Down jacket, collar or hood?

[Bob Chiang]

Hi all,

I’m almost done with a down jacket, except for the neck. After the fully baffled down parka, this project came together quickly (I’m usually a very slow sewist).

Should I install a hood? insulated or wind shell? A collar? with down or synthetic insulation? fleece lining or save the weight? I love the warmth of a hood, but anytime I wear this I’ll probably be wearing a neck buff and an ear band/hat already.

[Jerry Adams]

those look nice

fleece lining?  heavy without contributing much warmth

I have hat and collar so don’t really need a hood.  I have a WPB jacket that I wear over, with a hood.  If it’s not raining, I prefer a hat, easier to move head around and hear…

[Marcus]

Very nice sewing!

Hoods are personal. I prefer them because when I put on my puffy I want instant warmth, everywhere. Its often windy when its cold here, so I appreciate being able to seal out the wind with the hood. I bring a hat too, but really appreciate the hood when its cold and windy.

If you dont share that sentiment then a collar would work fine, or if you want to make a dedicated mid-layer like the montbell round neck you could leave it as is.

I’ve been happy with the wind-proofness of my puffy jackets and would not want a permanently attached wind shell on top of them. I’d say dont attach a wind shell unless your fabric is extremely breathable and you can feel a cold wind through it

[Joshua B]

My vote is for a down hood w/draw string.  The extra warmth around my neck when the wind is howling is very welcome.  May not need it when hiking in your down, but when stopped or around camp, I really appreciate a hood.  I prefer my shirts and fleeces to have hoods whenever possible.  I layer everything else, why not layer hoods?

[Bob Chiang]

Thanks for the comments. I should have been more clear about my questions.

If I add a hood, the question is between down filled or just a single layer of the taffeta for a wind hood. I made a light synthetic jacket with just a single layer hood and it works out well, but the whole jacket is less insulated.

If I add a collar, should I use thin fleece or taffeta as the liner fabric.

part of my reluctance to making a hood is residual fear after making the box-baffled hood!  More seriously, I’m not sure how to fill and sew relatively close quilt/baffle lines on a hood. And I’ll need to buy more down.

I hadn’t thought about leaving it collarless. Maybe I’ll tuck the zipper ends out of the way and try it for a while.

[Michael B]

Uh – why did you put those WWI trainer resto pics in that album, now I don’t even care about the jackets! All that work you are doing looks great.

I would vote down hood for my use, since I don’t normally hike in down, I just use it when I stop to rest or for in camp, and I would appreciate a hood in those circumstances. I’d not line it with anything since I have a hood on my alpaca hoody midlayer that would provide sufficient next to skin softness. I’d use the same taffeta for the hood as you are using for the rest of the jacket lining, it looks nice.

[Bob Chiang]

Regarding the airplane: I got to thinking the gallery might as well include other things I’ve worked on besides outdoor gear. And I did use my sewing machine to advance the project ; )  Here’s a link to more information

Jacket-wise, I’m leaning towards a down hood.

[Marcus]

I really like down hoods. I have a shaved head and it gets cold easily. And they work as a partial buff when not in use. I vote down hood as well!

 

And I also agree that airplane restoration is really cool!

[Jim Morrison]

I have both. If weight but not the weather is a factor I take my UL Mont Bell down jacket without a hood.  If it is anything but summer I most likely take my “My-Trail” 800 down jacket with a hood.  I always carry a lightweight high-quality balaclava if I don’t have a hooded jacket. In cool weather I start with a beanie, so that is sort of extra.

ROCK BROS Cold Weather Balaclava Ski Mask for Men Windproof Thermal Winter Scarf Mask Women Neck Warmer Hood for Cycling Motorcycle Running Skiing Snowboarding Black at Amazon Men’s Clothing store

 

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