I've used Buffalo for over 20 years and still have one of the original Survival Aids Buffalo shirts (much like a Special 6) and have extolled their virtues on OM a fair few times : )
Yes, they can be too warm - for a start you should be wearing them next to the skin and venting, doing this significantly broadens the temperature range you can use them in. Secondly the active range are much cooler and can be used in warmer conditions. I still use my 20 year old Special 6-type for colder months and an Active Lite for summer. With the latter, I'll take a synthetic baselayer and wear that alone when it's really hot then swap / add to the Active Lite accordingly. I've used this combo all year round though when it's really cold, I've hankered for my Special 6 : )
Yes, they get wet. Put yourself out in enough rain and you'll get soaked, however P&P retains a lot of warmth when wet and dries quickly so although wet, you'll be warm as long as you keep active. However, where they fail is when you're soaked and then get into a tent and try to dry off. Since you're no longer active it'll take a while to dry out and you'll fill your tent with moisture. To cope with this I always take a waterproof poncho which I find allows me to retain all of the P&P virtues without any of the troubles. I used a thin waterproof jacket for a while but I like the extra venting of a poncho and the fact that I can set it up as a basha if required (it's been used as an addition to my tent a couple of times for example).
Bear in mind that I've only got wet enough for this to happen on two occasions during the last 20 years so this shouldn't be a reason to think of this as a major weakness for Buffalo gear, after all any fool can be uncomfortable so prepare for the possibility and you'll be rewarded with a nice warm smug grin : )
I have no experience of the products but if you're interested in P&P you could check out :
The site isn't the best but the product range is very interesting. Has anyone any experience of this chap's work?"
Yes, when I went for P/P clothing I went to him for made-to-measure APS smock, Pathfinder smock and Expedition salopettes. The quality, performance and price were excellent, as was the service - when I wasn't sure about the fit of my first APS smock he sent me out a second one free to compare and then return one.
That was back in about '96 and '97 though, I've no direct experience more recent. His name's Keith Howes, he's a one-man-band, and I understand he runs ExtremeOutdoorClothing while also heading off on various trips and expeditions, so a true cottage industry. Because of this you might hit a good or a bad patch regarding lead times, but I reckon if you contact him about your requirements you'd get a realistic view from him.
Btw, I used that kit for 3 or 4 years before I switched to Paramo (still use that 12 years on). P/P was good, sometimes too hot, but in the end it was Warhippo's point about being wet when you stop that made me look to switch (after one particular unpleasant experience in Norway in winter).
Thanks Matt - when it comes to replacing my Buffalo, I'll certainly give Keith's work a looksee. I have some Paramo gear as well (and really rate it) but no 'jackets' and not enough money to warrant trying out a different concept / manufacturer.
I think that you'll find that the majority of people who use Buffalo gear, for more than a season or two, tend to fall in love with it. As I said, the soaking aspect has only happened a couple of times in a couple of decades (one was a stupidly wet weekend in Dartmoor and even the guys wearing expensive GoreTex jackets got soaked - difference was, I stayed warm) and you can pretty much fix that with a thin waterproof jacket / poncho.
Tomorrow (Saturday the 11th) it's suppose to be a high of -4C with a low in the morning of -10C. The wind is suppose to stay pretty steady at about 30kph. I'll be in it from about 9:00 am to about 3:30pm. About 7cm of snow is suppose to fall throughout the day. My Buffalo Mountain Shirt will handle all of it just fine. My activity level will be moderate.
I hope this gives you some idea of what your asking about Buffalo.
