Arctic and extreme cold weather gear

[67cj5]

It helps considerably, thankyou.

Your comments above about ' ... Cold Death ...' are very true.

Ironically, earlier today, for the first time in about 8 or 9 months, I got my layers wrong when out for an hour's dog-walk.

Maybe I wasn't concentrating before I went out, but we normally do a very brisk hour's walk. I usually plan to start off just the right side of being cold/uncomfortable and by 20 minutes in have reached the level of comfort where I know when I need to vent etc., to stay comfortable at the pace we go at until I get home.

Today, I misjudged it . A beginner's mistake - I had the wrong combination of layers/outer shell, the wind was sharper than I was anticipating and I couldn't get my comfort level up. Even though I was walking in a fairly populated area, had I fallen and injured myself, I could easily have been 10 -15 minutes without being found and at the temperature and with the almost sleet and wind-chill we had I could have been in trouble.

The Alpha Parka link looks interesting - again thankyou. What do you combine it with?

Best Wishes,
David

I also got it wrong this past week where I wore too many layers and cooked my self,

In the UK on days like today you can get by with just a long sleeve Long John Top and a flannelette shirt and if it is down to about 3*c, But if it is below zero then you could add a fleece top or a good jumper as long as you are not walking at over 3mph, Wearing all of the above I have had to open the N3B at around -8 to -12* but if the wind is blowing I would keep it done up, I have been wearing N3B's since 1975 and in the winters of 78/79 and 79/80 and 80/81 even though they were really cold for UK standards with temps down to -27.2*c they were no match for the N3B,

The Hood on the N3B has never been bettered and even Canada Goose have copied it, You can do up the hood and completely lock out the weather no mater if it is a Blizzard or Hail storm, Just do the hood right up and look about 10ft in front of you and the weather has no effect because the hood makes it's own micro climate and with a good pair of Mitts and Boots and Lined ski pants and you are Bulletproof,

I would not wear it on days like today unless the wind was blowing above 10 - 20mph because last week I wore one of mine when it was 3*c with long john top and a flannelette shirt and a fleece top and I walked to the shops and I really cooked myself so much so I held the coat wide open all the way home and even in 3*c I had to change my cloths when I got home,

Thing is On 3* days don't zip it up just do up 3 or 4 of the buttons on the mid section and open it if you have to but if the wind is blowing then use the zip if the temps are low enough,

But on days like today a shirt and a jumper with the parka sort of half done up would be ok if you are going for a steady stroll, But the N3B comes in to it's own in Blizzards, High Winds and Cold days, They are not waterproof but water resistant but even if they do get wet they will still keep you warm and will dry a lot faster than down, But they are not really made for rainy days, But if it's cold out they are perfect.

 

[67cj5]

Another things is I am a 44 chest and the XL fits a 44 to 46" this allows me to layer or wear it over a Suit if I need to as they are made big enough to go over a military uniform, They also make slim fit versions but I prefer the proper Military version because it is made to fit extra layers, I could wear a large possibliy as they fit a 42 to 44 but being able to add extra layers if needed is the key to getting it right,

 

[adriatikfan]

Another things is I am a 44 chest and the XL fits a 44 to 46" this allows me to layer or wear it over a Suit if I need to as they are made big enough to go over a military uniform, They also make slim fit versions but I prefer the proper Military version because it is made to fit extra layers, I could wear a large possibliy as they fit a 42 to 44 but being able to add extra layers if needed is the key to getting it right,

Thank you - food for thought, even though I have a gazillion jackets already.

Best Wishes,
David

 

[67cj5]

Thank you - food for thought, even though I have a gazillion jackets already.

Best Wishes,
David

Yeah same here to but I always go back to the Alpha's, I also have a £1500 Canada Goose Snow Mantra but it never gets cold enough to wear it and it is too bulky when the Alpha is just as good when worn properly and I don't like where they put the hand warm pockets on it, My North face McMurdo parka I never wear, Yes it is warm and waterproof but I hate the hood with a Passion. and Barbour are useless on the cold and windy days,

 

[adriatikfan]

Yeah same here to but I always go back to the Alpha's, I also have a £1500 Canada Goose Snow Mantra but it never gets cold enough to wear it and it is too bulky when the Alpha is just as good when worn properly and I don't like where they put the hand warm pockets on it, My North face McMurdo parka I never wear, Yes it is warm and waterproof but I hate the hood with a Passion. and Barbour are useless on the cold and windy days,

I have long been a fan of the various brands of clothing offered by the 'Decathlon' range of stores in the UK.

Their so-called 'Jacket Arctic Trekking Parka' looks quite interesting.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/jacket-parka-arctic-trekking-500-unisex-x-warm/_/R-p-302432

Best Wishes,
David

 

[67cj5]

I have long been a fan of the various brands of clothing offered by the 'Decathlon' range of stores in the UK.

Their so-called 'Jacket Arctic Trekking Parka' looks quite interesting.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/jacket-parka-arctic-trekking-500-unisex-x-warm/_/R-p-302432

Best Wishes,
David

As long as thr fur fuff is sewn all the way to the ends of the Zip then the hood will be fine but if it ends a few inches back from the Zip then it's not a proper real cold weather Parka, because the fur ruff will flap around and hit you in the eyes,

When you zip up an N3B or the Canada Goose Snow Mantra the ruff will form a complete circle and the ends join at the zip, but many so called parka's don't do that which makes them useless for real cold weather or Blizzards,

The Hood on that one is all wrong, Nice coat and some great features but the hood is the weak point.

 

[adriatikfan]

As long as thr fur fuff is sewn all the way to the ends of the Zip then the hood will be fine but if it ends a few inches back from the Zip then it's not a proper real cold weather Parka, because the fur ruff will flap around and hit you in the eyes,

When you zip up an N3B or the Canada Goose Snow Mantra the ruff will form a complete circle and the ends join at the zip, but many so called parka's don't do that which makes them useless for real cold weather or Blizzards,

The Hood on that one is all wrong, Nice coat and some great features but the hood is the weak point.

How well does the ruff hold up when wet - obviously most effective in 'dry cold ' conditions but there are always occasions when it's possible to be caught out by precipitation of one sort or another.

The more I research this parka, the more attractive a proposition it becomes.

Best Wishes,
David

 

[Chuck1]

The Ruf needs to be animal fur, i forgot the two they use most, you know how ice sticks to human face hair, the two they use it doesn't stick, you brush it and the ice comes off, if you do some research you will find the two.

Fox and Coyote fur maybe, do some research.

 

[67cj5]

How well does the ruff hold up when wet - obviously most effective in 'dry cold ' conditions but there are always occasions when it's possible to be caught out by precipitation of one sort or another.

The more I research this parka, the more attractive a proposition it becomes.

Best Wishes,
David

Chuck is right about using Coyote Fur because it does not freeze, But In the UK such furs are hard to get,

As for the fur ruff on the Alpha, In the wet you can remove it so it does not get wet but being synthetic ( Made from Oil ) water has little effect but it is best to remove it if the weather is warm enough to rain,

Yesterday, I tried on my Alpha's and my Canada Goose Snow Mantra and to be honest the Mantra is a Monster of a Parka which is rated for -30*c and below, Where as the Alpha's are rated to -28.8*c / 20*f from the factory when worn with everyday cloths, When worn with layers like the US Military wear like long john etc The Alpha's are good for -51*c / -60*f and below,

The cost of a CG Snow Mantra is around £1500.00, the cost of the Alpha N3B is between £150-£300 depending on where you shop, If the Snow Mantra gets wet it's a bugger to dry out because it is filled with Down, The Alpha's have synthetic wadding in them and if you fall through Ice and get soaked you can wring it out and put it back on and your body will dry it out but even though it is soaked it will still keep you warm, So In the UK the Alpha is by far the better choice,

Both Coats are made to with stand Blizzards, The coldest Temp ever recorded in the UK was -27.2*c. Wind or Blizzard won't worry the Alpha because when you do that hood up nothing can get in and even though the ruff is faux fur it still does a good job and the whole idea of it is to slow the wind and cold Air coming in contact with your face and breath giving the Air a chance to warm slightly before it gets to you, The Old faux Ruffs on the Alpha's were a lot shorter hair but now they are a lot longer which greatly improves the end results, they are still not as good as Coyote fur like on the Snow Mantra, All the 60's and early 70's N3B's had Wolf Fur Ruffs but then the Military went over to fully synthetic and changed the linings and the Ruffs,

Somewhere I have the full history of the Alpha's, The M51 was the Parka that the N3/N3B series replaced, The M51 is the Parka that the Mods wore in the 60's and 70's which only has the 2 slash hand warmer pockets and a wool blanket type lining and were not as warm as the N3B's,

Layering clothing is nothing new It has been around since the 60's/70's but a parka like the Alpha's can be used as a stand alone coat or if it gets real cold Like ALASKA Cold adding layers to the N3B can keep you alive in the worst places on the planet,

If you do buy one make sure you check all the Buttons are sewn on properly as they have a fancy way of sewning them on and can come loose, They are a great Parka but before I wore mine I sewed on all the buttons my way because I like things bulletproof,

Hope theat helps.

 

[adriatikfan]

Chuck is right about using Coyote Fur because it does not freeze, But In the UK such furs are hard to get,

As for the fur ruff on the Alpha, In the wet you can remove it so it does not get wet but being synthetic ( Made from Oil ) water has little effect but it is best to remove it if the weather is warm enough to rain,

Yesterday, I tried on my Alpha's and my Canada Goose Snow Mantra and to be honest the Mantra is a Monster of a Parka which is rated for -30*c and below, Where as the Alpha's are rated to -28.8*c / 20*f from the factory when worn with everyday cloths, When worn with layers like the US Military wear like long john etc The Alpha's are good for -51*c / -60*f and below,

The cost of a CG Snow Mantra is around £1500.00, the cost of the Alpha N3B is between £150-£300 depending on where you shop, If the Snow Mantra gets wet it's a bugger to dry out because it is filled with Down, The Alpha's have synthetic wadding in them and if you fall through Ice and get soaked you can wring it out and put it back on and your body will dry it out but even though it is soaked it will still keep you warm, So In the UK the Alpha is by far the better choice,

Both Coats are made to with stand Blizzards, The coldest Temp ever recorded in the UK was -27.2*c. Wind or Blizzard won't worry the Alpha because when you do that hood up nothing can get in and even though the ruff is faux fur it still does a good job and the whole idea of it is to slow the wind and cold Air coming in contact with your face and breath giving the Air a chance to warm slightly before it gets to you, The Old faux Ruffs on the Alpha's were a lot shorter hair but now they are a lot longer which greatly improves the end results, they are still not as good as Coyote fur like on the Snow Mantra, All the 60's and early 70's N3B's had Wolf Fur Ruffs but then the Military went over to fully synthetic and changed the linings and the Ruffs,

Somewhere I have the full history of the Alpha's, The M51 was the Parka that the N3/N3B series replaced, The M51 is the Parka that the Mods wore in the 60's and 70's which only has the 2 slash hand warmer pockets and a wool blanket type lining and were not as warm as the N3B's,

Layering clothing is nothing new It has been around since the 60's/70's but a parka like the Alpha's can be used as a stand alone coat or if it gets real cold Like ALASKA Cold adding layers to the N3B can keep you alive in the worst places on the planet,

If you do buy one make sure you check all the Buttons are sewn on properly as they have a fancy way of sewning them on and can come loose, They are a great Parka but before I wore mine I sewed on all the buttons my way because I like things bulletproof,

Hope theat helps.

As you say, getting hold of real fur ruffs in the UK is - at best - quite difficult.

I know of some people - with far greater skill level than myself - who - some time ago now - bought fur coats from Charity Shops and fabricated their own ruffs for Swedish Snow Smocks and also a couple of people who had them fabricated by semi-professional seamstresses.

The cost of the Alpha is very attractive, and I don't own that type of coat/jacket ... but ... although we live in the north of the UK, we don't get a lot of snow, what we do get is usually 'wet snow' and we get a lot of rain, for which I'm already well kitted out.

Maybe even better prices in the sales after Christmas.

Best Wishes,
David

 

[67cj5]

As you say, getting hold of real fur ruffs in the UK is - at best - quite difficult.

I know of some people - with far greater skill level than myself - who - some time ago now - bought fur coats from Charity Shops and fabricated their own ruffs for Swedish Snow Smocks and also a couple of people who had them fabricated by semi-professional seamstresses.

The cost of the Alpha is very attractive, and I don't own that type of coat/jacket ... but ... although we live in the north of the UK, we don't get a lot of snow, what we do get is usually 'wet snow' and we get a lot of rain, for which I'm already well kitted out.

Maybe even better prices in the sales after Christmas.

Best Wishes,
David

The History of the N3B goes back to 1959 and out of about 9+ companies who made them Alpha Industries is the last one left that I know of, And all the companies that make So Called Parka's have forgotten what makes a Parka A Parka and it is all about the Hood, and the Original Parka's were based on the Parka's that the Inuit people wore/designed, Any thing different is just a Coat with a Hood.

Parka - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Grassland]

When I work outside I wear Carhartt insulated bibs, and a Carhartt winter jacket. Under the bibs my double knee Carhartt pants and depending on the weather and the job either silk weight long underwear that's a synthetic and wool blend, or a thicker polyester set.
Under the jacket a synthetic zip up hoodie, and two long sleeve poly-cotton blend shirts.
This is good to about -15C comfortably, -20C if you have to, and isn't great if it's wet, but it's generally dry where I live.
Wool glove liners and leather mitts with insulation over that, but the gloves have to come off all the time ?
The Carhartt stuff is very durable but not the best wind break nor water resistant.

Winter camping I swap out to my old SIR hunting jacket which is synthetic shell and insulation. More shirts and usually a merino wool blend as a base layer. Add a heavy nylon over pant over top of my hiking pants and long underwear for protection from wind and moisture. Again -20C is about the comfort level with low activity.

After reading this thread I've started looking for more proper winter gear as I'm not in my 20s anymore where I could handle the cold. But this year has been slim pickings with all the shortages plus I'm cheap/worried dropping huge coin on a single piece of gear and ending up cold anyways

 

[67cj5]

When I work outside I wear Carhartt insulated bibs, and a Carhartt winter jacket. Under the bibs my double knee Carhartt pants and depending on the weather and the job either silk weight long underwear that's a synthetic and wool blend, or a thicker polyester set.
Under the jacket a synthetic zip up hoodie, and two long sleeve poly-cotton blend shirts.
This is good to about -15C comfortably, -20C if you have to, and isn't great if it's wet, but it's generally dry where I live.
Wool glove liners and leather mitts with insulation over that, but the gloves have to come off all the time ?
The Carhartt stuff is very durable but not the best wind break nor water resistant.

Winter camping I swap out to my old SIR hunting jacket which is synthetic shell and insulation. More shirts and usually a merino wool blend as a base layer. Add a heavy nylon over pant over top of my hiking pants and long underwear for protection from wind and moisture. Again -20C is about the comfort level with low activity.

After reading this thread I've started looking for more proper winter gear as I'm not in my 20s anymore where I could handle the cold. But this year has been slim pickings with all the shortages plus I'm cheap/worried dropping huge coin on a single piece of gear and ending up cold anyways

If you want good gear thats cheap have a look at in Military Supply stores, My N4B Arctic Mitts cost $25.00 and if you add wool thinsulate liner gloves, the Military claim they will keep your hands safe down to -60*f and below,

 

[ITTOG]

This may not be an extreme item but I have a question about a Rab puffy I purchased. I have never bought anything Rab but immediately noticed the zipper was backwards, like on female garments in the US. So, did they send me a female garment or do they not follow US standards on zippers?

Amazon.com: RAB Men's Neutrino Pro Jacket - Ethically-Sourced 800 Fill Hydrophobic Down Jacket (Black, M) : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

Buy RAB Men's Neutrino Pro Jacket - Ethically-Sourced 800 Fill Hydrophobic Down Jacket (Black, M): Down & Down Alternative - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

 

[67cj5]

This may not be an extreme item but I have a question about a Rab puffy I purchased. I have never bought anything Rab but immediately noticed the zipper was backwards, like on female garments in the US. So, did they send me a female garment or do they not follow US standards on zippers?

Amazon.com: RAB Men's Neutrino Pro Jacket - Ethically-Sourced 800 Fill Hydrophobic Down Jacket (Black, M) : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

Buy RAB Men's Neutrino Pro Jacket - Ethically-Sourced 800 Fill Hydrophobic Down Jacket (Black, M): Down & Down Alternative - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

So many people get this wrong because many items are not Gender persific because they are Uni-sex clothing, Either way it will work well for travelling in a Cold vehicle and for Cold days with no wind Chill,

The bigger issue with that coat is that it has a massive 800 fill power but it does not have a storm flap covering the Zipper and it only has a small one on the inside portion of the zipper, You can have a 10,000 fill power coat but without Storm flaps covering the Zipper they are of little use when the temps drop and the wind is howling, To the point a cheap 400 fill power coat with a big/good storm flap system would be warmer,

Sorry to be the barer of gloom, I always try to buy a coat that has all of the above then you know it will be warm,

I hope that helps.