jacket/coat help?

M1A Shooter · 09-15-2012, 16:54

looking at something to replace my military issued gore-tex and fleece liner combo. i like the utility of this setup but looking at something a bit more civilian friendly.

would prefer something a bit lighter and quieter but under $200. what would you recommend? its just starting to get cool at night here but i want to have a good dependable jacket instead of the walmart or target cheapies i end up buying yearly. i am very active outdoors hiking and horseback riding.

thanks ahead of time.

quake · 09-15-2012, 18:07

I'm a fan of carhartt. They're not cool & tactical, but quality-wise the brand works for me personally. Typically $100-$150 in my area; don't know if that's typical nationwide or not.

Quigley · 09-15-2012, 18:39

I'm a huge fan of Carhart. I have 4 of them all different. Check out their website and then go to constructiongear.com to order it. They have so many different styles that I'm sure you will find what you are looking for.

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M1A Shooter · 09-15-2012, 19:54

i guess what im really looking for is a hard shell lightweight rain/windbreaker jacket with a lightweight yet warm fleece under it. might have to find them seperately.

will be checking out carhartt as well.

RatDrall · 09-17-2012, 06:15

Columbia coats have a lifetime warranty.

Last year, while rummaging through a box of old clothes, my wife found a 15 year old Columbia coat that she'd put into storage because of a broken zipper. I called Columbia to get it repaired, and they gave me an RMA number to send it in. They called a few days later asking which brand new coat she'd like, and in what color

They have all sorts of different winter coats. I got mine in OD green last year for something like $130 after watching for it to go on sale.

BR549 · 09-17-2012, 07:00

I always buy the rain jacket and fleece separate. That way I can choose what I want out of each. I don't like zip in liners.

I choose Gore-Tex for the rain shell almost every time.

Marmot's PreCip (proprietary Gore-Tex alternative) fabric can be found at low cost and is very lightweight and very good at keeping out water.

Bilbo Bagins · 09-17-2012, 07:25

I thought I started a similar thread this time last year but I can't find it. I was looking for something with a waterproof shell and a insulated layer that can be zipped out. Its also needed to be lightweight and not "puffy" because I'm also using it for hiking and such. I'm also not made of money so I think I was shooting for under $200 too.

Some of the suggestions I got were

Columbia
Cabelas Dry-Plus 3 in 1 Spectrum Parka (currently on sale)
Cabelas Dry Plus Grand Teton System (build your own jacket)
EMS Sync System (Build your Own)

The build your own jackets are a little pricey, but sometime you catch a sale where the shell is on sale, then later the Primaloft, or fleece liner is on sale at a different time. On sale you can easily build a full jacket for under $200. I think the Cabelas 3 in 1 and some Columbia jackets are good buys and very rugged. However I'm really getting into the lightweight and compactability of the Build your own systems with those primaloft liner for hiking/camping, because they can pack down to almost nothing, and the shells are more lightweight. The problem is if its built to be lightweight I think they may be a less sturdy over time with hard use.

Bushflyr · 09-17-2012, 10:23

Go to sierra trading post. Buy any goretex shell with features and price you like. Any name brand shell will hold up fine. Wear whatever insulation and base layer is appropriate for the weather. The various layers have different purposes, there's no reason they need to come from the same source.

Having said that a Carhartt chore coat is what i usually grab on a daily basis, but it would be my first choice in the rain.

Quigley · 09-18-2012, 16:50

Here are a couple of Carhartt's options that are great.

The material is very flexible, light weight and virtually water proof.
http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/s...6389&langId=-1

This one is great too. A little heavier but 100% waterproof and very warm.
http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/s...9676&langId=-1

More of a backpacking type jacket. Extremely light weight although not as water resistant.
http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/s...6398&langId=-1

A little heavier than the first one but every bit as water resistant while being more durable
http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/s...9677&langId=-1