Any recommendations on a Parka?

[Retired Tanker]

When I here a fellow canadian saying that kind of comment, the only thing I can tell them is... move. BC Barely see a real winter, and Southern Ontario can be warmer that a lot of places in Canada, so does Halifax.

So I do not see why you would remain miserable.

As for the military, I would just give them a call. I do not think they would mention that they are very warm w/o the insulation.


Just a tought.

Hahaha...I live in Kentucky. I'm a retired Army First Sergeant... And I am not a Canadian.

Military parkas are shells with liners that either zip in or button in. I think I can speak with some expertise on the matter without making that call.

 

[Lucky j]

I do respect your experience and expertise, but I know that a pictures often do not represent the complete description of a product, specialy in a surplus store.

I would realy doubth the fact that they would advertise a parka as warm if it is just a shell.

But hey, you know your thing and you are from Kentucky. . (What does this have to do with this topic anyway, I from Quebec and I think I a little more to the north, but anyway)

But I know that store, been there before on multiple occasion and the people are very kind and respectfull. It is a small town store that as much to loose from bad service and they mannage to get a very good costumer base.

But in this post, we are only trying to help someone that is looking for an afordable parka. Wright?

 

[michel]

mostly driving or some planned outdoor activity?

 

[Vegas_Nick]

mostly driving or some planned outdoor activity?

Mostly driving but we plan on doing most of the activities in Inuvik. (dog sledding, hiking, etc) The trip plan more or less is to make a hard drive to Inuvik and take in the Arctic.

 

[michel]

driving trips means you get in an out of the truck a lot, a big parka gets annoying. when I was up there I basically just used polypro long johns, fleece, down vest and a shell. the down vest I stuck on when spending more time outside when it was really cold, fleece when driving and when you jump out you can grab the shell of the vest or both. when dog sledding / hiking/snowshoewing a parka gets to hot. I like the parka when standing around a lot, but for a trip like that you can bring mostly what you already have, plus a down vest.

just an option to consider.

 

[Rando]

The choice depends on a lot on what you will be doing outside. If you plan on being active outside, a parka may not be your best choice. I spend a fair amount of time in the Antarctic, and the standard parka is from Canada Goose - it is warm and bombproof, but must weigh at least 5Kg and you will die of heat stroke if you are exerting yourself. When I am doing anything active I tend to wear several (2-3) medium weight hooded synthetic or down jackets, aka puffies (like this: http://www.rei.com/product/873046/arcteryx-atom-lt-hoodie-mens). The inner one is a size medium and the outer ones are size large. This way I can adjust the amount of insulation for the activity, without stripping down. I also have light weight baffled down parka (Mountain Hardware) that I can put on over everything in an emergency of if I am not being active. On the bottom I have heavy thermals and down pants when really cold, and then carhartt insulated bibs to take the abuse. For your situation, the nice thing would be that the puffies would actually be useful to you besides just for this trip, where as a parka wouldn't be. If you planing on doing this soon, you certainly don't need (or want) a goretex shell, as their won't be any liquid water anyway.

 

[Vegas_Nick]

driving trips means you get in an out of the truck a lot, a big parka gets annoying. when I was up there I basically just used polypro long johns, fleece, down vest and a shell. the down vest I stuck on when spending more time outside when it was really cold, fleece when driving and when you jump out you can grab the shell of the vest or both. when dog sledding / hiking/snowshoewing a parka gets to hot. I like the parka when standing around a lot, but for a trip like that you can bring mostly what you already have, plus a down vest.

just an option to consider.

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Littlehouse]

http://www.arcteryx.com/Product.asp...Around+Town>&gclid=CPybqJPW7soCFQQEaQodSgYBGg

This will be my next Parka. Arc'teryx makes some quality gear

 

[Vegas_Nick]

Holy crap! You'd have to finance it!

 

[justcozz]

I agree with the sentiments expressed above about layering. When you are in the vehicle a normal winter outfit will be fine. I like to wear a long sleeve top under a flannel shirt or lightweight mid-layer type garment. Regular pants are fine in the car. If I'm on trails and will be getting dirty or working hard a lighter weight beater jacket is fine. I usually keep an old fleece jacket right behind my seat for this type of activity. It's great for laying in the snow changing a tire or winching.

For the gas stops or more sedentary activities I keep a big puffy jacket handy. This is something I can throw on over whatever I'm wearing, which will cut the wind and keep me well insulated. If you want something cheap and durable you can check out the military level 7 puffy jacket. These can be found fairly cheap from tons of internet resources and won't break the bank for a synthetic puffy jacket. I always watch unclesamsretailoutlet.com or eBay. There is currently a jacket bidding on eBay for about $40.

For the rest of the body I like to keep some basic mechanics gloves in the door pocket for dirty work and some other decent gloves (I prefer eddie bauer guide light gloves for this. They've been good and hold up really well for working) in the console. Don't forget the beanie to keep your ears covered and you're pretty much set.

Some people overthink the cold. I find that having some versatility and staying cool enough to avoid sweating is best. I do keep a sleeping bag in the cab in case I run off the road and can't get out of the vehicle for some reason. That is really just a survival option at that point and it would only be used in very extreme cold weather. This setup has worked all over the word for me to include north of the Arctic Circle. Hope that helps.

 

[kojackJKU]

I have a Canada goose/snow goose expedition parka. I also have a Columbia parka with Omni heat. The Columbia is about 80% warmth of the Canada goose. Mine Columbia was 169,00 on sale at sportchek. It is awesome and keeps me warm while outside. Newfoundland is BITTER cold in the winter. I lived in the northwest territories for a while which is why I bought my 800 dollar Canada goose jacket. I can tell you that minus 25 deg C in newfoundland is colder than minus 40 deg c in Yellowknife. The damp cold winds off the ocean here are bone chilling. My Columbia parka is up for the challenge.

If I were you, I would pick this parka up. Turbodown, Omni heat, waterproof. Everything you need in a great parka.

http://www.columbiasportswear.ca/en/1619281.html?cgid=men-jacketsVests-insulated&dwvar_1619281_variationColor=214#start=12

Since moving back to newfoundland my family and I use Columbia gear for everything. I have a dozen jackets myself and all of them perform better than advertised. I highly recommend Columbia for gear as it has the performance of the high priced stuff without the high prices.

 

[kojackJKU]

It was -18c with a windchill of -27c (-16f) here this morning while my son and I were out waiting for his bus. My Columbia was toasty warm. My legs weren't as I only had on fleece pants with no wind break. BRRRRRR. The top half of me was super warm.

 

[Jerry Ward]

I concur and opt for layering by wearing either a British military MOD-issue SAS Smock or an Empire Wool and Canvas Company Arctic Anorak, http://empirecanvasworks.com/product/arctic-anorak/, with assorted layers of wool, fleece, and down underneath depending on conditions and physical exertion. In my experience, one-piece insulated parkas are pretty bulky, can be difficult to move around and work in, and can easily get too warm. You can always add or remove layers as needed. Plus, layers are multi-use instead of a single, specialized piece. Good luck and have fun on your adventure!

 

[kojackJKU]

I have different jackets. I have my parka for extreme warmth. I have my Columbia 3 in 1 for activity. It works great.

 

[DiscoDavis]

Swedish m90 surplus parka. They also have matching pants. It is like wearing a sleeping-bag warm . In super cold (-20C), I would wear baselayers, mid, and a down jacket underneath but you might get away with just the parka (I am very skinny, no blubber to speak of).

bonus: they're pretty cheap for parkas.