Grew up in Oregon where I appreciated and collected good rain gear and cold weather gear that was comfortable in the woods. Now I live in Northwest Indiana where it gets bitter cold and heavy lake effect snow. Being a city dweller I am looking for a good cold weather parka that is more civilized looking than Woolrich or filson. Any insight?? Happy New year in 2018. -4 and 18" of snow…
Personally, always been happy with North Face stuff.
North Face, Columbia, REI…all work well. For wearing around/not working outside, I mostly wear a Columbia down jacket. Very warm, very comfortable, easy to move around. I’ve been pleased with the Columbia Alpine Escape, even in these minus 20-25 below zero temps. For working outside, I like a nice rugged jacket, Duluth Trading. They tend to be warmer than Carrhart. For snowmobiling, well…that’s a separate category. For mountain biking in the snow, Gore Bikewear…and I’ll usually sweat that one out in 10 miles.
Didn’t consider Duluth. Nice suggestion. I was looking at northface. Thinking about a 3:1 parka like my duck hunting Columbia.
How much are you willing to spend? One of the best you can buy for that kind of temp range is Canada Goose.
Probably $300
http://www.carhartt.com/products/Extremes-Coat-Arctic-Quilt-Lined-C55
Very wind/water resistant super warm and durable. When New very stiff must wash and dry a few times to loosen. I wear this coat Elk hunting at 10000 ft and in the Adirondacks at minus 30degress.
I’ve had my North Face Yellowband Parka since 2011. I typically wear it December through February and store it in plastic the remainder of the year. I’ve had it dry cleaned once - pit sweat starts to stain the inside of the parka. Next to my Mystery Ranch 3 day assault pack this is one of those pieces of gear I’ve been extremely happy with.
You can’t beat The North Face’s warranty. If it breaks, you send it back and they repair or replace it for free. For real. Do it.
I probably have 5-6 jackets from them of varying weights. I like their designs, materials used, quality of construction, and warranty. Not the cheapest, but yet to ever need to use the warranty due to quality of their product.
Check out this site for some recommendations…Outdoor Gear Lab is a pretty solid source of unbiased reviews and information, well-regarded by some of the outdoor industry folks.
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/clothing-mens/best-winter-jacket
Interesting web site. $995 for a Canada Goose parka! Good lord! I’ve lived in Minnesota for 35 years. I’ve been snowmobiling in -60 degree weather (Tower, MN 1996). Right now it’s -23 degrees outside. I can’t imagine the need to pay $700 - $1000 for a winter coat.
I hear rave reviews on the kifaru lost park parka.
But i usually justvwatch sierratradingpost for deals. Snagged a north face down jacket for 50 bucks.
Oh I know…Canada Goose is one of those brands that caters itself as “luxury”, but their jackets really do perform incredibly well. Is it ~$500 better than a North Face? Mmm personally, I don’t think so, but I do know that it’s one of the first-grabbed items for those heading to Antarctica.
Well, if I was headed to the Antarctic, I’d get in line. Locally, if I was a dedicated ice fisherman that couldn’t afford a heated shelter and heading out onto the lake this morning, I’d have to consider it, but I hate fishing, so…
Columbia 3-in-1s (example) do fairly well, and I’ve seen them last decades.
I’m an arcteryx fan. It’s expensive but I’ve been very impressed with the items I’ve purchased.
Eta: I’ve had good experience with Columbia 3 in 1 parkas also but arcteryx jackets fit me better as a tall and slim guy with long arms. The Columbia jackets I had to go to a tent sized body to get a long enough sleeve .
Lots of great suggestions. My wife likes North face. Probably look into their line. Seems like the best value out there. In a perfect world a guy could spend $1000 on an expedition grade parka. But not this close to Christmas.
Have you looked at Carinthia? They make cold weather gear that is good enough for polar expeditions. Carinthia HIG 3.0 (comfort temp -4) and ECIG 3.0 (-22) might be worth a look. I have several of their products and have been very happy with the performance.
For cost, packability, warmth balance I love Arcteryx Atom jackets. The LT (mid-weight) is great to about 32 and takes up very little room in a day pack. The AR (heavier-weight) is my no-joke, it’s the middle of winter in New England jacket. The cost is relatively good, especially considering they are Arcteryx.
Sitka and First Lite are my go-to’s for cold weather gear, specifically for hunting and back packing. I live in the country, though.