patagonia MACRO puff anyone?

[lorcar]

Looking for a packable insulation jacket. Thinking about the Patagonia mAcro puff-
Has anyone tried the new MACRO puff? i thought it was supposed to be very very warm, but a couple of review say it is just for moderate cold.
Any suggestion is appreciated.

[hutash]

No first hand experience, but yeah, this is just beefy midlayer, not a true puffy as in throw over the top of everything and warm up type of puffy. Patty makes some true puffies, big, bulky and warm.

[Samski360]

I have one. In the Patagonia universe it is warmer than the micro puff/nano puff and not as warm as the Fitzroy (Which I don’t personally own but my gf has one). Loft-wise, the Fitzroy is noticeably loftier. I think it’s a good cut to wear as a belay parka layer down to the low 20s or high teens. Below that, it layers well with a lighter weight puffy. If you want very very warm on its own, there are better options out there. If you want a good warm option that works well in a layering system, it’s very good. Packs down to the size of a nalgene or so. The bag it comes with is quite large. You can get an after market stuff sack to get it much smaller. Hope that’s useful. I bring mine pretty much every time I go ski touring.

[lorcar]

thanks both. Which other alternatives/options do you suggest?
i am puzzled because everyone raves about the Micro Puff, while the Macro doesnt get the same consensus. At the end of the day, i am going to use it: in Italy + together with other layers underneath (first layer/R1/Arcteryx Proton).
I had thought about the fitzroy, but size is bigger even when packed and i couldnt try in the stores around.

Also, how do the "layering different puffies" work? does it make sense to add several puffies one on top of the other?
thanks

[Lindahl]

I think the Micro Puff makes more sense than the Macro Puff. At the warmth level the Macro Puff is targeting, down is more weight efficient. And if it's cold enough to need that level of warmth, then you probably aren't worried about getting wet (because it's cold, dry snow). Also, synthetic insulation breaks down. Down insulation will last a lot longer. If you want something like the Macro Puff, consider looking at down jackets with total weights around 12oz.

The Micro Puff is an excellent garment, but the Macro Puff, in my mind, only really makes sense if you're an ice climber (where you get wet) as a belay jacket. The Micro Puff works because, at that warmth level, the garment weight is completely dominated by the weight of the fabric, not the weight of the insulation.