It really depends on your own body. I tend to run cold and get colder faster than normal people. Sometimes I am wearing so many layers (as much as 5 in super cold) I feel like a giant marshmallow. Vests help to cut down on the layers in your arm areas significantly which really helps in bow hunting. I never wear a vest as my outer layer though (yet). However, My wife and father both wear their vests as outer layers in early fall when it is on the warmer side. As the sun rises and the weather warms even more, they then take their vest off and pack it away. So to answer your question...why not both....if you can afford it. I find I never have enough hunting clothing lol.

Both will help fight the wind if they have some sort of wind blocking material (but your outer layer should really have the wind blocking material in it)

 

I must be worse than I though...with temps in the teens (windchill), I had on 3 lightweight layers, 2 mid and and outer thick! After 3 hours I was starting to get cold. This was on my upper body. It's the mid weight stuff I'm looking to replace as mine is not that warm I don't think...I almost feel like it is wasted material.

 

I hear you there. Couple years ago in Ohio during the rut, I had 7 layers on top and 4 on the legs, LOL. That's when I knew I had to upgrade my cold weather gear. Stopped wearing the layers that really didn't perform, and went to base layers (merino and cabelas ECWCS) with cabelas windshear layers (berber and wooltimate) on top. Works much better, and it doesn't take 15 min to put on all those layers.

 

Yea my goal is to lighten up!