Best Winter Jacket?

No test here.

Dang! One of the coldest February's on record here in eastern Ontario. Although the Canada Goose parkas may be an initially costly investment, they have proven their worth once again. There were some days in February when the wind chill was -37* C. The Canada Goose Expedition parka kept me very comfortable outdoors on such days with no need for a second layer.  

Ahem. Looks like the "forecast" above (published in August) is spot on for Ontario :-)   "That's the forecast predicting Ontario and the Prairies will experience below-average temperatures this winter".  But think they missed the mark with the east coast. 

Cold here in Quebec also LOL, I bought a LL Bean Baxter state parker and its a pretty nice warm coat for walking in the woods, very durable and not very expensive I think it was 250$.  But what really surprised me was  another coat I bought, The Mountain Hardware Chillwave also about 260$. Never had a coat this light and warm before. At the MEC I bought a XLG Gore tex shell on sail for 100$. This goes over the chillwave and I can stand out in the fields of Saint-clet shooting snowy owls for hours.

Craig Browne wrote:Cold here in Quebec also LOL, I bought a LL Bean Baxter state parker and its a pretty nice warm coat for walking in the woods, very durable and not very expensive I think it was 250$.  But what really surprised me was  another coat I bought, The Mountain Hardware Chillwave also about 260$. Never had a coat this light and warm before. At the MEC I bought a XLG Gore tex shell on sail for 100$. This goes over the chillwave and I can stand out in the fields of Saint-clet shooting snowy owls for hours.

I think Quebec and eastern Ontario weather is quite similar.  Cold    Glad to hear there are other options for our winters.  I could not possibly try out every option out there and went with what my web searches came up with.  I also need it to keep me warm for many hours outdoors in open fields often with strong winds.  It had to cover a large portion of the body including part of the legs.  Thus my selection. 

Believe it or not, this actually happened last winter.  I won't go into details but was stuck outside at night for hours at a time.  Maybe a stretch of 5+ hours.  Inside for a couple of hours.  Then another stretch all outdoors.  Comfortable the whole time even though it was cold.  This thing may have lasted close to 12 hours.  In the dark.  The experience would have been very different had I not been wearing the CG Expedition parka.  I sure tested the coat good    OK, so that's why the coat is so highly recommended.  I had just picked it up 3 months earlier.

I became a believer and picked up the CG Chilliwack this past Fall for the less cold days or for trekking through brush.  Because I spend so much time outdoors in the winter, why not make the experience as comfortable as possible? 

Darren Huski wrote:Also a good Gore-Tex jacket to go over your winter coat is s must to me. Adds significant warmth by blocking the wind

IMHO....Darren is on to it. 

I am 66 years of age and grew up in fowl, cold weather.

After many years, I found that the best winter jacket is the same one I use in a steady rain.  Here it is:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63188?feat=593-cprrtop

Why?  Because it kills the most ferocious winter wind....100%.  And I like the fit to be "loosey-goosey".  That way I can get things done.  I am tall and normally wear XL.  But with this jacket I wear a XXL Tall.  In winter I normally just layer with a down vest underneath and an UnderArmor-type pullover next to the skin.  Along with a balaclava, this is what I have been wearing all winter, and I am outdoors every day.  When spring comes, the layering ends and I simply cinch the sleeves and wear it in cold spring winds and cold spring rains.  It looks good all year and..... it works like no other.  

I am !00% warm and 100% dry in this jacket in the heaviest rain and the coldest weather in Maine.



Robert King
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If we are talking serious cold weather photography I would only consider one of the following light weight down parkas; North Face Himalayan, Mtn Hardware Absolute Zero, RAB Expedition, Feathered Friends Rock and Ice.

My older North Face Himalayan Parka is 850 loft. Additionally, I added a long guard hair coyote ruff to the coat.
My Mtn Hardware Absolute Zero is Outstanding as well. 

These are big ticket items...buy once and buy the best you can afford. Your body will thank you.

Chas

Chas wrote:If we are talking serious cold weather photography I would only consider one of the following light weight down parkas; North Face Himalayan, Mtn Hardware Absolute Zero, RAB Expedition, Feathered Friends Rock and Ice.

My older North Face Himalayan Parka is 850 loft. Additionally, I added a long guard hair coyote ruff to the coat.
My Mtn Hardware Absolute Zero is Outstanding as well. 

These are big ticket items...buy once and buy the best you can afford. Your body will thank you.

Chas

how did you add the fur ruff?  You might want to add the marmot 8000M jacket. 

Wildflower-nut wrote:

Chas wrote:If we are talking serious cold weather photography I would only consider one of the following light weight down parkas; North Face Himalayan, Mtn Hardware Absolute Zero, RAB Expedition, Feathered Friends Rock and Ice.

My older North Face Himalayan Parka is 850 loft. Additionally, I added a long guard hair coyote ruff to the coat.
My Mtn Hardware Absolute Zero is Outstanding as well. 

These are big ticket items...buy once and buy the best you can afford. Your body will thank you.

Chas

how did you add the fur ruff?  You might want to add the marmot 8000M jacket. 

The Marmot 8000M is also extremely well built.  

I bought the coyote ruff complete with fabric edges ready to be sewn onto the hood. My local seamstress did the work for me. 
You make the ruff removable via large buttons, and have a wire rim sewn in to maintain the hood shape as necessary in the field.

Chas, do you remember who you got the ruff from?

Wildflower-nut wrote:Chas, do you remember who you got the ruff from?

http://www.glacierwear.com/coyote-fur-ruff.html