<p>MP, that J Crew coat is beautiful, Merry Christmas to you!</p>
<p>Missypie, that’s the parka I have in black! It has kept me toasty in Vancouver, SF & LA so far. In fact, I don’t even zip it all the way & don’t need thermals underneath! </p>
<p>By the way, if you really want to be toasty without bulk, consider icebreaker washable woolen thermals. They’re GREAT & don’t make folks itch. I have used them and found them invaluable!</p>
<p>In Texas, the 3-in-1 feature will extend the usefulness of the jacket a bunch. A lot of the year, you can just take the lining out and have a hooded rain parka that would be plenty for Noah’s Ark.</p>
<p>The 3-in-1 feature is also very useful in HI. I like having a good rainproof jacket for wet weather, especially with a generous hood!</p>
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<p>I’ve been wearing some Polartec Power Dry thermals. I just have the lightweight version (some Marmot brand I found at Marshalls and some LLBean brand). This stuff is in incredible. Really thin and stretchy, but super warm. I can’t imagine how warm the “midweight” and “expedition weight” versions must be. I wore the bottoms under a pair of stretchy running pants for a 5k walk on Saturday. 39 degrees with a 20 mph gusty wind and I was warm.</p>
<p>Wore the bottoms and tops under jeans and a fleece quarter zip (no jacket) outside messing around with the Christmas tree for an hour with temps right around 32 degrees. Stayed warm.</p>
<p>My SIL went on two cruises of the Antarctic, which is where she first learned of the IceBreaker thermals. It is remarkable how warm you can stay with just thin, stretchy fabric–whether it’s the ones that InterestedDad posted about or others that are out there. I am a fan because it’s easy to pack.</p>
<p>I’m severely allergic to cold (or hot)–it causes me to get very red and swollen and awfully itchy. I prefer to be slightly warm to cold & itchy.</p>
<p>The problem ( for me) w long underwear ( and I go skiing & snowshoeing- which are fairly warm- but also snow tracking which involves pacing in circles so not as heat producing), is that I don’t shave my legs usually in the winter ( blond hair)- but long underwear is itchy if I don’t. ( whats funny is that my H- has less hair on his calves than I do- apparently from wearing tight ski boots when he was younger- that & familial growth pattern)
I usually wear REI kids midweight long underwear ( but try it on first- cause everything is made elsewhere & the same size varies in the waist)
But maybe I should get some wool- it is true that some of the washable wool isn’t as itchy as synthetic fleece.</p>
<p>I used to go x-country skiing with just a pair of pantyhose under synthetic running pants & a shell ( but that is when I went faster than I do now :o )
In the Northwest- you learn to layer a lot.
constantly taking off gloves & hat and unzipping or even removing coats- so it helps to have non bulky things and a small pack for carrying.</p>
<p>I try not to get black- because so much of my families snow stuff is black & when we all have our stuff on the bed before going out- it is impossible to know what is what.
Also * everyone elses* stuff is also usually black- so finding your gear on the drying rack @ the warming hut is equally difficult.</p>
<p>Another must have is a fleece neck warmer- great for keeping drafts out, even if jacket is unzipped & you can pull it over your nose when it gets too cold.</p>
<p>For anyone else out there who might be interested in the Columbia Whirlibird coat…it’s selling in Sierra Trading Post for $87 if your use the “deal flyer” discount (have to sign up for Deal Flyer emails from Sierra Trading post…the discounts are great. They have all sizes but only one color.</p>
<p>Yeah, they have that version on the Columbia web site on clearance for $117. But it doesn’t have the “omni heat” feature that is supposed to make it warmer, so I paid for the newer version.</p>
<p>Let us know how you like it- it sounds like the arms run long & our family has shortish arms- plus we run hot ( except for H) so it sounds like it might be a little too hot- but should be great for you missypie!
[Columbia</a> Women’s Whirlibird Parka - FREE SHIPPING at Altrec.com](<a href=“Altrec is Moving”>Altrec is Moving)
My D2 finally wants something besides her shell- but she hasn’t said what.
I am wondering if you can detach the powder skirt- she hates that, even though she would use it for snowboarding.</p>
<p>The powder skirt of the Whirlibird snaps up and out of the way. Honestly, you hardly notice that it even exists! I am symetric (my fingertip to fingertip length is the same as my height) and the medium women’s Whirlibird fits just right.</p>
<p>That electric vest looks pretty interesting. My wife might be interested in it. Not stylish enough for my daughter.</p>
<p>I bought an LL Bean down coat several years ago on one of the hottest days of the summer. They had a clearance rack at the local LL Bean Factory Outlet and I think that I paid about $79 for it. It’s warm, comfortable and has pockets in the right places.</p>
<p>I bookmarked the links here and in the hoodie thread for later consideration. Son’s hoodie is falling apart but he doesn’t want a replacement. My wife could use something a bit newer.</p>
<p>Here in western PNW, a sweater + medium/lightly lined wind breaker is warm enough.
I got a closet full of down, fleece, great coats that I haven’t worn in decades. </p>
<p>When I go clamming in the wintertime, I only wear skivies Which is what I wear during the spring clamming season.</p>
<p>My desktop weather applet says that it is 21 degrees outside. It will be in the single-digits tonight. That’s why I get to throw the trash out most of the time these days.</p>
<p>Yep. 21 degrees. I got a chance to cold-test my new LL Bean warm-up jacket. Worked like a champ over a turtleneck and a fitness fleece:</p>
<p>[Warm-Up</a> Jacket: Casual Jackets at L.L.Bean](<a href=“http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/32937]Warm-Up”>http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/32937)</p>
<p>Beach is 50 and wet. Normal.
…[Weather</a> Conditions At PACCTY-2](<a href=“Weather Conditions At PACCTY-2]WEATHER”>Weather Conditions At PACCTY-2)</p>
<p>We’re big fans of Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) jackets…very similar to Northface. In fact, recent college grad daughter liked her EMS fleece better than the Northface Danali. She just got the shell for it. They are a bit less expensive than the Northface and similar in style, fit and cut.</p>
<p>REI has good jackets too.</p>
<p>D’s LLBean Warm Up jacket just arrived. It looks like it should fit her perfectly & was such a deal and looks like it will pack down nicely. Should keep her toasty in LA & when she travels for Spring Break and other times (maybe to visit her brother on the East Coast).</p>
<p>Hey, LongPrime, it’s 50 and wet here too. What a surprise!</p>
<p>(My poor D bicycled home from work yesterday in the worst of the rain. Even her Shower’s Pass rain gear soaked through (which it just doesn’t do, normally). She took the bus this morning.)</p>
<p>I bought my daughter a long, uber warm down coat from Land’s End (certified warm at -35 degrees, or something like that). She is not a kid who normally cares about brands, so this really surprised me - she never wore it. Also bought her a short North Face parka. She wears it every day. She’d be way warmer in the long coat, but there is something magical about The North Face. Seriously - they do not look any different to me. No clue what the deal is, but I finally just surrendered. The next kid in line got a North face from the get go. Turns out to be cheaper in the long run just to buy what you know they really would rather wear. Something about a coat for young people…They seem to want to play it safe for that item of clothing.</p>