Your Favorite Puffy?

...besides Sean Puffy Combs? Haha, couldn't resist. Looking for a good belay/multi pitch puffy, and I figured this was probably the best time to buy one. I've heard good things about the Patagonia Nano and checked out a few reviews/guides but was wondering what you guys prefer to carry with you on multipitches where temps are variable (e.g deserts with shade) or borderline.

I love the Arc'teryx Atom hoody. It's perfect by itself for mild temperature (35-55F) and the hood is crucial on blustery days. I got it on sale in ~2008 or 2009, put it through the wringer, and when the zipper broke a couple of years ago, I contacted Arc'teryx and they mailed me a new one for free. Can't beat a $100 jacket essentially lasting for 8+ years. Just hunt for it on sale.

It's only downside is the same as all lightweight puffy's: the fabric isn't the strongest so you have to watch out against rocks. I guess another downside is everyone seems to wear one these days!

synthetic poofayz loose ~40% of their insulation value in around a few weeks/months of constant use ...

its all been discussed in this thread and the one referenced in it ...

mountainproject.com/v/synth…

buy em cheap and on sale ...

if the fabric doesnt go, the insulation will eventually ...

these arent the old bomber down jackets that last a lifetime

and whatever you do never store the synth poofay compressed if you can help it

;)

I have a MH Hooded Ghost Whisperer. If its super cold I will wear a long sleeve base layer if it on the border and the wind is blowing and its just cold in the shade its way warm with just a short sleeve base layer. Its not the cheapest but I have not had any issues stuffing it in a pack and abusing it..

Cool, thanks for the replies guys and the link, Bear. I figured the same rules would apply as synthetic vs down sleeping bags, albeit with very different +/- (MUCH easier to keep a sleeping bag dry ;). I think the Ghost is on clearance at Sierra Trading Post right now!

1 more question - how important would you guys say a hood is? I've seen a lot of these as regular jackets but for some reason the hoodie versions are a bit more rare/less uber saley.

Depends.

I generally prefer hoods on most of my outdoor layers. You get more warmth for less weight/bulk compared to carrying a separate hat and it seals in the warmth better (more coverage, no gaps). Plus no excuse to leave it behind. If it's actually cold out it sucks not to have any head insulation.

With lightweight puffy's though if the hood isn't made to fit over a helmet and the insulation is just gonna get mashed under your helmet where it can't loft, it might not be much warmer than a fleece beanie.

The hood would be a definite plus if you do a lot of hiking too. For a pure lightweight climbing belay layer, if the hooded version wasn't made to be helmet compatible, I would deal without the hood if I found a much better deal. Just carry your fave warm hat.

Consider the montbell down-t.
Locker approved.
Lots of use with variable thickness base layers w/wo hoods.

I've been very happy with my CAMP ED Micro (since discontinued, but there are related jackets). Just enough wind resistance, nice and lightweight, fitted sort of sizing. I've been very happy to have a hood. I have an older puffy without a hood, and don't wear it besides around town because of that.

Also, don't overlook the utility of a jacket stuffing into its own pocket, the Micro has been my go-to pillow when camping for years now because of it.

For a while steep and cheap had patagonia puffies of all flavors for damn cheap. I picked up a few varieties for 40-60% off retail planning to resell what I didn't like, but I'm still sitting on most. Sadly, S&C has gotten to be less good lately along with another good old source, REI garage sales.

I like patagonia down sweaters but feel like they don't hold up so well with regard to feather distribution in areas like shoulders and elbows. (Don't wear them at a desk if you want elbows to last). Regardless they still keep me warm. The one that seems to hold up the best is the hi-loft down jacket but it's a bit bulky for everyday use. I have tried the arcteryx atom and found that the LT version has side panels which work too well at losing heat when you are standing still and I don't like the lack of a hood cord (thing just flops off or lets wind whizz through - maybe they've fixed this in a more recent version?) The thicker Atom is a bit bulkier and doesn't breathe well but is a very nice jacket and has pull cords - just pricy! Doesn't compact nearly as much as the patagonias either which is a no-go for lugging it in a pack up a multipitch. Also, I tend to equate stuffing them into my pack (what often happens when I don't clip them to the outside somehow) the same as stuffing them into a compression sack so maybe if you overbuy one that is too warm it'll still be OK when it de-lofts.

For cragging and multipitch I've actually moved away from puffies to the arcteryx fortrez fleece or the patagonia R1 hoody. When it's windy I pair this with a thin rain/wind shell (camp magic jacket or patagonia houdini) and I'm all set and have layering options. Add a beanie/balaclava and fleece gloves and you have a lot of options. Both of those have hoods that work well under a helmet. R1 has a chest pocket and the fortrez has hand pockets and a chest pocket. R1 has a lot of other great features like a long elastic portion of the lower waist. The Fortez is a little lighter but I wouldn't pay anything near retail. R1 has the fingerholes to stretch your sleeves down but I've never found that particularly helpful and am worried I'll wear it out with rope rub if I try to belay with them on. If it's really cold I'll throw in the hi-loft down or half-zip nano puffy but if I want something to wear around town I find that having a full zip and hand pockets are nice, and having a zipper is handy versus a pullover when you are taking it on and off a lot switching between belay and leading/climbing. I like my patagonia nano puffy but I bet the REI revelcloud jacket is pretty similar, and cheaper in general. Also depends a lot on your tolerance for cold and local conditions. Most of my partners don't want to climb when it's too cold for the fleece+wind+misc extras I laid out anyway. The best thing about fleece is that it hugs your body better for actual climbing, doesn't get in the way, and breathes better.

All of these can be had for sales if you are patient and don't mind wacky colors. If you wear other than medium and large you can get deals faster. Helps to know how to set up price alerts or ebay auto-search as well. Really though bottom line is probably to figure out exactly what you want and wait.

Try on a bunch of brands in stores and pay attention to comments about fit even year-to-year in the same brand and model, they all have their quirks. I tried some of the Mountain Hardwear stuff and found the fit was not at all good for me (having a jacket pinch your armpit sucks). These athletic fit things are closer to your body and differences in tailoring can make or break your experience.

Current favorite is the BD Cold Forge. While not ultra packable, it's stupid warm and cozy. Hood is made to fit
comfortably over a helmet with room to move. Awesome for chilly belays. It's 70% down and 30% primaloft. Plus, the diagonal puffy stitching is kinda cool.

BD cold forge

Patagonia Nanopuff-style jacket. Got it from WalMart on sale - $11. It had been like $29. This was 2014. Didn't see the same product at WM in 2015.....but they are out there in other places

Some of the prices for sports apparel are ridiculous nosebleed high. You can often find way cheaper equivalents. Admittedly, the down in this particular jacket may not be premium.....but its entirely adequate.

Ted Pinson wrote:Cool, thanks for the replies guys and the link, Bear. I figured the same rules would apply as synthetic vs down sleeping bags, albeit with very different +/- (MUCH easier to keep a sleeping bag dry ;). I think the Ghost is on clearance at Sierra Trading Post right now! 1 more question - how important would you guys say a hood is? I've seen a lot of these as regular jackets but for some reason the hoodie versions are a bit more rare/less uber saley.

I have a Patagonia Nano for rock climbing. I don't need the hooded version because temps are usually warm enough. I'm not a fan rock climbing below 35.

Yeah, they were on clearance for $98 so I picked one up. Will see how it does this fall!

bernard wrote:Patagonia Nanopuff-style jacket. Got it from WalMart on sale - $11. It had been like $29. This was 2014. Didn't see the same product at WM in 2015.....but they are out there in other places Some of the prices for sports apparel are ridiculous nosebleed high. You can often find way cheaper equivalents. Admittedly, the down in this particular jacket may not be premium.....but its entirely adequate.

For folks on a budget department store UL poofay clones are actually fairly decent at a low price

Ive used a 19$ old navy nanopuff clone for years and it worked just fine, eventually like all synth itll go a bit flat

For the down poofay clones look for 90/10 down to feather mix ... It should say on the sewn in tag ... Usually thats around 600-700 fill down ... Also look for ones as thick as a name brand down sweater, avoid th thinnest fashion ones

And dont pay more than 50 dollahs, preferably 20-30 on sale

The uniqlo down poofays are a favorite of hikers on a budget

;)

Love my Rab. Way better than my old Mountain Hardware

I've been using a dead bird nuclei since last year and love it. Stupid light, very packable. Warm enough that I've done an open bivy in summer w/o a sleeping bag a few times. Still decently breathable for a puffy, I've climbed wearing it on some stupid cold days (snowing).

I had a friend who worked for them and I paid an obscenely low amount of money for it though, I'll be following the under $50 plan when I have to replace it.

Montbell. I have an older version of this
Superior Down

1/2 pound, no excuse for not bringing it along.

It could be this one too, they don't make the one I have anymore ( mine is ~8 years old )

EX light

A light synthetic puffy (60g fill) would do the trick for me as a belay/action jacket for desert climbing. Both the Atom line from deadbird and the Nano line from Patagonia are great options for warmth and weight. They are often on sale too. Lots of other options out there in that same warmth range; see what's on sale, they'll all work about the same. Don't overthink it too much.

I've had my Atom LT for 5 years. It's been drug up hundreds of pitches of climbing, down hundreds of thousands of feet of ski descents, as well as worn around the house and town almost constantly in winter. The left arm is practically held on by duct tape and seam grip and it has a few stains I just can't get rid of. It still keeps me just as warm as when I bought it. It goes through the dryer every once and a while to get some of the loft back. I personally love the jacket and think it is worth every penny I spent on it, and will probably buy another one once it becomes more tape than jacket.

The only regret I have about the Atom is that it doesn't stuff into it's own pocket (at least my version doesn't, the newer ones might). If you're doing multipitch routes and want to take a puffy along, that's a often overlooked feature that would really be worth having!

I have had a North Face Nuptse for over 20 years, and it is still going strong.

Nuptse @ Backcountry

I have never had an issue with the zipper and it has lost a very minimal amount of down. And if it does give me problem, I'll send it in for repairs.

I agree that the Arcteryx Atom LT hoody is godly. It is my go-to jacket for EVERYTHING: ice climbing, alpine rock, around town, scrambling, etc.

I had the Sierra Designs Gnar Hoody for a few years and really liked it. I absolutely destroyed it, but I do that to all clothing...
I now have the Rab Microlight Alpine and like it pretty well. It's a bit warmer than the Gnar Hoody (which is to say its super warm) but a tad heavier and bulkier (and by a tad I mean it's barely noticeable). I do not like the wire viser deal on the Rab hood and also miss the thumb loops, but these are very minor issues.