Where to buy winter jackets?

Best buy in winter (ski) jackets?

• I have been looking around to try to find a high quality winter jacket for skiing. I am interested in the ones which are well insulated but not bulky (not interested in Canada Goose ...show more

• Answer:

  I hate bulky coats myself. I only have one shell that is heavy duty (Precision Mountaineering circa 2002.) I prefer to layer up with thinner insulating layers and avoid the discomfort and lack of mobility that comes with feeling like the Michelin Man. My typical upper body line-up looks like this: #1 Start with a wicking base-layer long sleeve synthetic T-shirt. Personally, I use Techwick 3 from Eastern Mountain Sports, but there are plenty of brands and styles out there to choose from. Even Starter has wicking Ts for sale at Wal-Mart for $15 now. #2 I wear a stretch zip-neck shirt, also a wicking material, but with more lycra. Similar to the material in race shirt (ie. Spyder.) #3 Fleece Jacket made of either Gore Windstopper or Polartec Windbloc material. Brands aren't as important as the material. Mountain Hardwear uses Windstopper and a number of other companies us Windbloc. (most of mine came from LL Bean.) #4 Lightweight rain shell, non-insulated. I have several. I mostly use my Marmot Precip Jacket. 9/10 days that shell stays in my backpack or in my ski bag at the base lodge. I take it only if it is looking like snow will move in during the day and I'll be away from the lodge for a while. If it is not snowing or raining why on earth do I need to wear a weather resistant jacket? If it is below freezing, the snow will just brush off if I fall. If it looks like it is going to be a cruddy day and I'm going to need the shell all day, I sometimes skip the fleece and wear a Primaloft jacket under the shell instead of fleece. This set-up has served me very well skiing in Vermont, the Adirondacks, and the Poconos for the last 6 years. It has to be in the low teens with a nasty wind chill before I even consider using a heavy, bulky shell. I tested a Mountain Hardwear Alchemy jacket 2 years ago. It is a waterproof softshell fleece. I liked it a lot but the guys from MHW weren't giving us the jackets (bummer.) They are not as pricy as Arc'Teryx and in my opinion, better made. Throw another thermal shirt into the layer mix if you need some extra heat, but the bottom line is that if you keep your head and hands well insulated too, a windblocking fleece and some good wicking under-layers will do the job better than a $600 jacket.