NatefromVT
FNG
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2017
- Location
- MA
I had a hard time finding reviews of the Chamberlain puffy jacket this past year, but went ahead and bought one anyway. I figured I'd post this in case anyone else out there is looking at it.
I live in New England, and do a lot of bird hunting (15-20 days / year), along with a moderate amount of deer hunting (7-10 days / year). Because I'm in New England, a lot of my hunting is in cold weather. If I'm duck hunting, it is in cold, miserable weather, with wind and rain added in for good measure.
My initial opinion: If you spend a lot of time hunting from a stationary position in 20 degree to -10 degree weather, this is the jacket for you. It isn't an active jacket - think of it as a sleeping bag that you wear over your regular layers.
I also do a lot of backcountry hiking and before kids, winter camping. This jacket is eerily similar to my down overcoat, which I've worn in -40 wind chill on Mt Washington. The Chamberlain packs down OK, but it is a tiny bit heavy for backpack hunting (1 lb 13 oz size L when packed into an XS Sea to Summit eVent waterproof stuff sack). In my 30+ years of hunting and hiking experience, I'm going to say something counterintuitive as a backpacker - the extra weight of this jacket is a positive. Normally when you buy a down coat with 800 - 900 fill down, the manufacturer tries to cheat and will use less down, making the product cheaper and giving them a super light weight to report under Specs. When this happens, the consumer is the one who is cheated: the down compresses too easily, and you lose valuable loft over a short amount of time. Lost loft is lost insulation; you're gonna be cold. By overstuffing the Chamberlain with extra down, and adding in some synthetic insulation, you're ensured this jacket is going to stay warm for years to come. This is especially important when you're in the backcountry.
I wore this jacket on a couple of memorable days of hunting - both were freezing cold days, and on one the edge of the ocean was icing over (probably 15 degrees out, with wind). In both cases, the jacket did its job superbly - I was wearing a Sitka Delta Wading jacket while duck hunting on the 15 degree day and even with a bunch of layers, it wasn't cutting it. I broke out the nuclear option - the Chamberlain. Within a few minutes, I was warm and happy. As a nice bonus, the Fusion camo matched the reeds we were near, and meshed well with the pattern of Sitka's Marsh optifade (which was my on my hat, gaiter, and Sitka Callers glove. BTW on a side note - the Sitka Callers glove is nice but isn't warm below 20 degrees - you need multiple handwarmers). On another day, while still-hunting for deer in VT, the jacket was an oven in 20 degree weather, when put on over my other layers.
All in all, this was an expensive jacket, and I had to return it once to get the sizing right (not to mention the smell of cigarettes on the first jacket). But I'd buy it again, and keep it in my backpack, paired with a breathable jacket and a vest. The tradeoff on weight is more than worth the insurance to have a bomber jacket that I can rely on for warmth even in dire situations.
Hope this helps some of my fellow hunters out there.
Best,
NatefromVT
PS: I am 6' tall 205 lbs. The size Large is perfect for this coast - I sized it to fit over other layers.
I live in New England, and do a lot of bird hunting (15-20 days / year), along with a moderate amount of deer hunting (7-10 days / year). Because I'm in New England, a lot of my hunting is in cold weather. If I'm duck hunting, it is in cold, miserable weather, with wind and rain added in for good measure.
My initial opinion: If you spend a lot of time hunting from a stationary position in 20 degree to -10 degree weather, this is the jacket for you. It isn't an active jacket - think of it as a sleeping bag that you wear over your regular layers.
I also do a lot of backcountry hiking and before kids, winter camping. This jacket is eerily similar to my down overcoat, which I've worn in -40 wind chill on Mt Washington. The Chamberlain packs down OK, but it is a tiny bit heavy for backpack hunting (1 lb 13 oz size L when packed into an XS Sea to Summit eVent waterproof stuff sack). In my 30+ years of hunting and hiking experience, I'm going to say something counterintuitive as a backpacker - the extra weight of this jacket is a positive. Normally when you buy a down coat with 800 - 900 fill down, the manufacturer tries to cheat and will use less down, making the product cheaper and giving them a super light weight to report under Specs. When this happens, the consumer is the one who is cheated: the down compresses too easily, and you lose valuable loft over a short amount of time. Lost loft is lost insulation; you're gonna be cold. By overstuffing the Chamberlain with extra down, and adding in some synthetic insulation, you're ensured this jacket is going to stay warm for years to come. This is especially important when you're in the backcountry.
I wore this jacket on a couple of memorable days of hunting - both were freezing cold days, and on one the edge of the ocean was icing over (probably 15 degrees out, with wind). In both cases, the jacket did its job superbly - I was wearing a Sitka Delta Wading jacket while duck hunting on the 15 degree day and even with a bunch of layers, it wasn't cutting it. I broke out the nuclear option - the Chamberlain. Within a few minutes, I was warm and happy. As a nice bonus, the Fusion camo matched the reeds we were near, and meshed well with the pattern of Sitka's Marsh optifade (which was my on my hat, gaiter, and Sitka Callers glove. BTW on a side note - the Sitka Callers glove is nice but isn't warm below 20 degrees - you need multiple handwarmers). On another day, while still-hunting for deer in VT, the jacket was an oven in 20 degree weather, when put on over my other layers.
All in all, this was an expensive jacket, and I had to return it once to get the sizing right (not to mention the smell of cigarettes on the first jacket). But I'd buy it again, and keep it in my backpack, paired with a breathable jacket and a vest. The tradeoff on weight is more than worth the insurance to have a bomber jacket that I can rely on for warmth even in dire situations.
Hope this helps some of my fellow hunters out there.
Best,
NatefromVT
PS: I am 6' tall 205 lbs. The size Large is perfect for this coast - I sized it to fit over other layers.
