To much clothes or to little for a 6 day backpack hunt??

[dotman]

I use the labrador.

 

[bowhnter7]

Ok, so I definitely need a jacket.

NOW - should I go with the Firstlite Labrador jacket (i already own) or buy something else. I own a down jacket but not sure if thats the way to go. The Labrador is a bit on the heavy side though.

Yes it's heavy and doesn't stop the wind.

 

[bowhnter7]

Ditched the softshell a few years ago, heavy ass pillow was all it turned into.

Weird my Jetstream is pretty light and doesn't work for sheet as a pillow.

I'm in my Jetstream alot. Seems like most of the time I have my base merino layer on, then the second layer (Sitka Travers shirt) and then the Jetstream. It breaths fairly well, has pit zips, is windproof, fairly water-resistant in all but a downpoor or constant rain and is pretty quiet.

To me it's an essential piece of my system.

 

[dotman]

Weird my Jetstream is pretty light and doesn't work for sheet as a pillow.

I'm in my Jetstream alot. Seems like most of the time I have my base merino layer on, then the second layer (Sitka Travers shirt) and then the Jetstream. It breaths fairly well, has pit zips, is windproof, fairly water-resistant in all but a downpoor or constant rain and is pretty quiet.

To me it's an essential piece of my system.

I only wear the labrador if sitting around, prefer it over softshell. If moving the warmest piece i'll have on is a vest. if it is that cold and windy a rain jacket works fine. In the end you just have to find what you like and to me the labrador doesn't feel like a jacket.

Another option is just go with the puffy coat, until I freeze my butt off in my current setup with the items I have I will continue to us the labrador. My buddy froze his butt off last year with the same setup you use bowhnt7, I was just fine in a fleece.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I do like the sounds of the labrador. Where I hunt it rains a ton. Even if it doesn't rain there is so much brush with dew on it that it might as well be raining. I have shredded rain gear in half a season. That's why I like the soft shell. Just a whole lot tougher in the brush. In Colorado it's a whole different ballgame. Less moisture and less brush.

 

[dotman]

Also remember the labrador is just an insulating layer, similar to a puffy jacket. The labrador is not a replacement for the softshell, I just dropped the softshell and added a hard (rain jacket). But I also do not belive a softshell is a replacement for an insulating layer.

Like Ryan says the system will change depending on climate, in alaska I would follow what Luke does and drop the labrador and add a puffy jacket.

Oh yeah the softshell as a pillow reference was just a way of saying I never used it.