Hunting jacket advice

[jackthebear]

Planning a late season mule deer hunt in the Chilcotin. Looking for real world advice on a good warm jacket that can keep me warm in the potential-20 degree weather that can happen there. BTW, I am a lean guy which means I don't have a lot of natural insulation.
thanks in advance👍

[Frank grimes]

A good down vest under a good wool coat? Always a classical

[northof49]

Good jacket to protect from the wind, but also several under layers such as thin merino and a stanfield wooly so you can adjust based on level of activity to avoid sweating. Thin merino long johns and wool pants down below. For me the merino and wool are most important and I frequently use a mid weight fleece camo jacket over top. Like the way it breathes to avoid sweating, but I tend not to sit much with late season deer hunts so I tend to keep warm with the layering. If plan to sit more may want to upgrade your jacket to something heavier.

[twoSevenO]

You need a puffy down jacket .... and then a size up fleece or shell jacket over top. (With the usual layering underneath)

Down jackets scrunch up into a softball sized ball and are super lightweight. Keeping it under a shell or fleece will prolong its life as they are generally not of a tough outer fabric.

Do not get those stupid cabelas wool 6 in 1, zip out liner, jacket slash vest monstrosities. Those things weigh like 10lbs and are terrible for anything but road hunting.

Down puffy jacket is the lightest warmest layer you can have.

Of course if you have the money you could get one of those Kuiu down jackets that are tougher as they are designed to be worn as an outer layer. They come in camo. They would work very well for those dry cold climates up there.

[RackStar]

You need a puffy down jacket .... and then a size up fleece or shell jacket over top. (With the usual layering underneath)

Down jackets scrunch up into a softball sized ball and are super lightweight. Keeping it under a shell or fleece will prolong its life as they are generally not of a tough outer fabric.

Do not get those stupid cabelas wool 6 in 1, zip out liner, jacket slash vest monstrosities. Those things weigh like 10lbs and are terrible for anything but road hunting.

Down puffy jacket is the lightest warmest layer you can have.

Of course if you have the money you could get one of those Kuiu down jackets that are tougher as they are designed to be worn as an outer layer. They come in camo. They would work very well for those dry cold climates up there.

Reccomend any fleece jackets? Do you use hooded jacket?

i like this idea.

[twoSevenO]

Reccomend any fleece jackets? Do you use hooded jacket?

i like this idea.

For a fleece I just have a cheapo $30 one from bass pro that is cut for fat guys so an XL in that fits well over my L puffy jacket. Its great for the price and does a good job of keeping the down jacket protected. No hood but I almost always have a toque on If I need to be wearing a puffy jacket.

For a shell I have a much more expensive Arcteryx softshell that is built from Gore WINDSTOPPER with a hood and that's just a brick wall for the wind.

Works for me. The ability to remove the down jacket and pack it into a softball sized pouch is great for those days when it starts of frigid but warms up by 15 degrees when the sun comes out.

[Frank grimes]

For a fleece I just have a cheapo $30 one from bass pro that is cut for fat guys so an XL in that fits well over my L puffy jacket. Its great for the price and does a good job of keeping the down jacket protected. No hood but I almost always have a toque on If I need to be wearing a puffy jacket.

For a shell I have a much more expensive Arcteryx softshell that is built from Gore WINDSTOPPER with a hood and that's just a brick wall for the wind.

Works for me. The ability to remove the down jacket and pack it into a softball sized pouch is great for those days when it starts of frigid but warms up by 15 degrees when the sun comes out.

Do you still take rain gear? Or does the soft shell work?

[twoSevenO]

Do you still take rain gear? Or does the soft shell work?

Generally the setup I described above is only used for the dry and cold climates. Think 100 mile or gang ranch. It really doesnt rain up there much. The cold and wind are a bigger problem.

That being said yes, the softshell works for most of those light showers up there but I do pack a light rain jacket in the pack as well. You never know when a storm could move in, soak you, and leave you freezing

[Haydenmk]

You need a puffy down jacket .... and then a size up fleece or shell jacket over top. (With the usual layering underneath)

Down jackets scrunch up into a softball sized ball and are super lightweight. Keeping it under a shell or fleece will prolong its life as they are generally not of a tough outer fabric.

Do not get those stupid cabelas wool 6 in 1, zip out liner, jacket slash vest monstrosities. Those things weigh like 10lbs and are terrible for anything but road hunting.

Down puffy jacket is the lightest warmest layer you can have.

Of course if you have the money you could get one of those Kuiu down jackets that are tougher as they are designed to be worn as an outer layer. They come in camo. They would work very well for those dry cold climates up there.

I second this. Use down for your insulation layer, kuiu and firstlite are awesome brands. Little on the pricey side but worth it. Keep in mind they aren't breathable so not meant to be hiked in. More for when you're stationary!

[todbartell]

best results will come from layering. Next so skin, choose a light, fast drying layer (Sitka CORE Lightweight). I would suggest a Merino wool midweight layer next. A puffy jacket or vest next. And then a warmer outer jacket if needed. Im fat so I always get hot