The wonderous "PUFFY"

I am le tired, I think I'll take a nap

Taking a nap at 12,500 feet on Rainier while going for a one day push, nice and comfy.  Those are memory foam rocks.


I was going to write something about clothing for touring, but if you've been riding at the resort you probably already have some decent clothes.  If you don't think that looking like the michelin man is a good fashion statement you might not have a good puffy though.
Touring uphill burns an extreme amount of calories and while going uphill you need to strip your layers down to avoid sweating profusely (I usually have nothing but a thin base layer on down to around 20 degrees).  If you stop moving and don't add anything back you'll quickly be a popsicle.  Remember in the backcountry there is no warm lodge to retreat to, and hypothermia is not a fun experience.  My puffy sees a lot of use with multiple transitions a day, lunch break, and need to be self sufficient in an emergency (injured partner, weather moving in, etc..).  I consider it indispensable.

I bought my first one because it showed up on a certain website at 19,000% off for 37 seconds.  It was decent, kept me warm with temps down to around the high teens, but it had no hood and I really wanted an insulated hood.  So I bought another one later, same deal, 85,000,000% off for the next 15 seconds.  No research, they said it would be warm, it was a big brand name, and at that price you can't go wrong!  Or so I thought.  I brought that hooded puffy to Haines, AK for two weeks, were I promptly froze my ass off the whole time.  After using it down here I still realized that it just wasn't right for what I need.

Don't be me.  Do your research first.  Do not fall for BS marketing catch phrases.  Get something that is quality, that fits your needs, not just because it's on some stupid sale website.  Remember down is very durable, with proper care you can use this jacket a decade or more, where else do you get that much bang for your buck in your gear?

The whole goal of your insulating piece is to trap as much of your body heat as possible by creating tiny air pockets in the body of the garment.  The more loft, that is thickness of insulation, the more heat will be trapped and the warmer you will stay.  Seems simple enough, until you start trying to cut through all the marketing hype while sorting through the plethora of stuff out there.

Down Vs. Synthetic
The first decision you have to make is what type of insulation, down vs. synthetic insulation.  Down insulates better ounce for ounce then any man made fiber, is more compressible, and can last for decades if cared for properly.  If you get it wet it collapses though, no loft means no insulation.
Synthetic insulation is bulkier and does not compress as well, while also being heavier.  However it has one advantage over down, it retains loft when wet.  We're talking about something that you're going to use touring, I doubt you're touring when it's raining or even when it's a rain snow mix (unless you're an idiot like me).  For most peoples purpose of riding I don't feel that alone synthetic puffies hold an advantage.  If you want to read more about synthetic pieces I suggest reading Dane's very detailed post on the Cold Thistle Blog.

Fit
First lets talk about how the puffy is used.  Mine is that last thing to go in my pack at the car and the first thing out when I stop.  I typically throw it on over the top of everything else I have on during transitions or short food/water breaks.  On a longer break for lunch or in heavy weather I may put it on under my shell.  The closer it hugs your body the faster you will feel it trapping heat (ie quicker you feel warm), but you want to size up enough that it fits over your shell if you plan to use it quickly during transitions.
A hood matters, for the few ounces it weighs this can make the difference between being happy on a frigid day and miserable.  My puffy with no hood has spent a lot of life on a hanger because of that.  A longer cut on the torso can considerably add to the warmth, if it covers your butt and the front of your thighs you're going to be happy.  Pockets that go on the inside of the down and are fleece lined are very nice.

Terms and Construction
Fill Power is a measurement of the quality of down.  A higher fillpower will have more "loft" for it's weight and be more compressible, but will also be slightly more expensive.  Fill Power measures the volume in cubic inches that one ounce of down displaces.

Fill Weight, is the actual quantity of down.  Look at the fill weight vs. total weight to get an idea of how much fabrics weigh.  Multiply the fill weight in ounces by the fill power to get an idea of the total volume of insulation (this is very handy if you're shopping online and comparing jackets with a different fill power).  It can be hard to find sometimes, when in doubt contact the manufacturer.  If they won't tell you don't buy their product.

Baffle, the insulating "chambers" of down.  There are two construction methods, stitch through and "box baffle".  In stitch through the lining and shell fabrics are stitched directly together, pinching them at the edges of the baffle.  This is the fastest, easiest, and a cheapest way to build a jacket.  Remember that our insulation comes from loft, at the seams there is zero insulation.  All else equal, the closer the spacing of baffles the colder the sewn through jacket will be. There are a ton of "fashion" jackets on the market from the big names that look nice, but are not that warm because of this.  This is also common on the ultra-light jackets, which don't use much down, but are not warm enough for our purpose.
In box baffle construction another piece of fabric is added between the lining and shell, this keeps equal spacing between the lining and shell material everywhere on jacket.  It is much warmer then stitch through construction.  It's also more labor intensive and the cost will be higher.

Denier, is a measurement of the "mass density of fibers" used in the shell and lining material.  The smaller the number the finer the material.  If you're just buying this for riding a thin fabric is fine, you're not bushwhacking or rock climbing in it.  Just be aware that going to the extreme end of will not be as wind resistant, but if your shell jacket is loose enough you can just throw it over the top when needed.  If your shell jacket is a tighter fit and compresses your puffy you will be loosing insulation.

Picking out your puffy.
So now you know a little bit and it's time to shop, you're probably quickly realizing that there are a TON of options out there, we can narrow it down quickly.  Start off by writing off the pieces with "ultra-light" in their name and closely spaced baffles, these are great hiking/climbing in shoulder seasons, they are not warm enough for our use.  On the other end of the scale there are heavy pieces made for expeditions and high altitude climbing, typically if it says "parka" and is over 22 ounces it's much warmer then you need here in Washington.  It's also probably a lot more then anyone wants to spend anyway.
Now we have narrowed it down to the mid weight down sweaters to very light "parka" range.  I cut everything down by going with 800 and above fill power.  You may chose a lower fill power, I want the most loft for the weight and something that doesn't fill  my whole pack.  I also want to keep total weight well under 20 ounces, lugging around more then a pound and a half all the time is just silly.
Now I look at the amount of down fill, if you're comparing coats with different fill powers it's helpful to calculate the cubic inches displaced (fill power times to fill weight).  When you start doing this you'll quickly realize why it's worth spending a little more for higher fill power.  Also remember that numbers are only numbers, wider baffles will be warmer then narrow ones and boxed baffles will be warmer then stitched through construction.

I know what' you're thinking now, GOD YOU ARE BORING, GET TO THE POINT AND TELL ME WHAT THE HELL I NEED ALREADY!  
Well here is the hard part, everyone is different, some of us run hot, and women especially tend to run colder.  I don't know what you need for sure, I can only tell you what worked for me.  I tend to run on the hot end of the spectrum.  If you tend to bring a vest or a thing fleece you may need less.  Looking through my gear closet, this is has been comfortable for me with only a light base layer:

2,000 cubic inches down to 28 degrees
2,800 cubic inches (small baffles) mid 20s
3,700 cubic inches (big baffles) high teens
Mid teens and lower I've just been cold if I stop for more then ten minutes.

I won’t go in to detail on everything out there, I encourage you to shop around and not just buy blindly off my recommendation.  The greatest value I see out there are two offerings from Montbell and one from Brooks Range.  The Montbell jackets are in stock at a specialty climbing shop, Pro Mountain Sports in Seattle, help support local business and check them out.  

The Montbell Alpine Light has 4.3 ounces of 800 fill and comes in at 13.3 ounces total, insulation volume ~3,440.  Construction is sewn through with larger baffles.  This is probably enough for most people right the west side of the crest.  If you’re going out in the north east cascades in winter you will want more.  Retail ~$200

The Brooks Range Mojave has 6 ounces of 800 fill *treated* down and comes in at 16 ounces total, insulation volume ~4,800.  It is box baffled in the chest and sewn through everywhere else.  The mixed construction is a great idea to keep heat at your core, with a lower price.  The down has hydrophobic treatment meaning it should keep it’s loft more when wet, whether that’s a large bonus is up to you.  Retail ~$300

Then there is the lightest warm jacket I can find, the Montbell Mirage.  With 5.3 ounces of 900 fill down and 7d shell material it is only a scant 12.8 ounces total, insulation volume of ~4,770.  It’s fully box baffled, I can’t find a jacket this warm that is this light and packable anywhere else (and if you do let me know).  The best part is that the retail is $320.  If you’re just reading this before shopping that sounds like a lot, but when you look around you’ll realize this is a relative bargain.

So there you have it, I hope this helps you navigate the sea of marketing fluff and internet hoopla.