Affordable Down Jacket? Blackovis, Eddie Bauer?

[fnlights]

Considering purchasing a down jacket for an upcoming second rifle elk hunt in CO and am looking for some recommendations.

I LOVE my Kuiu gear, but I am finding it extremely hard to spend $400 on the Super Down and then another $330 on the pants. I can get the entire Blackovis set for $350.

I have also considering finding a used Goose Down Cabelas jacket or a new Eddie Bauer down jacket. These can be had for under $100. I believe that most of these you find are under 800 fill - so I am not sure if they will be warm enough compared to the Kuiu or Blackovis.

 

[flyguy1]

Just looked at Eddie Bauer; if you can live with the color, this is from their First Ascent line, which is good stuff. Clearance sale with additional 50% off promo code.

It's the MicroTherm 2.0 Down Jacket. $95. Usually $250.

 

[fnlights]

Just looked at Eddie Bauer; if you can live with the color, this is from their First Ascent line, which is good stuff. Clearance sale with additional 50% off promo code.

It's the MicroTherm 2.0 Down Jacket. $95. Usually $250.

It is a bright color for sure haha. But a great deal at $95 - get it and dye it brown haha

It is one of the only Eddie Bauer's I have seen with 800 fill.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'll probably get flamed for saying this but ......... While putting their high cost aside, I bought several KUIU items, including their Super Dow jacket, thinking that they would be the warmest option for me. IMO, that stuff is way overpriced and under-performs. It is extremely packable, but terribly warm it is not. I bought their down vest to wear under the Super Down jacket and have one of their hoodies too. While I might be the best dressed guy in camp, I still get cold on stand.

For what I spent I could have bought much warmer quality down products from other manufacturers that don't specialize in hunting apparel.

 

[fnlights]

I'll probably get flamed for saying this but ......... While putting their high cost aside, I bought several KUIU items, including their Super Dow jacket, thinking that they would be the warmest option for me. IMO, that stuff is way overpriced and under-performs. It is extremely packable, but terribly warm it is not. I bought their down vest to wear under the Super Down jacket and have one of their hoodies too. While I might be the best dressed guy in camp, I still get cold on stand.

For what I spent I could have bought much warmer quality down products from other manufacturers that don't specialize in hunting apparel.

Shouldn't get flamed at all - I mean it is whatever works best from your experience.

It's really the main reason I started this post - to see what other options there are out there.

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

I'll probably get flamed for saying this but ......... While putting their high cost aside, I bought several KUIU items, including their Super Dow jacket, thinking that they would be the warmest option for me. IMO, that stuff is way overpriced and under-performs. It is extremely packable, but terribly warm it is not. I bought their down vest to wear under the Super Down jacket and have one of their hoodies too. While I might be the best dressed guy in camp, I still get cold on stand.

For what I spent I could have bought much warmer quality down products from other manufacturers that don't specialize in hunting apparel.

Who would that be ? I get cold quickly. Always looking for warmth.

much warmer quality down products from other manufacturers that don't specialize in hunting apparel.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Who would that be ? I get cold quickly. Always looking for warmth.

North Face used to have some really lofty goose down jackets but I haven't checked in some time. Maybe a quick look here might start you in the right direction.

The 6 Best Down Jackets of 2023

Our team of apparel experts has tested down jackets in the mountains, around campfires, on morning commutes, and on dog walks. After checking out more than...

www.outdoorgearlab.com

 

[BigNate]

Have you considered adding a liner?https://www.wiggys.com/clothing-outerwear/liner-jacket/

I'd consider an Anorak from a reputable source before spending that on down anything.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

I'll probably get flamed for saying this but ......... While putting their high cost aside, I bought several KUIU items, including their Super Dow jacket, thinking that they would be the warmest option for me. IMO, that stuff is way overpriced and under-performs. It is extremely packable, but terribly warm it is not. I bought their down vest to wear under the Super Down jacket and have one of their hoodies too. While I might be the best dressed guy in camp, I still get cold on stand.

For what I spent I could have bought much warmer quality down products from other manufacturers that don't specialize in hunting apparel.

Most of the Kuiu stuff is for active as opposed to stationary hunting. If you are hiking up a mountain its great, if you are sitting in a stand then you will freeze. That being said they have tried to broaden their horizons, but a bit too far and have gotten away from their core stuff which made them good in the first place. Their prices have gone up and their deals have gone down. Needless to say, there are plenty of other fantastic brands out there that don't charge as much.

For the OP, REI outlet, Beyond Clothing's outlet section, Kryptek, Born Primitive etc are all competitive options. If you want to stay warmer while stationary and there is no/light precipitation, putting your hard or soft shell under your down/insulator layer actually helps. I thought it was counter intuitive at first, but the guides on Shasta recommended it for hikers during break while attempting to summit.

 

[flyguy1]

Here's the thing on Brands: most of them are no longer owned by the original owners. Mountain Hardware used to be bombproof at high altitude, maybe they still are, but they're no longer truly Mountain Hardware. If you wish, you can Wiki Eddie Bauer. They still make good stuff, mainly the First Ascent line, which I recommended above. But you c an see the ownership changes. Kind of like, "Which brand of Winchester is it?"

If I were going to spend top dollar, I would go with Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends, all USA companies who will fix it forever. Sling Fin, who does have their tents made, I believe, in Vietnam (and yeah, for us older guys, it hurts, doesn't it?), and they make the tents for one of the hunting brands, Kuiu or Sitka, can't recall. And the best tents, without question are Hilleberg. Family business.

Interesting article from the guys at Sling Fin. Oddly I feel I'm in my element; I still don't have a clue what a +P barrel is but I know backpacking and climbing. And I've shot my rifle lots of times, and Kirby Allen built it, so never missed much (once), and killed many animals, but don't feel I have the expertise of many here.

MZ's Views | SlingFin

SlingFin founder Martin Zemitis has been designing outdoor equipment for decades. He worked at The North Face, Sierra Designs, and Mountain Hardwear prior to founding SlingFin.

www.slingfin.com

 

[dfanonymous]

I don't even think I spent $350 for any of the Ridge Reaper downs I have. I have a heavy one and a light one. Which I'll picture. They look the same but one is way heavier and thicker than the other. I go up a size to fit my bino harness. I don't hike with jacketed layers usually. It's bad practice for anything more than 0'F degree anyways imo.

That said, I have other down hoodies because I do other stuff besides mountain hunting.
Decathlon foreclaz is basic the same thing as mountain hardwares ghost whisper. So there's two options.

Mountain ops makes a good one. I like Outdoor Research cold front as well. REI's house brand co-op is ok, Sierra designs is ok, outdoor vitals is good value like the Decathalon, there's really a ton of options of big name brands.

 

[sp6x6]

Igot the kifaru and am happy with it.Too warm for most hunts I do but when you need it ...

 

[AZHTR]

My .25 worth - (long time ago) I hunted brown bears (13 days) on Kodiak Island with an REI down vest and a Bourbor jacket. Then hunted central AK for caribou (12 days) with the same REI down vest and a Cabella's Dry Plus shell uninsulated parka.

I still use the vest and parka on late hunts. I now own Sitka stuff and a few Kuiu items, but I believe they are overpriced, BUT all the "cool-kids" are wearing this stuff and I didn't want someone to make fun of me for not being in-style.

North Face, REI, Cabella's all make acceptable stuff.