Cold Weather Vest Advice

[Old Hiker]

Greetings !

For camp, I have been planning on using an elderly Woolrich down vest - 546 grams - and spraying it with Camp-Dri or some such for water resistance. It puffs up really nice and feels pretty warm here in the 30*ish temps in FL. The Camp-Dri works well and I was able to find additional cans in 2012 to reapply to other clothing.

I recently purchased a Marmot Ajax down vest from Steep and Cheap at a pretty good price - 396 grams. However, I am wondering about the warmth. It seems VERY thin for the weight, but has "down defender" water resistance added to it. It's about 3 inches longer than the Woolrich vest and fits pretty well. The collar is about an inch higher than the Woolrich vest, but obviously doesn't have the same amount of down.

Since 2012 was exceptionally warm, I'm planning for what seems to be "normal" AT weather. Over the vest, I'm going to have a BDU liner (sprayed) and my rain shell over that. The BDU liner worked well over a wicking shirt, even down to about 35* in 2012 while hiking. I wore it backwards over my chest since my pack kept my back nice and toasty.

Anyone have any experience with the thinner vests? Esp. the Ajax? If so, please contribute.

Thanks !

[jimmyjam]

The relevant question is what is your start date?

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[garlic08]

I see the Ajax vest has 600 down, probably about the same quality as your old vest. So it can't be as warm.

The big question is, will it be warm enough? As asked above, it will depend on the conditions you expect. If you start before mid-April, a good down layer is a good idea.

It sounds like you have some time to experiment, since you already own both garments. I faced a similar decision about whether to carry fleece after I bought a Marmot Driclime jacket before I hiked the PCT. I spent that winter trying both out in different conditions, found out what worked best for my style and metabolism, and haven't carried fleece since. Others will have different results.

Sorry, I have no direct experience with garments like the Ajax. I did carry a puffier Marmot vest with 800 fill down, about 12 oz total weight, on the AT in April and it was nice to have for that first month.

In my opinion, the water repellent property is not important on a vest. I would never wear it in rain or while I'm sweating. That's rule number one for me. I had an excellent down bag and I considered the vest mainly a back-up survival item. I wore it a few times for comfort while resting in cold, dry snow or while under shelter.

Good luck in your decision, and have fun figuring it out.

[The Cleaner]

I always thought down vests were more for town wear. I had one 30 years ago. With the options available for down or synthetic shirts/jackets the little bit of extra weight is not much. I have a Patagonia Nano Puff which only weighs 9 ozs. Got it from E-bay for less than $100. A rain shell over that with a merino top underneath and I'm good to go into the low 20s. Your baselayer is the key to keeping warm and merino is the only way to go year round. I once met a guy wearing 3 synthetic tops and he was still cold.

[Old Hiker]

I always thought down vests were more for town wear. I had one 30 years ago. With the options available for down or synthetic shirts/jackets the little bit of extra weight is not much. I have a Patagonia Nano Puff which only weighs 9 ozs. Got it from E-bay for less than $100. A rain shell over that with a merino top underneath and I'm good to go into the low 20s. Your baselayer is the key to keeping warm and merino is the only way to go year round. I once met a guy wearing 3 synthetic tops and he was still cold.

Thought about and tried long sleeves, but I seem to start sweating and it gets wet INSIDE the sleeves. My long johns have long sleeves, but they still get pushed up over the elbow when just moving around camp. Not sure why.

I HAVE used my rain jacket over my shirt and it seems to help down to 45* or so.

Will probably keep and try this winter further north over the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.

Thanks for the replies so far.

[Wise Old Owl]

just so we are on the same page Old Hiker, only spray the outside. You most likey cant hike with it on, it will get soggy from your sweat in about ten miles - but OK to bug out in severe cold weather if your destination is a car. Its more for camp.

[Old Hiker]

just so we are on the same page Old Hiker, only spray the outside. You most likey cant hike with it on, it will get soggy from your sweat in about ten miles - but OK to bug out in severe cold weather if your destination is a car. Its more for camp.

Yep - already know/knew this. I seemed NEVER to get cold when moving - just my cheeks in the wind. Sweat would roll down the arms, which is why I pushed the line sleeves up.

Uhhhhh, facial cheeks, thank you very much.

[Nooga]

I heat up very quickly when hiking, so I could not wear a down vest. I have a Marmot Driclime vest that I really like. If it is cold, I can wear it hiking, plus it is good to sleep in if my bag / quilt is marginal for the temps. I also, carry a light weight down jacket for wear in camp. If needed, I can wear the Driclime vest under the down jacket.

[Traveler]

I never use a down vest to actually hike in, though I will sometimes have one with me for camp or town until deep winter where I will switch to a light down jacket.

Much like Nooga, I too heat up pretty fast once I start hike, so the old adage to "always start cold" tends to work for me. I carry a heavier shirt and a vest for the time of year. If I need a vest I typically will use a thin felt type to retain some heat or I will use a wind stopping type (both EMS). With a base layer of long sleeve, the vest, and a windbreaker when needed, I rarely get chilled when I am walking on a trail.