Hello all. I'm buckling down for the Boston winter, feeling fully prepared with my peacoat. However, what with all the snow/rain, it's struck me fairly quickly that it would also be rather useful to have a VERY warm, waterproof jacket with a hood. Does anyone have any suggestions? Trying to keep it relatively inexpensive, but any and all suggestions will be appreciated. Cheers.
-
-
I picked up an Eddie Bauer down jacket about a month ago. They've got a few different styles, but the one I bought was a bit longer and had a removable hood. I suspect it isn't entirely waterproof, but I've worn it in some pretty wet weather and stayed dry. It was $125, on sale from $180. -
Not to be too contrarian, but in my experience, having a jacket that is both VERY warm and VERY waterproof (or water-resistant) is fairly unnecessary. If it's wet out, that means it's got to be at least 32*F. If it's significantly colder than that, it won't be wet. The wetness you will need to worry about when it's truly frigid will be your own perspiration. In that case, having a waterproof jacket can actually be a problem, as waterproof materials also retain moisture and can make you cold and clammy.
My advice (and I don't have any specific suggestions for brands/models off the top of my head) is to buy a relatively lightweight waterproof or water-resistant coat and leave room for layering underneath. Wearing interchangeable layers is generally a better way to manage your comfort in a variety of weather conditions than simply trying to find the biggest, warmest coat out there.
If you plan on living in a cold climate for a while, you may also want to look into a serious winter parka as an investment. When the temps get below -15*F or so, I rock a pretty sweet '90s L.L. Bean down parka I inherited as a hand-me-down from my brother. I only find myself needing it a couple times a year, but I sure appreciate it when I do. If you invest in a good parka, it should last you a lifetime.BenComment
-
My advice is in line with BenR's. It doesn't get as cold here in Brooklyn as in Boston, but when I need something waterproof, I wear my hooded K-Way jacket. When it gets cold, I just put that on over some layers. If I'm doing anything to work up a sweat (biking, shoveling snow, etc), it doesn't even require very heavy layers underneath since it retains heat so well. It folds up into a tiny pouch and the loud primary colors are fun, too.
http://k-way.ca/en/1-claude-klassic-mens.htmlComment
-
Much appreciated guys. Unfortunately, thats the approach I took last year, and I settled on the fact that just for a few days of the year, you really do need a parka that'll just take anything that nature can throw at it. I found this from J Crew, and seeing as I'm working there over the winter, I'll probably just pick it up with the employee discount. Cheers!
http://www.jcrew.com/mens_category/o...8933/18933.jspComment
Comment