Another pesky question from a rookie

“I am looking for some helpful hints on what to look for in a coat for this winter..I dont plan on backpacking alot in the winter..But I do want to day hike some..
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

have a good one”

“Down. I love down. Nice-n-warm.”

“REI and several others make what they call a down sweater. It's virtue is that it does not have a lot of fiddle faddle stuff and thus weighs less and costs less too. Mine has a hood. MP”

“I was thinking more in the line of Gore Tex with fleece lining..But I will sure check out the down..
The closet REI is about 4 hours away from me..Worth the trip I hear..”

“CD
I'd get a Gore-Tex or Tripple Point shell jacket and then layer your fleece under it.
Reason is:
If you get hot in a Fleece lined jacket it's bulky and if you take it off you are shedding your warmpth to. If you just get a shell jacket, you leave the Fleece still on. Plus a Shell jasket is much cheaper.”

“Think Layers !”

“Amen! Layering is the way to go.”

“Layers! Layers! Layers!
No, REI is not worth driving 4 hours for.
Buy a nice Gore-tex or comprable shell jacket, (Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, etc.)and Make sure it has pit zips for ventiallation. This months Climbing Mag. has a good review of 10 light weight shells. Then layer a fleece and polypro underneath. If just day hiking 100wt. fleece should be warm enough, but for really cold days go with a thicker, bulkier 200wt. fleece.”

“Ok..Thats what I was wondering, Reptile..
Thanks..
Layers is surely a good idea..If I get hot I can always do a strip tease eh? LOL

What about silk long johns?”

“I dunno- its hard to do a graceful strip tease in long johns.”

“I've gotta see that strip in the long johns thing. With or without boots?? There are lots of great gear places on the net without driving 4 hrs to REI. Check some of them out. We've had really good luck with the ones we've used. Gear.com has some good buys now and then. Good luck.”

“Online orering is ok for some but I like to try things on first..then shop around for good price.

As for the strip show..definitly with boots on thats the sexiest part..skinning out of those clodhoppers.”

“Oh, Baby!
Bring it on home! Work it out! Oopss! Wrong thread and I had my money out and everything! The pictures you PAINT! You can`t see me blush!”

“Cdreaming-I've had good luck with the sizing, but I must admit I've never ordered shoes/pants for that reason. We have ordered jackets, shirts, etc. and done fine, but if it is a big investment I'd probably shop around. When you live where I do it's a little more difficult to have the choices close by. When we were in Moab, Utah I felt like I had gone to gear heaven. Spent most of my $$ of plain fun stuff. Some needed, some not. But WHAT FUN!!”

“I have that itchin to buy some gear today...good thing I dont have a credit card..LOL

I found a coat in the REI catalog that I like really well REI Alpine Lakes Parka..
I just found out I am getting a REI gift certificate from REI..Watch out !!!


BigFoot..
Are you offering to pay for my new jacket??? LOL”

“Now I`m blushing bigger! I,,I, I was making cracks at the strip thing and and and it just got out of hand. Oopss!”

“Hey Bigfoot
CD's other name is Spanky. LOL!! I had to say it.”

“Oh Yeah !!

And Walking Dude was voted the man with the sexiest hands..hehehe”

“I agree with the layering advice. Don't buy a lined parka that doesn't have a removable lining. We were out all this weekend with highs in the 40's, lows in the 20's, and brisk winds, and it's amazing how much warmer you feel when walking than when just sitting around, or when the sun is shining and the wind is calm, vs. cloudy and windy. I did the strip thang several times, adding and removing layers. The combination I wore most was polypro top & pants, microfleece pants, one or two (cheap) microfleece shirts, and my goretex parka. Plus I had a fleece hat & a neck gaiter that I took off and put back on frequently, depending on what I was doing. An added benefit of all these clothes - if you have a less than perfect figure you can blame it on the layers.”

“CD is Spanky? & Walkindude has the best hands! Hummmmm..., me thinks you guys and gals had a lot of fun! Now I know I`m sorry I missed it! Thanks for sharing that!
You so crazy!!”

“Layering also makes strip poker very titillating, in the right company!”

“Te he he! You said tit.”

“Get a shell, and layer underneath like others have stated. Something with a hood, pit zip's aswell. Make sure that the one you purchase is large enough to accomodate your other layers of clothing. The jacket should not be confining/tight or restrict movement. Darker colors will be warmer in winter.

If you have a fleece jacket now look for a shell that will allow you to zip in your fleece one as a liner. You can kill 2 birds w/one stone.

Shop around for a good buy. Even though this may not be the time to buy a winter jacket there are still some bargins out there. Close outs and alike.

CD, hope things will be turning for the better in the near future for you. Although you were rather quiet and reserved at this outing, mauling over you options and future plans/goal/dreams, I know you will make the right choice.

Be strong in your convictions!!!”

“Personally, I don't like zip-in liners, they leave an uninsulated strip down your chest, they're more complicated (if just one piece of gear lets you down it will be a zipper) and you're limited to linings that fit. I use polar fleece 200 most of the time, but also a down sweater and vest, to-gether or one or the other depending on temperature and activity level. Don't use windblocker as it restricts vapour transfer under your shell.

Unless you are hard to fit, you oughtn't to have any problems with mail order if you go for a reputable brand. The people I deal with will make exchanges - no problem. Ventilation is important and two layer ought to do. In my part of the world (eastern Canada) there is a Cdn 220$ difference between a 2 and 3 layer Sierra Designs parka. However, there is always the possibility that you will get crazy (crazier?) and outgrow the cheaper jacket. This happened to me and I now love, use and love to use the 3 layer SD.

Don't get silk undies, they WILL sag and they don't wear well. Get synthetic underwear from Campmor or (BEST deal) Sierra Trading Post. Happy trails.”

“thanks everybody..Now I am really confused..LOL

To start off with I found this jacketlet me know what you think..thanks a bunch gang”

“It's gotta be good... Doesn't it say right there:
"Perfect for backpacking, skiing or other active pursuits in wet weather, this parka offers waterproof, breathable protection at a great price..."

just teasting, c.d.
Looks nice, but wha'do'I know, right?”

“You probably know more than I do..lol
Or maybe you just pretend to know”

“Briar Rabbit,

I have made the right chioce..and by whacky I am going for it..Hiking is just what I needed..and TT of course.
You have toatly floored me with that response..I never had you pegged for Mr Serious type..You are quite a unique person..thanks”

“CD, I don't know much about the parka you're looking at. Outdoorreview had 2 reviews posted about it. Both rated it pretty well. You can look at themhere.”

“CD, check out the LL Bean Moutain Giude Parka. Just the shell, the uninsulated version. It's the jacket I brought and I've had it for 2 years...really nice. I take it backpacking, wear it skiing with layers...even when it rains while I ski. It's $199 for the shell and you won't have to pay tax, just shipping.”

“i had just icq'd her about that, ski! LOL!!!!”

“Oh yeah...you'd have to get a men's...I don't think they make it in a woman's. I also like to layer underneath it, rather than zipping a fleece liner into it.”

“Okay, Now that you've been convinced fleece is the way to go, I'm going to throw in my 2 cents.

I take fleece with me on shorter weekend hikes, but if you plan to ever do any longer trips, DOWN is the way to go. I don't hike much in the winter, but in the fall (and even in summer) temps can still dip way down at the higher elevations in the evenings.

My down jacket takes up WAY less room than fleece, so I take the down jacket on trips where I'm hurting for space in my pack. It also makes a great pillow (now that I have a warm enough bag that I don't have to wear it at night!).

The big factor for me was the bulk. Fleece is great if I have the space, but I can get as much warmth from my down jacket with 1/3 the bulk when its packed. (Just be sure you don't get it wet!)”

“add to cork's recommendation for down, if you pack it compressed or stuffed into a small stuff sack, hang it up after the hike so it will loft back up. It will help keep the down from breaking down and last longer.”

“Good advice SARboy, thanks for bringing that up - same goes for my down bag. I also don't pack my jacket compressed in the small stuff sack it came with, I just stuff it in around my sleeping bag in the bottom compartment of my pack.”

“Ok...thats a huge help right there..

SO now that I have a shell picked out for short trips, I need to check into a down jacket too..
I am gonna have to get another job to pay for all this stuff..LOL”

“All in good time CD, I've spent the last 15 years accumulating all the "stuff" I take backpacking. The biggest problem is, about the time I think I have everything I need, some new-fangled lighter-weight technology item comes along to entice me!
Doh!”

“hehee...so there is no end in sight..
if they would just quit sending me all these catalogs I might be ok..LOL”

“I can hear the employees of several companies giggle through the night as they think up new catalogues to send me. The REI parka seems just right. The important thing for me is that it's a laminate and not a coating. Keep it clean, of course. Cork and SARboy are absolutely right from my own experience. Don't, however, overlook a down vest, surprisingly warm and versatile. Outside of Campmor and Sierra TP, Cabela's has very good prices on down vests and sweaters (29$ for the lightest and most compressible one). I prefer buying the vest and sweater for about the same money as a heavier down jacket, but then, I'm a layering freak. Are you sure the the XSmall will be large enough to layer under? I'm a short, stocky Canadian (Is there any other kind?) and I have become accustomed to rolling up the end of my sleeves after buying gear sized for Americans. In really bad weather, I just roll them down for extra protection. Happy trails.”

“Fleece is fine, but bulky. I find myslef leaving my Polartec 200 at home more and more for that very reason. What I luuuvvv are my wool sweaters. So if you alredy own one, consider using that as a layer. And as prior posts have suggested, definitely keep the shell separate. I spent the dosh on a top-o-the-line Patagucci and love it. But I think now, with the new Gore XCR moving in, you shoud be able to get old school GTX for much cheaper. Oh yeah, stowable hood is good and make sure you get one the allows you to swivel your head without blocking your vision. Patagonia has the best I;ve tried. Pit zips and velcro closures up the front(snaps are a pain inthe ass)are great too.”

“I've always thought it very interesting that patagonia doesn't sell goretex. Jardine seems to not value it either. Seems like it is great stuff if you keep it in you pack. I just go with a waterproof out layer that is well ventilated.”

“They do...”

“since when?”

“I stand corrected..I bopped over to their webpage and sure -enuff they now use gore-tex. I'm pretty sure that Go-lite doesn't.

Gee I'd like to use the stuff if it work on a reasonabley priced garmet but even the patagonia design is a high dollar item. +$200 is toooooooo much for a poor boy like me.”