Cold Weather gear

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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Feb 2, 2005
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I got my coats out of the cedar closet over the weekend. I was also out in the cold weather this weekend (in York, PA), and got to enjoy the 50 degree weather in a t-shirt and shorts, and jacket.

Right now, I have three good parkas, that fit my fat frame very well.

Two Columbia parkas, one a shell/liner combo (the liner can be worn as a jacket) and a Carhartt parka. I have used one of the parkas as a blanket before, and all three are like furnaces on a cold day, especially the Carhartt.

I would like to see your coats, and what works best for you. I really don't need any more coats, but I would like to make a HBC blanket into a coat. The name of this design is on the tip of my tongue, I just can't bring it to the front ;).
 
I have a couple columbia jackets, one with omniheat and it is an oven, great jacket. My next move will be to get a new carhart jacket, they are awesome, very very warm and tough as nails
 
As part of my j-o-b, i do *alot* of hiking in/around mountains. As i've read somewhere, "there's no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing". I don't agree entirely w/ that statement, but it does convey an important fact: Choose your "clothing" wisely for the activity/conditions you expect (build in a margin for error).

For me, anoraks/jackets/vests/parkas are tools of the trade. So when you ask about "cold weather gear" exactly how cold do you mean? What conditions - rainy? snowy? or beautiful, sunny days?

For 'general' not really, really cold wearing, i put on a g-tex shell over some sort of long-sleeve fleece/wool sweater and wear a knit hat of some sort. I *always* wear a knit hat outside in the cold. Always. As to the specific g-tex shell..... I've had almost every major, big-name brand of g-tex shells - North Face/Marmot/Mountain Hardwear and this Spring (Mar 2011) i chose a Cabela's "Guide Wear" g-tex Parka.

Honestly, this Cabelas Guide Wear Parka is the most durable 'host fabric' i've seen on a g-tex shell parka in a long, long time. I'll see how it holds up to hard-core mountain weather soon enough - i can hardly wait!!!

When it gets *really* cold, i have a thick, poly-filled parka. Nothing fancy for in-town walking around (i also walk alot in town in all weather conditions - it's normal for nearly everyone where i live).

However, for real cold-weather stuff on the mountain (btw, i'm not into skiing......more of a web-foot) i'll wrap up in my big 'ol down 'puffy' parka. It's a Mountain Hardwear parka, but i believe it's discontinued (650 fill-power goose down). It's freakin' *warm*. For when i'm hiking/climbing, i generally wear a 1-piece, stretch-fleece 'union suit', gaiters/boots, long-sleeve synthetic (wicking/breathable $11 "Wal-Mart" brand btw) t-shirt under a wind-block vest and as always a knit hat and gloves.

BTW, for cold weather i shun cotton stuff - especially if conditions can get wet/moist (from precipitation/perspiration/etc). The exception to that is if i'm guaranteed it would remain well-below freezing and then i would consider a fine-woven cotton anorak over a wool insulation layer. Never cotton for clients.
 
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Cold weather in California is a bit below freezing at night. If I'm gonna be out that late I have a mossy oak from Wallyworld I got around 30$ that does great with a fleece beanie. Also have 2 navy coats that will make you sweat at 30'
 
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Wool is the only way to go for all weather jackets. Anything else, even the new wonder fabrics, are worth crap once they get wet. I have been working outdoors year round for nearly 30 years and I've seen and tried everything. I won't wear anything in the cold weather now except a Filson merino wool jacket with a Filson wool vest under it. A Filson tin cloth jacket helps keep every thing dry when its raining or snowing. When I'm not at work, I have a heavy Sheepskin RAF Irvin pattern I wear when out and about in the cold.
Make yourself a capote, use a good quality wool blanket. You will wonder how you ever got along without it.
 
Arathol - my dad had a Traverse Bay Woolen Company "Mackinaw" coat (bought circa 1977) that was absolutely awesome!!! I believe, at that time, Traverse Bay Woolen Company was similar to the Filson Company - in terms of designs (coats, vests, etc), quality (and price!).

I love wool coats - they are simply amazing and embody, as much as possible, the concept of "warm when wet". Unfortunately, "warm when wet" is still wet and wet is heavy! If you're not hiking/climbing big distance - covering miles of trail/off-trail ground, wool makes perfect sense. Heck, for my purposes, an all-wool coat could be the best thing going as i walk around town in the colder months.
 
I have a vintage Air Force parka I use in extreme cold weather. It weighs a ton, but BOY does it keep you warm!
 
I don't like to go to a heavy winter coat, per se. I like to have under layers of wool with a shell jacket/parka as a barrier to the wind and rain. My everyday winter coat is a Cabellas three season jacket that I bought a bit too big by design. With a nice thick wool knitted fishermans sweater under it, it's good for several hours of sub freezing outdoors use. I've also used a Woolrich Alaskan shirt under a Woolrich stag shirt jacket, and that was comfy in the 20 degree range. Next to skin layer was Duofold merino wool long johns. Merino and new lambs wool does not have the itch thing. Nice and soft, but warm.

Filson, Peter Storm, and Woolrich all make great foul weather sweaters. You'll pay for them, but it's worth it. Wool is the only stuff that gives me that cozy warmth I like. I tried the synthetic fleece stuff for a few years, then went back to wool. You can find wool pants for reasonable prices at surplus stores.

None of my family that are watermen down on the Chesapeake Bay use anything but wool under a weather proof shell. They have to go out in cold foul weather to make a living, so I guess that's a sort of an endorcement of wool.

Carl.
 
I use a combination of wool, synthetics and down. They all have their niches. If your walking downtown in a city a heavy, warm coat might be just the ticket, if on the other hand your say snowshoeing in the mountains (or any other semi strenuous outdoor activities) a heavy coat isn't even worth discussing. Your clothing should operate as a system, adding and subtracting layers as necessary- depending on weather and your activity. If done correctly, you will stay relatively dry (and what isn't dry should dry quickly)- get wet in a backcountry winter environ and sadly you can die :(
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I have a vintage Air Force parka I use in extreme cold weather. It weighs a ton, but BOY does it keep you warm!
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I have a M-51 fishtail parka with a wool liner and a lined hood with wolf fur.
It weighs a ton and a half, but it is amazing in bitter windy sub zero temps
It is the ticket for static not active
 
I have a Filson Mack, their vest, and bucket hat. Great stuff, all over 10 years old, still looks new. All pretty heavy, a bit stiff for athletic activities. So, I also got myself an Ibex wool coat, don't know the model, but it's just a bit stretchy, and has more of an atheletic cut. Ibex and smartwool merino wool long underwear, wool sweaters, a Gore-Tex shell, and an old Sierra Designs down jacket round out my choices.
I lived in NM for a while, did mountain hikes all the time. I'd have to go light and with layers up there, so I wouln't get too sweaty, but could stay warm when stopped. Wool underlayers, wool sweater, Gore-Tex shell, and the down in the pack.
I live in KY now, and my Filson and Ibex coats, a Carhartt jacket, and wool underwear will be seeing the outdoors this winter. It's been a while since I've had to deal with winter temps. Spent last winter in the only state with no snow, Florida, don't need long underwear there.
 
I knew blade forums would be here for me! I've been wondering how I'm going to deal with the cold in my near future.
I'm moving to Eastern Washington in less than a month to work as a ranch hand/farmer type of a guy. Here's my back story. I grew up in Northern california where cold meant 40 degrees. I spent 5 years in Seattle working on commercial fishing vessels in all kinds of weather. The coldest it ever got on the water was about 9 degrees but luckily there usually isn't any wind when it gets that cold in Seattle, and giant fishing boats also provide quite a bit of shelter. Right now I'm living in Southern California, I've been here about 2 months.
Anyway, I want to know what kind of clothing I will need when I'm outside in the show all day, in the middle of the night etc. I've of course been to Eastern Washington and the Cascades, but that was always fun time so I could light a fire or sit in my truck if I wanted.

Anyway, my cold weather gear for being a welder kind of sucks because it all has to be cotton. I'll usually wear some cheap thermal top from target, maybe thermal bottoms, a pair of carhartts, a long sleeve shirt, a t shirt, a hooded sweat shirt and a set of carhartt bib overalls. Maybe a carhartt coat. A welding cap on my head wear. I also have a carhartt vest that I wear sometimes. On my feet I will wear a pair of cotton socks and or wool and uninsulated work boots. Sometimes A pair of xtratufs if it's real wet. Gloves are provided by work :)

For play I will usually wear wool socks, work boots, fleece pants and carhartts. Thermal with a t shirt and fleece sweater/soft shell or warm jacket then a rain jacket on top if it's raining or snowing. For gloves I wear some framers work gloves. They have the first finger and thumb removed. For a hat I will wear a knit cap and or a ball cap. If it's real windy I have a ploy neck gaiter I wear.

I tend to layer because I sweat a lot in general and it helps me to be able to lose clothing if I need to. BUT I've also lost 40lbs since last winter so this may have changed.

So tell me, what do you farmers wear? Do I need to pick up a real jacket? I like carhartt, but the arms are ALWAYS too short! Are there any comparable clothing companies with longer sleeves?

Thanks for the help!
 
I use a swanndri bushshirt and layer under it. This year I'd like to get a simple pull over anorak as an additional wind break just for those times when the wind really comes up. Sorry, I don't seem to have any pictures of myself looking like a hobbit it in.
 
in general i like to layer for warmth...so depending on how cold it is, on top of my layers i use a shell, jacket or parka...my brands are primarily Filson and Craghoppers/Bear Grylls.
 
ac1d0v3r1d3 said:
So tell me, what do you farmers wear? Do I need to pick up a real jacket? I like carhartt, but the arms are ALWAYS too short! Are there any comparable clothing companies with longer sleeves?

Thanks for the help!
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I can tell you what ranchers in Montana wear in the winter :) Your outer coat will get beat up badly- barb wire, brush, snag on equipment, etc so it needs to be sturdy, has to cut wind and be water resistant- canvas fits that bill- Carhart (they make tall sizes now), Filson, etc, under that depending on weather a wool jacket, wool vest, wool sweater, wool shirt (or a combination of those), under that good long underwear; lower is is close to the same- abrasion resistant pants, long johns (if really cold wool pants in between)

hat is a personal thing, but usually wool and almost always has ear flaps that can be pulled down, a silk scarf (lots of warmth in this small garment) or wool scarf, boots- if muddy, wet and cold often Muck boots or the like, if just cold usually something along the lines of Schnee boot, rubber bottom-leather upper, insulating liner- they make them that will fit a stirrup
 
Alright, so I think I'll be okay if I pick up an arctic lined carhartt jacket in a tall size and some good Hunting (insulated) boots.
I've got the lower body covered I think, long johns, jeans and bib overalls. I can't express how much I love my bibs, they're about the best thing since sliced bread.

Thanks for the help
 
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