So, I’ve looked at some of the more expensive winter coats, but other than pricing and brand-name marketing, I can’t see what the difference is. There are also few jacket reviewing channels on youtube where they just buy lots of expensive jackets and spray high pressure water at them, stab them with knives, grate them against sandpaper, set them on fire, spray them with liquid nitrogen or anything like that and compare the stopping/penetration results.
So what fabric is best? Are natural materials like leather or oilskin any good? What about the many thousands of others, like ballistic nylon, textiles, waxed canvas and synthetics like goretex or neoshell. I had a look at goretex, but couldn’t find any specific protection levels other than “active”, “pro” and “standard”. I wanted to find the actual proper levels and standards of protection and what they’re tested against and not just vague marketing stuff which pushes the “goretex pro” which is also the most expensive.
What would be the best jacket that is both completely waterproof, can be sprayed with a high pressure firehose and does not leak, is warm and is not required to wear additional layers underneath it, is comfortable to be worn with only a shirt or bare chested, will also keep a bare-chested person warm and comfortable in the snow and ice, is lightweight and breathable, very durable, and is also under $500?
Why does it need to be sprayed with a fire hose? I doubt you can find anything breathable that can survive that.
I live in Minnesota (and I’m cheap). I would rather not have a $500 jacket that will keep me warm if I am bare-chested under it and it’s 10[sup]o[/sup] because I am going to sweat like a pig when it is 25[sup]o[/sup]. When I dress in layers like my mommy told me, I can adjust.
I have been out walking the dog when it’s -10, with my Army jacket over a sweatshirt and long underwear and a t shirt, and I was perfectly comfortable. And I didn’t drop half a grand on it either.
But I grew up in the Upper Midwest, where “dress in layers, cover any exposed skin, if your feet are cold put on a hat” are things you drink in with your mother’s milk.
Is their an REI near you? You clearly need to do some research. Most outdoor stores will be happy to show you the latest and greatest, and most expensive coats they have and why you absolutely need to buy one.
But Shodan has it right. I live in NW Montana and winter temps of -20 aren’t that unusual. By layering I can spend hours outside and my torso stays nice and warm. In fact the problem is usually that I am too warm, not too cold. I have a 5 year old $90 down ski jacket that is comfortable and fairly waterproof. I wouldn’t spend $500 on any jacket. As soon as it get’s ripped, which eventually happens to all jackets, you’ll be out looking for a replacement.
There is definitely no REI near me, as there are no REIs in Australia, according to google.
I find layering impractical, even though it should be the opposite, but I usually prefer the idea of one top all-rounder “best” product than 5 “decent” products or specialized products.
I think it’s usually very warm. The lowest temperature according to the internet was about 30 F or -1.1 C. How cold is that, though? I don’t think it’s that cold but I don’t really know for sure. I think usually it’s about 25+ C, though.
Well, this video here had some people getting splashed with fire hoses while they stayed reasonably but not totally dry. That was some 7 years ago, so I wonder if they’ve invented something better by now?
How much did you spend on your army jacket? Was it really waterproofed, though? I've seen Army-ish jackets before and they didn't look very waterproofed.
What level of ‘winter’ are you talking about? there’s a pretty big difference between “It might get down to 0 for a few days on a really cold spell” and “It’s 20 below for a month, plus the wind is nasty”.
EDIT: After reading your last response, you don’t need anything properly labeled a ‘winter jacket’, and all of these $300 jackets you’re talking about are going to be worthless because you’ll get too hot in them. “Oh, the record low is just below freezing” doesn’t require much gear.
You may want to consider a shell, a wind-resistant and water-resistant outer jacket. I’ve worn them for over 20 years and it’s my go-to outerwear. I prefer the Mountain Hardwear products, because I like the fit, the peaked rain hood, and the pocket arrangement, but there are dozens of manufacturers making comparable products. My wife wears a similar one from REI.
Mine has a soft lining, but no insulation. It’s just stiff enough to cut the wind and sheds water beautifully. It works as an ordinary rain jacket in warmer temperatures.
It sounds like you don’t want to layer, but I’ve found it very practical. I pair mine with a sleeveless fleece vest when temps drop slightly. I also have a long-sleeved down liner that I can slip on under it when it gets cold. (I always buy the shells slightly larger than my actual size.) I spent two weeks in Tromso, Norway, at Christmas a few years back with this combination, and it was fairly chilly. I was very comfortable.
I live in Minnesota. I wear an Outback oilskin jacket. Good to keep the rain and sleet off. and being a hearty Minnesotan, I’m good to well below zero, when I just wear a sweatshirt under it.
…And because the firehouse thing seems like such an oddly specific requirement, I have to wonder if you work for Columbia in their marketing department and are just testing their campaign penetration success rate.
I have a North Face down/Gore-tex jacket that is toasty warm and has a DWR coating. I don’t think it would pass the firehose test though. I wonder if the down jackets in that Columbia commercial are really waterproof or just water-resistant.