Winter-jacket tip (climate, snow, warm, days)

[ColdCanadian]

When shopping for a coat, if your fingers get cold easy like mine do, try looking for a coat not only with long sleeves, but insulation that extends as far as possible.

I found a coat with very long sleeves and insulation nearly all the way to the cuff. I was stunned at how much better it was for my hands and fingers than the winter coat I already had. My old winter coat already had long sleeves, but had the insulation as a separate liner-coat, and this liner only came down to my wrists. If I had no gloves and wanted to warm my hands, I could pull my hands inside, make a fist and most of my hand would be insulated, but a portion of my fingers couldn't be.

It may seem obvious to buy a coat like this, but I've never seen a winter coat like the one I just picked up. All other winter coats seemed to have an elastic snow-cuff (or cold cuff? what's it called?) or they had a split running part-way up the cuff for people with large hands.

One problem with the snow-cuff is that while it's great for keeping cold from blowing up your wrist and into your coat, it's also great at preventing the heat from travelling down your wrist to your hands. Another problem with the snow-cuff is that for people with poor finger circulation, it could have a slight blood-restricting effect for your hands, since snow-cuffs sometimes fit snuggly.

Anyone else interested in talking about winter coats or other warm winter clothing feel free.
My aim is to help anyone shopping for new gear, whether they're winter-seasoned northerners,
newly transplanted southerners, or southerners simply planning a vacation to a cold place.

[Bydand]

Good Thread! Having spent most of my life in cold regions in Michigan and Maine I agree 100% with your observations. If you really want to stay warm and have ZERO fashion hang-ups, you will be hard pressed to beat the Military Surplus "Extreme cold weather parka". Ugly as sin on Sunday, but warm as toast on even the coldest days or nights. One of those reasons is the cuff style on the sleeves. It is like a knit hat so it keeps out the drafts while not being too tight. Plus it is a couple of inches up the sleeve so the insulation on the sleeve comes all the way down to the back of your hands and you still have the benefit of the cuff system to keep drafts out. If your mitts get cold you can pull them in the sleeve a bit and the cuff closes down and your hands are all the way inside where it is insulated.

If you do have even the slightest sense of fashion though, a Parka "system" works very well. They are often labeled "3 in 1" or "4 in 1" and they consist of a liner and outer shell you can wear together when it is real cold or separate depending on the conditions outside. It is like buying several different jackets at once so the cost isn't as bad as it first looks. Plus they use the layer idea automatically and that is what really keeps the warmth in.

For me personally, I have almost no desire to be fashionable over warm so if it is BITTER COLD (-35F and lower) I may break out the Military surplus parka and pants set and take it easy so I don't sweat (real possibility with the entire set-up even at -35F). Everyday cold below 20F I will use my Arctic weight Carhartts. (Same type sleeve as the surplus one by the way) Main thing is keep your Feet, hands and head warm. Want a warm body, make sure you have those areas covered and warm and you will feel MUCH warmer no matter the outside temps. Good quality boots, Hats and Gloves are the most important pieces of winter gear you will buy. They should not be afterthoughts.

[ColdCanadian]

Great response Bydand!

One thing I found while swimming in cold water (somewhat related) is that when I wore wetsuit material gloves and boots to keep my hands and feet toasty, I felt good swimming in water around 61 F. Those were the only areas at the time that would ordinarily be quite cold.

Interesting about the military and its parka with cuffs part-way up the arm.
I've only seen cuffs at the wrist, seemingly meant to keep you hands out of your coat.

I've lived here for 27 years and have been brutalized by cold for at least 18 of them. I wish I didn't have to wait so long to find out what I know now. Like my other post, I was stunned with how warm a beard is and where it puts the warmth. If this was common knowledge I would have grown one years ago, perhaps even in highschool.

Maybe part of the problem is I'm in an area with comparatively moderate winter cold so many people here are sort of indifferent or complacent when it comes to dressing for cold, and because of my nerve disorder makes the cold feel 20-30 Fahrenheit colder, rendering our central Great Lake climate a very sub-Arctic experience for myself.

*The coat I just bought is a 3-in-1; tough-material waterproof shell with a nice liner. The whole coat is pretty big. I don't do snowboarding, but it looks kind of like a snowboarding jacket. That was intended to be my general purpose cold-weather/winter coat.

**But I'm also interested in buying a second coat/parka, one for more extreme cold with a nicely insulated hood. For my next coat, I'm leaning toward another waterproof coat since we're often soggy for parts of the winter. I've seen one with a "700-fill rating."

Are you familiar with fill-ratings?

[gw76]

I`m about to buy a jacket but can`t make up my midn between the Patagonia Wanaka or the C.Goose Chateau .I live in Tokyo and temp. rarely goes below -2 C. Any opinions on those products ?? Thanks !!