What is the best lightweight winter coat?

colubrid

colubrid

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I know nothing about these lightweight and easy to throw on modern winter coats. They seem to have some high technology that keeps heat in and are lightweight.

Here are few:

Arc’teryx Men’s Ato
The North Face ThermoBall Eco or Arrowood Triclimate Jacket
Uniqlo Men’s Ultra Light Down Parka
Patagonia ?
Caterpillar Workwear
Fjällräven Expedition
Eddie Bauer



Patagonia Men's Nano Puff Jacket
shopping




cf1eaad1dd262bb2b0a9549c0e95cd58_original.png



What is the best lightweight and slim (not thick down filled) jacket?
 
For winter, I'm a big fan of the Arcteryx atom AR hooded jacket. Warmer than the Atom LT. Not as warm as a big down filled jacket, but less bulky, superlight and more streamlined. You can layer underneath with sweaters or the incredibly warm Feathered Friends Helios down vest for added warmth.
 
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I would say look for something that is packable, aka folds into a pocket of itself. And find it on a sale.
 
I guess a good question might be what kind of weather do you get where you are at? Lowest average temps, and rain or snow/ sleet/ wind? Activity level also plays a role when I'm choosing outerwear.

One feature I've seen on newer jackets are the "tin foil" lining behind a mesh panel, ideally bouncing radiant heat back to the wearer. Anything windproof seems to add a good bit of warmth to me.

Reddit has an Ultralight sub. It's full of clothing reviews and whatnot for ultralight hikers, some good knowledge in there.
 
You need to know your needs to pick the right material.
Going "on the land" for an extended period in possible bad weather, or a weekender?

Nothing is as warm and light and packable as down. But if it gets wet it doesn't warm you and is hell to dry in the field.
Look for the loft as to quality, 800+ being excellent, but pricy.
Big Feathered Friends fan but North face is excellent. Both pricey,
I have a less lofty marmot that packs tiny and is great for light conditions
You'd be amazed how small you can pack 100% down, and how they loft right up to wear.

Synthetic materials like primaloft ( my favourite) will keep you warm when wet but aren't as warm or quite as packable.
I had a piece made for me by Integral Designs in Alberta when that was cheap and it probably saved my life a couple of times kayaking in the arctic. It's great stuff and doesn't smell like some others.
Wool is old school but heavy, hard to dry - but it won't melt or go up in second like most other materials. It will dry by the fire. Most of this modern stuff melts or burns.
Fur and skins are probably out of the question but they wore them for a reason. ( Some still do)
For the shell you need to balance waterproofness and breathability ie goretex, dry loft, wool vs nylon etc. Cotton a terrible idea unless it's a ventile or some exceptional bush poplin like willis & geiger that is almost ventile or "mercurized". You don't want to be wet in cotton from sweat or otherwise.

If packability isn't the issue, a vintage Willis & Geiger leather flying jacket can be had on eBay or repros from Cockpit, of various kinds.

I have used some of the space age astronaut heat retaining gel stuff, and it doesn't do it for me. Some poeple love that stuff but it just doesn't feel warm to me when it's nasty cold.

After that, fit and features, like do you want ventilation, longer in the back for sitting, pockets, hoods, etc.
Many brands are good, and they don't have to be fancy names. Cabelas on sale. Some great military surplus.
It's tough to shop now when you can't just go and check them out.
Great options out there.
 
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colubrid said:
I know nothing about these lightweight and easy to throw on modern winter coats. They seem to have some high technology that keeps heat in and are lightweight.

Here are few:

Arc’teryx Men’s Ato
The North Face ThermoBall Eco or Arrowood Triclimate Jacket
Uniqlo Men’s Ultra Light Down Parka
Patagonia ?
Caterpillar Workwear
Fjällräven Expedition
Eddie Bauer



Patagonia Men's Nano Puff Jacket
shopping




cf1eaad1dd262bb2b0a9549c0e95cd58_original.png



What is the best lightweight and slim (not thick down filled) jacket?
Click to expand...

You might also get some ideas looking at the detailed rankings/reviews of best winter jackets for men (or women) 2020 or best insulated jackets for men (2020) in outdoorgearlab.com
 
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I normally wear one of my military camo shirts as a light jacket. If I need more warmth then I wear leather. I'm a big fan of leather vests and coats that are specifically made for concealed carry.
 
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I live in New England and I have been a fan of Carhartt for the last 20 years. They offer quality and durability and fits the working man's budget. I am in love with their shoreline jacket. I have both versions- the lightweight and insulated. Best bang for the buck imo. I was so impressed I even bought my wife and daughter one and they love it too!! Check them out for sure. HAPPY Thanksgiving.
 
HJK said:
You need to know your needs to pick the right material.
Going "on the land" for an extended period in possible bad weather, or a weekender?

Nothing is as warm and light and packable as down. But if it gets wet it doesn't warm you and is hell to dry in the field.
Look for the loft as to quality, 800+ being excellent, but pricy.
Big Feathered Friends fan but North face is excellent. Both pricey,
I have a less lofty marmot that packs tiny and is great for light conditions
You'd be amazed how small you can pack 100% down, and how they loft right up to wear.

Synthetic materials like primaloft ( my favourite) will keep you warm when wet but aren't as warm or quite as packable.
I had a piece made for me by Integral Designs in Alberta when that was cheap and it probably saved my life a couple of times kayaking in the arctic. It's great stuff and doesn't smell like some others.
Wool is old school but heavy, hard to dry - but it won't melt or go up in second like most other materials. It will dry by the fire. Most of this modern stuff melts or burns.
Fur and skins are probably out of the question but they wore them for a reason. ( Some still do)
For the shell you need to balance waterproofness and breathability ie goretex, dry loft, wool vs nylon etc. Cotton a terrible idea unless it's a ventile or some exceptional bush poplin like willis & geiger that is almost ventile or "mercurized". You don't want to be wet in cotton from sweat or otherwise.

If packability isn't the issue, a vintage Willis & Geiger flying jacket can be had on eBay or repros from Cockpit, of various kinds.

I have used some of the space age astronaut heat retaining gel stuff, and it doesn't do it for me. Some poeple love that stuff but it just doesn't feel warm to me when it's nasty cold.

After that, fit and features, like do you want ventilation, longer in the back for sitting, pockets, hoods, etc.
Many brands are good, and they don't have to be fancy names. Cabelas on sale. Some great military surplus.
It's tough to shop now when you can't just go and check them out.
Great options out there.
Click to expand...


That really helped break it down for me. Thanks for helping me narrow that question down. My question was like asking what is the best knife for me. :)...well it depends what am I using it for.lol!
 
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Reactions: HJK
studio said:
I guess a good question might be what kind of weather do you get where you are at? Lowest average temps, and rain or snow/ sleet/ wind? Activity level also plays a role when I'm choosing outerwear.

One feature I've seen on newer jackets are the "tin foil" lining behind a mesh panel, ideally bouncing radiant heat back to the wearer. Anything windproof seems to add a good bit of warmth to me.

Reddit has an Ultralight sub. It's full of clothing reviews and whatnot for ultralight hikers, some good knowledge in there.
Click to expand...


Specifically I was lloking for a extreme ultralight jacket for mild cold weather just around 33F (example London weather or SE USA weather). That has an "athletic cut fit" (narrow waste, short length). that packs up in a backpack without taking much space..Not using it for hiking, climbing, motorbike. etc

The Athletic cut does exist in these jackets but search functions don't mention that. So hard to find as most are taylored for fat guys.
 
For trying stuff on REI is pretty good. They are masters of urban fashion these days, with performance to match in most cases. IIRC they had quite of bit of athletic cut items. Good luck on your search!
 
I live very near the Pacific Crest Trail where folks backpack from Mexico to Canada. Our little town is kinda a hub for resupply etc and we have a network here of "trail angels" that will pick up the hikers from the trail, run em into town, let em take a shower etc, pick up their supplies that they mailed to themselves at the Post Office etc. So we often see the hikers around town. Every single one of em it seems is wearing a jacket similar to that Patagonia pictured above. Ain't seen very many fat guys in that crew. Locals (now we'll get much colder than ya mention in the winter) tend to the Carharts, oilskins, wool and softshell jackets. Really weird, I have a 151 pages of pics on Imgur and I click on the open window for Imgur and here is what was open:

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Carhardt, wool and oilskin. Softshell jackets for when its not too cold are very popular around here like my daughter here:

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Or my wife here in the red:

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Ya know its funny, folks think of Cali as palm trees and bikinis but not so much our part. Cara's (gal in the oilskin next to my wife), step mom moved back to Colorado cause she could never get warm here in Tehachapi.
 
This is a nice piece...

Men’s Apex Chromium Thermal Jacket | The North Face

It's light but warm and comfortable. It says Relaxed fit, but it is more an athletic cut and has a cinch at the waist.

It doesn't pack up very small, but I don't use it as a packable anyways.

I'm not a fan of a bunch of pockets, so the two hand pockets is fine by me. They zip closed.
 
I've got a OR....think its outdoor research jacket I don't recall the name of it but its "pertex quantum" fabric....that thing is ridiculous....it doesn't matter if its 50° or 10° you're always comfortable...never too hot or cold....what they're doing with some of these clothes designed for hiking etc is impressive...even some of Columbia's stuff I'm a big fan of like their omni-heat is good for real cold temps...lots of really good gear out there with the fancy new fabrics but they do get a tad pricey
 
colubrid said:
Specifically I was lloking for a extreme ultralight jacket for mild cold weather just around 33F (example London weather or SE USA weather). That has an "athletic cut fit" (narrow waste, short length). that packs up in a backpack without taking much space..Not using it for hiking, climbing, motorbike. etc

The Athletic cut does exist in these jackets but search functions don't mention that. So hard to find as most are taylored for fat guys.
Click to expand...

Wow... hate to say it, but around here, at 33f, I’m often running around in just a Tshirt and hoodie. But we don’t really consider that too cold in PA. :D

Seriously though... our winters are all over the place. Low 30’s are pretty average here, but can feel like 50+ if it’s sunny, or below 20 if it’s windy, grey and damp. We can also get 30 degree swings in temperature in just a matter of hours. For me, I’ve found that the outer shell I’m wearing (usually an Eddie Bauer or Columbia) isn’t nearly as important as the layers underneath. A base layer, and one or two mid layers of lightweight, but thermal material (Under Armor is great, but all the major outdoor brands make good stuff). As long as the shell is fairly water and wide roof, the layers are much easier to add/remove and pack away compactly. This works for me whether I’m hiking, walking the dog, riding the bike, or even skiing or sledding.

Really, no matter how cold it gets, layering is the key.
 
Got a Tactical Distributors downrange jacket a couple years ago and it does well up here in the frozen North. And it's got a pretty fit guy cut.

Downsides to any of those puffy things is they're pretty fragile and easy to tear or melt. I prefer a vest for most of the time.

You haven't really said what you're doing other than not hiking etc. That would definitively influence the best choice.

For names you can't go wrong with Patagonia, Arc'teryx, or Fjallraven. North Face is OK too. I"m wearing a bit of gear from each today. It's a sunny 39f here right now and down to 28f after dark.
 
Danke42 said:
Got a Tactical Distributors downrange jacket a couple years ago and it does well up here in the frozen North. And it's got a pretty fit guy cut.

Downsides to any of those puffy things is they're pretty fragile and easy to tear or melt. I prefer a vest for most of the time.

You haven't really said what you're doing other than not hiking etc. That would definitively influence the best choice.

For names you can't go wrong with Patagonia, Arc'teryx, or Fjallraven. North Face is OK too. I"m wearing a bit of gear from each today. It's a sunny 39f here right now and down to 28f after dark.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tips! I will just browse Patagonia, Arc'teryx, or Fjallraven and pick one of those then.

That will make choosing simple for me.
 
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