Hooded insulation cons/pros?

I'd only want a hooded jacket if the hood was overstuffed so that it'd be better balanced if I used it as part of my sleeping gear.

Personally, I find a hood adds a huge amount of warmth. Also, you can use it in conjunction with a quilt to get that mummy bag feel.

Cons: doesn't pack down as compactly as a non-hooded jacket. not as versatile as separate jacket and hat. Can be redundant if you're already carrying a hat for use when not wearing the jacket.

Of course it's most likely warmer around camp than separate pieces.

I use a non-hooded exLight jacket because it allows me a tiny packed volume to take with me on day-long runs to be used as emergency insulation and warmth for occasional stops. My insulated head piece (if required) is a separate beanie that I can use without wearing the jacket. I use an insulated hat a lot more than my jacket. And a hood on the jacket would be redundant because I wouldn't go without the separate hat.

If relied on it more heavily as part of my sleeping gear though, I would strongly consider having an attached hood.

Many of my other pieces of clothing have hoods built in already too. Windshirt, Raincoat, Merino baselayers, softshells, etc. Not that I always take all of these along, but usually I have at least one or two with me on most occasions. A hooded down layer would be a little redundant.

Edit: I should probably add that I typically use a sleeping bag that has a hood already too. I know many users here use quilts without hoods and therefore require something added to their sleep system to make up for the lacking hood – be it a separate hat or a hooded jacket.

I'll echo what has said already. It's not as versatile, but probably better if you're going to be using to sleep w/a hoodless bag/quilt. For about the same price as a Daybreak hooded, you could have a Daybreak + A Black Rock Gear hat which will be more versatile and the weight penalty is pretty much not there. I just have a cheap fleece beanie I use because there are usually hoods on other jackets.

Depends on you and your system of clothing of course, some desire versatility and go hoodless.

Personally, the only "con" to a hooded insulation piece is measly extra 2-3oz., which is vastly overshadowed by the pros.

When in doubt, get a parka. I figure if its actually cold enough to require a puffy then adequate insulation is required for your head.

Bought a MH hooded Nitrous on clearance at STP as I had been wishing for a nice puffy, and the price was right with a 35% off coupon. I have to say I normally wouldn't have picked a hoody as I'm more into hats than hoodies. But the above commenters are correct that it can be a big advantage when the temps drop. I guess I'd say that if I were replacing my Nitrous, I'd buy another hooded down jacket. The weight penalty is near-neglible for a lightweight down jacket such as this.

I have both types. The hooded one i wish the hood fitted better, I need to add stuff under it to get a good fit otherwise can feel the heat escaping, but it adds so much insulation on a weight/cost basis its a no-brainer. My hoodless one I wish sometimes I had a hood but I makeshift one using Wool Buff and a cap and and augment if required with a hood windproof over.

Hoods if on a mid-layer present a small problem that either you have the hood down and it affects the fit of the collar/hood of the layer over, or you have hood up and can get too warm and raising/lowering a midlayer hood is trickier.

It depends on how warm the jacket is.

For one example, my Patagonia UL Down Shirt is hoodless – it's a piece that I don't need a hood for to stay warm. This allows me to add my Black Rock Gear Down Hat independently.

For something warmer, like my FF Helios, I really like a hood.

I regret having a hood on my Montbell Alpine Light. I hate not being able to hear very well through the hood, and since the hood doesn't move with your head like a hat does, the ears scrape against the inside of the hood, making a loud muffling noise while hanging out around camp, however brief.

I think hooded makes a lot of sense for outer insulation if you expect very windy conditions. I don't have hoods on my milder insulation like Down Sweater or Nano Puff because I generally use them either as a mid layer in winter or an outer layer in summer when winds are less. My winter parka/belay jacket has a hood because winds are much stronger in the winter (at least here in Colorado) and I find a hood does a much better job of shedding wind and ultimately keeping me warm in those conditions.

I don't have a hoody on either my down or synthetic jackets, but I wish I did. A hood provides warmth, versatility, and harder to lose than a separate hat. I like hoods to keep drafts off my neck and really contains the heat on windy nights. I agree with Eugene, it's not much more weight for the benefits.

BTW, Andrew Skurka made similar comments during his Alaska-Yukon talk.

Tom

Hoods are great except when you have three or four of them on at the same time and the hoods all pile up at the back. Sometimes difficult to find which is which, too, when reaching back.

To get past the stationary problem of a hood when you turn your head, just wear a baseball cap. The brim makes the hood turn.

That about covers it. :-)

if yr using the puffy for static situations … ie belays … theres no reason not to have a hood IMO, unless there is some sick sale. or you need to be so UL the weight will kill you (says the guy who owns a MB EXL)

in colder, windier or more adverse conditions, id always get a hood …

"or you need to be so UL the weight will kill you (says the guy who owns a MB EXL)"

If I'm who you are referring to with this statement, please re-read my post. I said nothing about extra weight. I specifically said packed volume was important to me. this is because I will take it with me running where pack space is at a premium.

maybe you're referring to someone else, but you can read other posts I've written and I think you'll find that an ounce or two are of little concern to me.

Thanks for the info! Initially, my only concern was the use of a hooded down jacket with a shell. I thought that stacking two hoods would be a problem and that use with my quilt would be a significant gain. I see I may need to mull this gear purchase over for a bit..

I have the daybreak and was especially happy to have the hood when camped at a backcountry site high up on a canyon rim in Zion with some pretty gnarly wind.

Chances are that if you're in camp and it's cold enough to need the jacket, the hood will be worth it.

Nathan,

Eric is most likely referring to himself. He's a rare type that seems to own one of every piece of gear from all the trendy companies yet constantly criticizes himself and his ilk for wasting money on paper specs when a $10 wally world knockoff provides near identical real world performance.

In other words he spends his money so that, personally, I don't have to spend mine ;)

As for hoods I tend to fall on the side of get them. For the 25% objective weight penalty I would say you get at least a 33% subjective warmth benefit (ie they're equally if not more thermally efficient for the weight). The only real con is volume if you have a tiny pack too many layers if you have 3+ hooded garments or hats which can get annoying depending on conditions.

For purchasing, I would say get a hoody if you don't already have one. You can always not put it on and essentially have a hoodless version with a minor weight penalty. Once you have a few insulating pieces with hoods, then you can play with hoodless versions for specially dialed gear kits.