Rab Xenon is the best...
Rab Xenon is the best...
The puffy is a camp layer only and most of your time in camp during a normal season thru-hike doesn't require heavy down jackets. Mine is about 8-ounces.
I view my needs as "moving wear" and "camp wear". While moving the vast majority of time (like 90+%) I only wear shorts + t-shirt. When it rains I often don't even wear a rain jacket. If it is cold I'll don a jacket to provide warmth. I do wear a baseball cap to keep my eyeglasses from getting rain on them which is annoying.
I rarely, wear much in the way of layers while moving. I hike frequently in cold rain/snow and if I'm climbing, I'm still in a t-shirt. If I am on level ground or coming down the mountain I might throw on a shell to keep warm. I play different games with my hands dependent upon conditions because I find my hands get cold first. In cold rain, I'll wear a long-sleeve synthetic top..... really thin layer because I don't like the way wet arms feel. If it is really cold and my exertion isn't keeping me warm I'll use a lightweight (used to be called 100w) fleece top. It will get wet and still function as an insulation layer and it dries in a reasonable timeframe. I've found a cheap $25 top to be better than the >$100 ones I've tried (I've been through plenty). I prefer a full zip without a hood. I carry a fleece cap which is more flexible/lighter and more comfortable that integrated hoods. Same with my synthetic shirt. I use a fairly cheap Terramar unit and find it is as good as anything I've used.
So... outside of the down all my stuff is cheap. I have the money to buy what I want and I use: Dryducks, t-shirts from Walmart, inexpensive fleece and synthetic shirts. My down puffy is a custom unit I had made for me though and at $250 it was money well spent.
Just my $0.02