Buffalo tops - what's each one good for?

[Paul_B]

Serious question. There's a similarity between a lot of them without enough differentiation IMHO.

For example the special 6, mountain and active are basically very similar. One is longer, the other sounds like it's got a different means to pull excess fabric in other than the traditional buffalo pocket waist straps. So what are the uses or benefits of each? Anyone know?

The zipped jackets make an overkill solution for UK hill lunch stops but are probably too bulky to carry. They loose out to synthetic jackets or even down in cold UK winters.

I only ask because they all look great designs but I don't know if they'll suit me and even which one to get.

I like the OTH smocks. I like their side zips (had them on the buffalo windshirt I had as a kid for cycling). I used to go for thinner softshells like rab vapour rise but these days feel the cold more since I'm slower moving with a 5 year old. Plus I'll be evening dog walking (got a puppy last winter).

I take the dog along an exposed canal which is bitter in winter winds straight off morecambe Bay. I usually wear vapour rise top with gilet and a haglofs synthetic belay jacket over for the coldest days. Buffalo now seems appropriate for my needs. They're all too similar to choose one over the other.

Then there's sizing. I'm 6'5" tall but slim. When I've tried them on they're rather baggy about the middle (shoulders and arms fitted as is the length). The straps aren't completely the solution. Is there anything other than the buffalo? Perhaps one with a different fit? Montane seemed a better fit but their design isn't as good. No straps to pull it in but hood comes with it.

So any views on the differences in buffalo tops?

 

[Duggie Bravo]

No sure I can help, I have a Special 6 and a BAS Arctic Parka, I also have a Rab Vapourise and a Bear Grylls fleece lined top thing

My uses are:
Bear Grylls, in my kayak bag in case I’m cold when I come off the water. Don’t really like or rate it, but I don’t mind it getting manky with river/canal water and not fussed about using normal washing powder to keep it clean.
Vapourise - Spring/Autumn day and summer camps in the evening. Too warm for routine wear when moving around
Spec 6 - Winter when moving around or standing around when it’s not subzero
Parka - Winter when it’s subzero and I’m standing around a bit
Spec 6 and Parka - when I want a personal sauna...


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[srod]

I have just recently acquired a mountain shirt and special 6. They seem quite similar, s6 being a few inches longer.

I work outdoors all day, year round on the west coast of Scotland, so spend most of my time soaked! Mostly use standard cheapo oilskins for the heavy showers but wanted something for when it's dreich, or perhaps when it's a passing shower and my raincoat is on the other side of the yard. Work is quite active, but also times of standing still, often find myself removing a layer or two then when i need its a long walk to find it again. Buffalo seemed a good option to keep me alive over winter.

 

[Paul_B]

Thing is I'm no longer going out into extremes (as extreme as the UK especially England gets that is) due to family commitments. But those commitments mean I'm travelling slower when I the hills. Too slow to get and stay warm at times.

I've got synth jackets / gilets and softshell fleeces. Any combination of them would give me a much it as little insulation in the colder seasons as I could wish for. However I like the idea of one layer doing it all and coping with a wide range of temperatures and activity levels. So standing around in a park in Ambleside or walking in the Lakeland fells in winter. If I'm working hard or it's a little warmer I can vent to cool off cold zip up snug. However I doubt I'd get away walking around town in winter wearing a special 6 shirt for example.

I like OTH tops. I think they offer better weatherproofing and comfort.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

If you have younglings in tow, then the Spec 6 will give you everything you need. You can open the side vents when warm and to be honest in the sorts of temps that you would want to expose young ones too it will be fine when standing still.

Also if you leave the house at the last minute, when everyone else is in the car, you can get away with wearing almost anything

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[Limaed]

I think the mtn shirt was the original design, it was superseded by the Special 6 based on feedback of folk getting cold midrifts! The Active is Buffalo’s version of the Rab Vapourise. Use - well the mtn shirt and Spec 6 are the same, the shorter version might be better for water sports perhaps. Both are too warm a lot of the time, I think the Active Shirt is probably a better option most of the year. The zip up options are good, I have an old belay jacket for the woods. Again it’s a bit short but it was designed to work that way. The hooded belay is pretty much the same. The Alpine jacket is grand, it’s probably the least clunky of all the designs. I think the Montane Extreme improved the bits Buffalo didn’t get quite right, they usually work out cheaper too. I think given your activity I would look at the Buffalo Alpine or Montane Extreme Jacket. Both work well in windy, cold conditions where you’re not moving fast. Hope that helps!

 

[Paul_B]

The active is the same pile and design as the mountain but the fabric is not pertex 6 but their new fabric. The teclite smocks are more like vapour rise because they're a micropore not the larger pile They also have this new fabric.

I've not seen the new fabric but to be different it would have to be less windproof I reckon. VR isn't windproof but it's supposedly 98% windproof. Useless phrase because stronger winds mean less resistance. My VR feels like the wind just blows straight through at times. Pertex classic windshirts I own from other makes just blocks the same winds.

 

[Paul_B]

I seem to have liked every post. I'm not taking the mick I just genuinely appreciate the comments made. It's helping me understand the products and whether they'll suit me.

Mountain and special 6 are basically the same but for length. If you're tall and slim the special 6 is better or if you want to get rain to run off lower.

Active is a warm but not as windproof, like you'll notice the difference between 40 or 50mph wind speed.

Parka and the other long, full zip jacket are about cold standing still. Parka is for coldest use such as Arctic use, the lightweight parka and the other similar one is for more standing around in sub zero to say - 10.

The other jackets such as alpine and belay seem to be about an extra layer to throw over something else or a slightly milder condition use than special 6 shirt. Also a kind of attempt at a more modern insulating jacket to try and compete with the synthetic jackets that's become more popular.

IMHO traditional buffalo smocks are a more serious softshell / insulation piece. It's about hill performance whereas synthetic insulation jackets have half an eye to more leisure use too. I wear a haglofs barrier jacket about town but it would be a very cold day indeed for me to wear a special 6 shirt about town because every shop it would need carrying.

 

[Paul_B]

I rarely wear hard shells (membrane waterproofs) if I can help it. What I hate about them is the run off of rain into the groin / top of the legs. That area gets disproportionately wet compared to the rest of the legs (I rarely wear waterproof trousers).

One question about buffalo products. Does water run off the pertex of say a special 6 shirt like on a hard shell?

Looking at the measurements of a 42 and 44 special 6 shirt it looks like the length on me will only just cover my middle down to the top of my legs. I'm 6'5" tall with average leg / torso length. However I'm slim (42" chest actually a smidgen under). The 42" is the same length as the 44" one side but shorter the other. In thinking the 44" might be better to get the longer length. I can always use the straps to bring it in. But am I worrying too much about water run off? Should I go for the size that numerically suits my chest size and not worry any run off?

 

[Turnip]

The idea is that it should be as close fitting as possible without being restrictive I believe, so you don't want to go up a size if you can help it.
The alpine jacket i ordered was way to loose, so hopefully the medium will be better. that being said the alpine is a looser cut apparently?
If you're not in a hurry I believe that buffalo can make alterations to a garment as a sort of semi custom?

 

[Paul_B]

It was on their blog that the specials service was cancelled. Last year I think but not sure if a suspension or cancellation for good.

 

[Paul_B]

Does anyone wear their's in rain? Does rain just run off?

If I get the right chest size (I'm 41.75" measured chest size over a base layer / thin fleece) the length is an inch less on the front than the 44" size but the same on the back. I think that means any run off if rain will clear my behind but not the front. Wet groinal area.

However I've got softshells which don't allow the run off like hard shells. Paramo didn't when I used to use that (15+ years ago now) and vapour rise doesn't. In light rain or a bit more for short showers I get away without using a hard shell over the top. I'm looking to use buffalo special 6 in a similar way

The alpine jacket is a good option but it's shorter than the sp6 in an equivalent size and baggier without the means to pull the fabric in like the OTG garments.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

Mine is waterproof water spots on the surface, rather than wetting, note the advice is to wash with Nikwax/Graingers but use a spray on waterproofer not the wash in type otherwise you will waterproof the pile and stop it wicking moisture away. I can’t say that I have noticed any run off, but then don’t remember being out in heavy rain in it.


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[srod]

In full agreement with water run-off, big fan of light cotton, ventile or canvas anoraks when out in any weather, for the reasons you mention.

I'm a 40" chest, have a pair 40" buffalos, a good fit. Recently picked them up second-hand. So far I wear it on its own but could fit a t-shirt under if I wanted.

I put my (old, very worn)mountain shirt on this morning at 630am, cycled to work in light rain, worked outdoors in intermittent rain all day, which eased off about 3pm. The pertex at times was soaked, but I wasn't wet to my skin. The various vents worked great when I worked up a sweat. By the time I got home, I was totally dry.

I'm surprised and delighted at how well this gear works for what I wanted it for, have lived in the thing all week. Looking forward to trying my special 6 out on a hill walk in the near future, but think it could get quite hot and sweaty, will see!

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I’ve just bought a pair sallopetes of eBay, so I’m looking forward to trying the whole outfit in the rain.


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[MikeLA]

My choice is all about where using them

Mountain shirt I use for general walks and around town
The special 6 any hillwalks either as a thrown on when stopping or all the time
The belay if packing light and news a mid layer or quick stop layer

Tried a Montane Extreme but stopped it quickly too bulky for me and the fittings are a worse choice when you fit between a large and XL.
I think go for the mountain shirt

 

[Tonyuk]

I've only ever used their special 6 and the trousers.

The special 6 is warm enough, cut relatively well and pretty durable. Not as warm as a synthetic filled shirt. The collar gets thinned out pretty quick and the pile in the elbows will pack down soon-ish. A pain to get on and off quick unless all you've got underneath is a t-shirt (which is really how its meant to be) Too warm for any active work out of the arctic imo (Worked well in Norway).

The trousers though are a different ball game. Fantastic bits of kit for sitting in some wet hole in the ground at dark o'clock. Zips fully down each leg so you can have them on and off quick, roomy enough cut to go over combats. Mega bits of kit.

The idea of baffalo clothing is great, but for our more temperate winters i believe the layer system works better.

 

[Paul_B]

The last winter I realised my kit didn't suit me anymore. We got a dog which means walks along an exposed footpath near me. In winter that's bitter cold at times. I've got warm coats but they're not performing fit some reason. I ended up wearing haglofs barrier gilet, then a rab vr jacket and a haglofs barrier III jacket over the top but still felt cold at times. It's the slow moving walks with a 5 year old and young dog.

I've got a 20+ year old ME lightline smock. Supposedly down to -10 or - 15°C. I bought it as something to wear over the top of my winter walking kit at stops. Group walking means waiting for people at stops and longer than I prefer lunches. In winter I get cold quick sat around so that worked back then. It's now too big as the warm layer instead of everything else. Plus it's never been long enough. It's a case of buying a magazine's best buy but not knowing enough to make sure it fits (plus half price sale so a bargain ). It bellows out warm air and sucks in cold. Pretty much every time you sit or stand up or make and movement other than walk in a straight line on easy terrain.

Buffalo I know from their windshirt fit well if you get the right size. That's even without the internal straps to adjust.

Montane extreme smock looks good on paper when you consider the extra bits offered like hood. However the straps are missing which is a big thing for fit and purpose IMHO. It's warmer than buffalo which might not be best for me.

I've been to a shop that sold both. I was able to wear buffalo long enough to make a judgement on fit but the extreme smock had me overheating in the store too quickly. It didn't fit well I thought. A classic case of a clone adding on loads of extra features and trying to better the original bit in the process missing out the essence of the original that made it so great perhaps.

 

[Paul_B]

Well I went to one of the few nearby shops that stock buffalo. Tried on a 42 on mountain and S6 shirt. But fit me absolutely perfectly. Well snug and a slight lift when raising my arms. I'm used to n climbing kit that doesnt lift but it's slight enough not to worry.

So I had two choices, mountain shirt in the seemingly rare in my size buffalo blue Which is a little shorter than I want. I want it to shed rain run off further down and away onto the legs which is more comfortable than lower torso it's when wet. So the other choice is S6 shirt on green. I'm not a green wearing type. I'm not in the army or into stealthy activities.

Really wanted buffalo blue but function overrides fashion with me. So the longer special 6 functions as I want so I got it and have to get used to green now.

Perhaps I need to stock up with army surplus so my kit matches without costing as much as normal expensive outdoor kit I've stocked up mostly in blue and black in the past.

 

[Turnip]

Well I went to one of the few nearby shops that stock buffalo. Tried on a 42 on mountain and S6 shirt. But fit me absolutely perfectly. Well snug and a slight lift when raising my arms. I'm used to n climbing kit that doesnt lift but it's slight enough not to worry.

So I had two choices, mountain shirt in the seemingly rare in my size buffalo blue Which is a little shorter than I want. I want it to shed rain run off further down and away onto the legs which is more comfortable than lower torso it's when wet. So the other choice is S6 shirt on green. I'm not a green wearing type. I'm not in the army or into stealthy activities.

Really wanted buffalo blue but function overrides fashion with me. So the longer special 6 functions as I want so I got it and have to get used to green now.

Perhaps I need to stock up with army surplus so my kit matches without costing as much as normal expensive outdoor kit I've stocked up mostly in blue and black in the past.

Let me know how you get on with it please mate, I like my alpine that much I'm tempted to get a smock style buffalo now!