Hooded vs. hoodless puffies

[Mike M]

if you use a quilt, you will most often need warmth for your head (quilts don't have hoods like a mummy bag)- if the hood of your down/syn jacket is your only source of head warmth you may very well be too warm on your torso- in that instance a hoodless jacket AND a separate hood makes the most sense- the weight savings are going to be a wash, but it will be more efficient as a quilt user it would be nice to have a removable hood as an option

[Richard Fischel]

i have an ff volant with the removable hood. I've never worn the volant while on the move, just during breaks and in camp while doing minimal if any chores. the goal is to never sweat especially if wearing a puffy. I’d rather be cool/cold and dry than warm and moist (from the inside). if it's cold and the jacket is part of my sleep system i unsnap the hood and put it on, pull the sleeves inside the jacket and use the jacket like a quilt between my body and the top of the sleeping bag. I get to wear the hood as part of my sleep system without also having to wear the jacket, and if i want the added insulation of the jacket, wearing the hood separately i can get all the benefit of the insulation on top of me without having to wear the jacket and waste compressed insulation between my back and the bottom of my sleeping bag. with the exception of one really light synthetic puffy that’s more like something between a 100/200 wt fleece, all of my puffy insulation has hoods. as I'm not planning on wearing my hooded puffy insulation on the move, i'm not too concerned about limiting my visibility, head movement or messing around with it for thermal regulation. I am interested in it being bullet proof and helping to keep my butt safe if conditions go south. if i do find myself treading water in the crapper and having to move with my puffy on, i'm betting 9 times out of 10 i'll be happy there's a hood attached.

[Robert C]

I always go hooded to conserve heat.

[Jacob Smith]

For life on the AT, the only down I allow in my pack is my sleeping quilt and Zpacks hood. There is just too much moisture in the South for me and my experience is that down jackets and the like get wetted out. I use a hooded nano puff jacket, a synthetic vest, a wind shirt, ibex base layer hoodie, and a Zpacks cuben hybrid rain jacket for all spring and fall trips. I rarely bring any other layers or additional clothing.

[Stuart .]

Before they closed their doors, Prolite Gear did a series of videos testing lightweight down jackets with a thermal camera. Most hooded jackets didn't have as effective a seal at the collar, compromising their thermal efficiency somewhat. That being said, I prefer hooded as a down hat still leaves my neck exposed, and I'm not a fan of balaclavas. Removable hood jackets have better sealing collars, but add a bit of weight. My Montbell Permafrost has a zip to remove the hood. But if it's cold enough to warrant taking the Permafrost, I'm keeping the hood attached.

[Owen McMurrey]

Prefer a beanie until it gets in the 20s, but then I want a hood, especially if it's windy. Sat or stood around in camp at low single digits back in January with a Montbell Alpine Light Down Parka over a R1 hoody, and the parka's hood went up and down several times, usually coinciding with gathering firewood. Hoods are really convenient when it's that cold and you go from sedentary to active and back again. I don't find my Goosefeet hood a viable alternative. Too restrictive with a jacket, though I much prefer it when sleeping because it doesn't require having a zipped up hoody on to function. I don't need a down jacket with my 30F quilt unless it's in the lower teens, but I want that hood when it gets much below freezing, so there's not much competition going on between them at the temps I'm most often out in.

[Stephen M]

Mozt of my down and synthetic upper body garments Have hoods, except for a couple of vests and a down pullover. For me, if it's cold enough to wear a parka then I want a hood.

[David Ure]

I used to use hooded 'puffies' exclusively but found that the hood got in the way when I was wearing one on the move. I went to a puffy with a tall sealed collar and a wool beanie. Honestly, there is no difference in warming efficiency assuming the neck of the jacket is sealed. This is where you lose heat. Far less through the head despite what was once thought.

[Brian Lindahl]

I prefer hoodless. For sleeping with a quilt or hoodless bag (Zpacks), I often want something warm on my head, but don't want to wear my jacket. If you have a hooded puffy, you still need to bring a warm hat or similar for this situation. Trying to use a hood on a hooded puffy without wearing the jacket just doesn't work at all. For hanging around camp, I often want something to keep my head warm, but with a hood up, it's too warm, due to the chimney effect. I want to feel that cool breeze on my neck. If it's really cold, I have a Zpacks down hood, and it works just as well as a hooded puffy, if not a bit better (since it's more like a balaclava).

[Robert Alexander]

Just a friendly notice that Crux makes a really attractive, light down jacket with a detachable hood. Not cheap but I've been eyeing one. It would make for a much warmer replacement for my Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody.

[Donna C]

Find a puffie that has a removable hood. Might not be the more popular brands that we talk about in this forum, but I bet that you can find one. I have an old Eddie Bauer down jacket with removable hood. I sometimes just use the hood for sleeping with my quilt and not bring my jacket because its way too warm. Just a thought.

[bradmacmt]

I don't like the restrictive feeling of a hood, both on or off piled around the neck. I only use a parka/jacket equipped with a hood in prolonged sub zero weather. For normal backpacking, a down sweater and beanie is my answer. My wife would use a hooded down jacket in 70* weather :)

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