

A Glassing puffy is different. In the mountanneering world it would be called a belay puffy. Made popular by alpinist Mark Twight, a good belay puffy (or in our world, glassing puffy) has some key fetures:

-Synthetic fill (or some of the new waterproof down) that is warm when wet, a LOT of fill

-Sized to fit OVER every layer

-Windproof, NOT waterproof, for better breathabliity but still maintaining warmth.

-Durable

this layer is taken on and off all the time, too hot to wear doing anything physical. ITs okay to put this layer on when you are covered in rain or sweat, and it will keep you warm, allow you to dry, and allow you to sit long periods of time with little movment (like glassing).

Kifaru lost park parka fills this roll very well. I use an Arcteryx Nuclei SV jacket (not the FL version, i think the SV is discontuned). Others in this category would be the patagonia DAS parka.

This is a good take - I can’t fit a puffy bigger than a Grumman down (ie 5oz +) under one of my hard shells. My beta AR is my most generous layering true rain layer, and can’t do more than a Grumman under.

Late season I have a Sitka hyperdown jacket - was stuck in all day “snain” a couple weeks ago and no shell would fit over such a large parka…..same goes for late season puffy pants.

 

[elsb0048]

What are y'all using for your hard shells and wind layers over puffies or 2 layers of puffies?

Especially if the primary purpose is for excluding wind and melting snow? Not rain.

Especially over your puffy pants if you were sitting in the snow.

I have kuiu kutana pants and a marmot alpinist shell. I mostly wear a Large for most layers but have both of these in XL for clearing underlayers.

I use synthetic puffy layers for the most part and have a rab generator alpine static puffy and mountain hardwear compressor puffy pants.

For sitting in the snow I think I would mostly rely on sit pads not shell pants to keep puffs dry-ish.

I rarely hunt in conditions colder than 25F or so and I imagine that late season Montana and Wyoming might require a different set of layers.

 

[Nine Banger]

I have kuiu kutana pants and a marmot alpinist shell. I mostly wear a Large for most layers but have both of these in XL for clearing underlayers.

Thanks, for the pants I'm looking at Kutana/Guide, SG M5, Arcteryx Alpha, Patagonia Triolet and some cheaper stuff like Marmot Precip Full Zip. There's a great Varustaleka shell pant option but it's out of stock and I emailed them to see if they will have more this year.

For sitting in the snow I think I would mostly rely on sit pads not shell pants to keep puffs dry-ish.

I rarely hunt in conditions colder than 25F or so and I imagine that late season Montana and Wyoming might require a different set of layers.

I'm gearing up for worst case, maybe negative temps, snowy and windy and being mostly stationary but gear that can work for laying on the ground yet still be packable.

 

[ThorM465]

What are y'all using for your hard shells and wind layers over puffies or 2 layers of puffies?

Especially if the primary purpose is for excluding wind and melting snow? Not rain.

Especially over your puffy pants if you were sitting in the snow.

I like my First Lite Uncompahgre Foundry a lot for the outer shell especially if hunting in snow temps.

Don't sit in snow, pack a lightweight chair.

 

[elsb0048]

Thanks, for the pants I'm looking at Kutana/Guide, SG M5, Arcteryx Alpha, Patagonia Triolet and some cheaper stuff like Marmot Precip Full Zip. There's a great Varustaleka shell pant option but it's out of stock and I emailed them to see if they will have more this year.


I'm gearing up for worst case, maybe negative temps, snowy and windy and being mostly stationary but on the laying on the ground yet still packable.

If you're truly Sub-Zero fahrenheit resting on snow the hard shell is probably not the important part and just about any 2.5 or 3L she'll will do. You're unlikely to need or use it much. You probably do need a different class of puff though, box baffle (not sewn through) with ~300g of 800-900fp down. Some of those jackets have a light membraned outer fabric from gore to help with blown snow. Seems like you're getting down to wanting boot covers or pac boots or the like for temps like that.

Feels to me like hardshells are much more used in transition temps near freezing where you're more likely to get precip and some of it as rain