3-Way Down Puffy Shootout

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Aug 21, 2015
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I know, I know...another puffy jacket comparison thread. BUT I have some very exact specifications and haven't seen any other threads that address precisely what I'm looking for. I already own a Kuiu Superdown Ultra. I love its weight and packability, but it's just not warm enough for me when the temps dip into the low 30's or upper 20's (so I'll probably be selling it). I want something that's still very light weight, but gives me the added warmth I need. Price is not an issue, I just want the warmest/lightest puffy I can get my hands on. Here are my 6 non-negotiable criteria for my next puffy:
  1. Must be down (no synthetics)
  2. Must weigh less than 15 oz.
  3. Must be 850+ fill power
  4. Must have 5 (or more) ounces of down fill
  5. Down must be treated for water-resistance
  6. Must have a hood
I've been researching every single puffy and brand I can (both hunting and non-hunting companies) and I think I've narrowed it down to the only three I can find that fit all of my specific criteria:
  1. Kuiu Super Down Pro (13.4 oz, with 5 oz of down)
  2. Stone Glacier Grumman (11.8 oz, with 5.3 oz of down)
  3. Nunatak Skaha UL Down Sweater (10.9 oz, with 5.9 oz of down)
Does anyone have personal experience with these specific puffy's? What are some of your pros and cons for each? I'm not concerned with the jacket being "noisy," because I'll only be using it for when I'm sitting stationary for long periods of time (e.g. glassing, or around camp).

Just by reading online, a few things stand out to me:
  1. The Kuiu seems to have the most features (but I'm not sure pit zips are necessary on a puffy), and the heaviest shell fabric (which should be great for cutting wind), but it also has the least amount of down of these three.
  2. The Stone Glacier is lighter than the Kuiu and has slightly more down. I've read that some say they think that the 15d Pertex shell actually sheds wind better than the Kuiu. This jacket also looks like it has the best 'fit.'
  3. The Nunatak is the lightest of the three (1 oz. lighter than the SG in my size) and has the most down (5.6 oz.) But it also has the lightest shell fabric (10d nylon), and "appears" to have a worse 'fit' than the Kuiu or the Stone Glacier.
On paper alone, it seems like the winners are either the Stone Glacier or the Nunatak for wamth to-weight-ratio alone. But the Kuiu looks like it's not far behind them (plus it comes in camo...which I know doesn't matter, but I think it's cool). What other factors should I consider? Have you noticed a difference in durability, what "feels" warmer, or other factors?

Thanks so much for your thoughts!
 
Joined
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Have not tried the other two, but the Kuiu pro is a great jacket. Life saver on my high country mule deer this September with temps in the low 20s and a ton of wind. I like the thicker outer shell for shedding wind. The fit is nice for putting over other layers. It’s very warm, lofts extremely well. I would be curious to see it next to the others because from pictures it looks like the Kuiu has more loft built in and the others look more compressed.
 
OP
bowtech101st
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Aug 21, 2015
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WY
Have not tried the other two, but the Kuiu pro is a great jacket. Life saver on my high country mule deer this September with temps in the low 20s and a ton of wind. I like the thicker outer shell for shedding wind. The fit is nice for putting over other layers. It’s very warm, lofts extremely well. I would be curious to see it next to the others because from pictures it looks like the Kuiu has more loft built in and the others look more compressed.

What kind of layers were you running under the Superdown Pro to stay warm in the low 20's?
 
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What kind of layers were you running under the Superdown Pro to stay warm in the low 20's?

Merino LS, peloton 97 hoodie. On the bottom some merino 210 base under Teton pants. Plus the ultra down pants for when I stopped to glass. I basically lived in those layers including sleeping (used a 30 degree bag to save weight) for 9 or 10 total days. Without that jacket I would have needed more layers and probably would not have been as warm.
 

oenanthe

WKR
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I've got a Nunatak Skaha (weighs around 15 oz with 1 oz overfill and Epic shell) and I would bet that it is substantially warmer than the other two you mention. Besides having more down, the Skaha is fully baffled as opposed to sewn through. Mine is an anorak which also increases the warmth to weight ratio. I use my Skaha for winter trips up here when I expect temps well below zero. I think it would be too warm in the 20s unless I was sitting very still for long periods. For temps in the 20s I normally use a Luke's anorak with 4 oz. down, coupled with a baselayer and a Sitka heavyweight hoody.
 

GLB

WKR
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I have the SG and I can tell you that it’s well made, very light, extremely warm and packs down very small. I have a Kuiu super down ultra (not pro) for warmer temps that is well made also.
 
OP
bowtech101st
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WY
what about the SKRE PTARMIGAN?

I almost included the Skre in this list (especially because of the great price), but I read on some other threads that users reported the overall weight was several ounces heavier than they advertise online. I'm not sure if that's the case. Can anyone confirm this?
 
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I almost included the Skre in this list (especially because of the great price), but I read on some other threads that users reported the overall weight was several ounces heavier than they advertise online. I'm not sure if that's the case. Can anyone confirm this?
Just weighed my XL at 17 oz. I’ve had mine since October 2018
 

204guy

WKR
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I just got a ptarmigan on their black Friday sale. I don't have a camo puffy and wanted one for calling coyotes, which is about the only time I care about camo. I haven't worn it outside yet so no field experience. XL ptarmigan is 16.5 oz. My L Grumman is 11.5 oz. The ptarmigan isn't as lofty as the Grumman. I can't think of a biggame hunting situation where I'd pick the ptarmigan over the Grumman.
 

ToeJoe

FNG
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Nov 30, 2019
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Hey, newer member here. Last week for Black Friday I picked up a puffy coat and puffy pants from Under Armour. A friend of mine recommended em' because of the sale price. Jacket was like $134 and pants $98.

Anyways, how would these compare to the aforementioned brands in this thread. I've still got some learnin to do.
 

ericF

WKR
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The Under Armour jacket is around 26 oz if I remember correctly, so quite a bit heavier than what the OP wants plus it is only 800 fill down and not water treated. I've also not found where they detail the amount of fill in the jacket. That being said, I've also got one on order and have been happy the under armour puffy pants that I got last year.

I've got the Super Down Pro and I'm not completely sold on it. I got in for half price when they first developed it through Giru and feel like I should be warmer than I usually am with it on. It might just be that I expect more warmth of any puffy, but I am tempted to try out the Grunman.
 

LJ Buck

WKR
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Oct 7, 2013
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Add the First Light down sweater to the list. It’s warmth has been surprising considering the fill weight. Anyone compare that with the SG?
 
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Add the First Light down sweater to the list. It’s warmth has been surprising considering the fill weight. Anyone compare that with the SG?
It has a lot less down than the SG and will not be close in warmth. Small fill differences can be made up with better design and fabrics. The large fill difference we are talking here cannot be overcome by design and I would say the SG has better design and fabrics. First lite doesn’t state the fill weight of 800 down but one of these threads had it around 3.5 if I remember correctly. SG is 5.3 oz of 850 fill. The SG, KUIU SD pro and ptarmigan are all 5 oz plus of 800 or higher down. The Ghar is a blend equivalent to 750 weight at 6.35 oz of fill before you add on the 100 gsm synthetic areas of the jacket.
 
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I almost included the Skre in this list (especially because of the great price), but I read on some other threads that users reported the overall weight was several ounces heavier than they advertise online. I'm not sure if that's the case. Can anyone confirm this?
My medium Ptarmigan weighs 15 ounces. Looks like they updated the page online to the correct weight and I believe the discrepancy was from not updating the weight from the previous version. The SG Grumman I had started losing feathers right away and if you held it to the light you could see through every pinhole from the sewing needle on every baffle. You can't see through the Ptarmigan. The SG is super light though and I like the long tail down the back but like always, weight savings will generally come with some feather loss and decreased durability so that's personal preference. I've never had the Kuiu SD Pro, solely due to the price, so can't speak to that jacket.
 
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