Primer Puffy Jacket

First off - This is purely a first impression review as I haven’t had a chance to wear it in the field. From what I have seen, I finally have found the best option around for a Midwest saddle hunter! I’ve hoped we’d get a windproof Primaloft jacket for a couple years now and it’s finally here! I really love the fit of the jacket.

It does run a bit more snug that other First Lite Jackets like my Phase but will be great above or under my Phase bibs. The pocket design is higher than my bridge line so will have totally unobstructed access to my pockets, even with a bino harness on. A+ Jacket for this MN Saddle hunter!

This jacket is very warm and impressively lightweight, and it’s still one of my favorite pieces from my First Lite collection. That said, there are two drawbacks worth mentioning. First, the durability isn’t great. After just one 5-day hunt, the outer fabric already had several snags and runs from brush, and it began to pill where my bino harness and pack straps made contact. Second, while I wore a merino base layer underneath, sweat still transferred through and was absorbed into the jacket, leaving it damp.

The jacket fits great and is a perfect complement to my LZ Jacket. However, the durability is terrible. My first time out with it I had more snags than I could count and the fabric on the shoulders is all pilled up from my wader straps. Would not recommend for stand alone use. If you want it to hold up, make sure you have an outer layer over this jacket.

Jacket is extremely warm and packable and definitely was surprised with the performance. The description states it can withstand years of abuse in the field. I know this isn't designed for walking through brush but my jacket had numerous snags from rubbing against a small amount of Velcro which surprised me. I'd recommend to a friend but with a warning in durability.