After reading the thread on freezing weather, I am wondering what people wear to stay warm. I normally wear a Patagonia Down Sweater and an Arcteryx Beta AR over it. It works well 90% of the time. I like down insulation a lot. When its below freezing, I often think I need to find something warmer. What are people wearing to stay warm?
If you're a fan of the Patagucci brand you might just consider a higher fill weight piece than the Down Sweater you have …. perhaps the Fitz Roy parka or Jackson Glacier coat. If you want the best in down garment quality, give a look to brands like Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends and Nunatak.
The path of least resistance will seldom get you where you need to be.
I prefer and use wool as it is quieter, breathes better, and is less prone to snags than down-filled garments. My favorite shell for cold weather (<20 degrees F) when I am not moving too much (still hunting or watching an outdoor sporting event) is a Filson Double Mackinaw Cruiser. If I am going to be more active or the temps will be warmer, I use a regular Mackinaw Cruiser. I also wear wool hats to stay warm and to keep precipitation off my face. I use cotton/wool blend undergarments, wool socks, and wool outer layers. I have a fair amount of Pendleton pieces. Gloves are always a struggle for me as I need gloves that will allow me to manipulate objects while keeping my fingers warm. I have no good works-for-all glove situation and stash several pairs in my vehicle. Shoes and boots have GoreTex lining to keep the cold water out while passing perspiration.Originally Posted by DamonL
Mostly this Fission SV featured in my avatar https://www.amazon.com/Arcteryx-Mens...s%2C155&sr=8-1
Cry once etc etc. It's spectacular. Fully waterproof. I used it comfortably in the teens recently.
Funny thing is I have one other coat that is probably even warmer. Its a milspec wool "navy P coat" I bought at an Army/Navy surplus store, new for like $100. It's phenomenally warm and thick. But its very bulky and a PIA for getting in and out of vehicles much less behind the wheel. The high tech Arcteryx is much more flexible that way, plus not uncomfortable if it warms up to say 50 degrees just by wearing it open.
Last edited by JHC; 01-24-2020 at 08:24 AM.
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For the wearers of sheep, https://asbellwool.com/t/pathfinder
Global warming has it to where I only get to wear mine a few days a year here in the south. If I'm not out for an extended period with temps 40or less, it gets way to warm.
It depends, of course, on what the temp is - +10 or -40, how bad the wind is blowing, whether you're walking the dog, cutting firewood, or on a 10 day ski tour trip (where weight matters).
1)For cutting firewood, something like a Carhartt coat, because it's durable when you throw a log over your shoulder, and cheap enough to replace when it gets ragged. The local feed store probably has Carhartt like coats that are half the price and just as good as the brand name. The hoods aren't very good, they are heavy, not water repellent, etc, but cheap and durable.
2)For any kind of in town activity where it's cold and windy (we used to live in Wyoming): an Air Force snorkle parka, 'N3-B'. The beauty of these is the hood, which is about the best one going. The hood will stay up even in a stiff wind with the zipper undone, e.g. if you get hot while shoveling snow at -40 and a 40 MPH wind. In a really stiff wind, folding the hood forward into the snorkel tube creates a dead air zone in front of your face. This beats the heck out of a ski mask that freezes up. They don't have real thick insulation, which is good if you're exerting yourself, even just walking. If the plan is to ice fish or something get a big one and wear a down vest/other layers under it. Much too heavy for ski trips.
2)For the 10 day ski backpacking trip in the Rockies: I've never found a good commercial offering. We got the best mountaineering type down jackets we could and got out the needle and thread and upgraded the hoods.
This is kind of where I am at. I have a Carhartt for outdoor chores. My current set of jackets cut wind and insulate to a certain temp. I think if a thicker puffy coat could fit under my shell that would be the way to go, but I can't. I think I might need to look at a heavy parka for really cold weather.
I have the predecessor of this LL Bean Maine Warden's 3-in-1 Parka
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/6576...ns+parka&csp=a
Mine does not have a removable liner, but it is Gore-Tex. While I still own it, I probably haven't worn it in 25+ years.
As folks have commented, it depends on the level of cold. When I lived in northern Maine, that Warden's Parka was very useful for a few weeks every year when the temperature would head below 0 F. On the other hand, other than the waterproof Gore-Tex feature, when living in Ohio, Virginia, and northwest Florida, I have other, lighter weight coats that are more comfortable and useful.
I also have this old style of LL Bean Baxter State Parka https://www.etsy.com/listing/7642015...lery-1-9&frs=1
This gets more use in temps down to around +10 to maybe 0, but you'll need some layering down to that temperature. Their new version seems significantly warmer than the one I have.
For warmth I've had good luck with LL Bean primaloft / gore-tex (or similar) parkas and still have a few.
For rugged, I use insulated Carhartt jackets as the canvas outer holds up better than nylon for chores.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I wear a...M65 Field Jacket about 80% of the time. Without the liner from basically 50º to 30º and with the liner from 30º to around 5º - with various layers underneath (usually just a t-shirt). Because most of my time is in and out of buildings and I am hot natured in general, I don't find an extra layer to be necessary unless the wind is up. Now, somewhere around 5º the insulating properties of the liner are simply not good enough. Another wool sweater underneath can keep me comfortable at that temp, but it's insufficient for sustained exposure. I also like to take the liner out and wear it as a sweater when it's cool out but a sweater will do (I even made up some paracord and button "hooks" to close it).
Below 5º I wear an inexpensive, poly-filled, parka from Uniqlo. It cost $95 when I bought it 5 winters ago and it's holding up just fine without major issues. I wore it this past winter on the day where it was -17 with windchills to -50. No problems.
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I'm biased, but I think the M65 is one of the most versatile pieces of gear ever designed/made. With the stowable hood, adjustable cuffs and waist, liner that can be worn in multiple ways, etc. That said, there are a few things I would change in the M65 design, such that I've been working on an updated version. I need to actually sketch up the changes I want to make and shop it around. I'm hoping to convince Patrick Ma at Prometheus Design Werx to make it (Since finding a Made in the USA version of the M65 today is extremely difficult). I know TAD Gear did an update M65 last year or the year before, but it doesn't actually feature the things that would make the M65 more versatile and better, it's just made of slightly higher grade materials. The fact that TAD sold the liner separately and for another $150 was an insult as well...but TAD is about profit these days.
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