Jacket/coat recommendations

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Brendanh

Member
Sep 14, 2019
14
2
28
South Wales
Hi all, I've been looking for a decent cold weather jacket which is waterproof. I've seen a few 3 in 1 jackets and they seems to fit the bill but I'm struggling to find one as there are so many choices. If anybody could recommend me a jacket that is well insulated and waterrpoof I'd be very grateful. I have no idea what to get?

I've seen a few jackets around £200 made by The North Face but it seems the money is on the brand and I'd like not to spend that amount.

Thanks
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Do you want it for the woods or for the town or both or whatever?

Camouflage options are cheap.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,152
1,546
Cumbria
Look at farm supply shops. They often do decent coats from cheap to more pricey options. All good for outdoor work and leisure I guess.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
You should look for original Army Surplus Goretex Jackets. All western Armies have pretty similar stuff in different cuts and camouflage Patterns.

There you can get such a used jacket for round about 20% of the price you have to pay for a similar new civil model which is made from the same materials.

Like this for example:

http://army-warehouse.com/10-servicecard-artikel/200-bundesheer-feldjacke-leicht-oliv-gebraucht.html

Under it you just wear a fleece jacket or additional other warm layers.

Like this for example:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-fleece-brown-id_8281239.html
 
Last edited:

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
The German Army waterproof Goretex suit is usually sold in very good conditions.

https://www.asmc.de/bw-naesseschutzanzug-flecktarn-gebraucht

As you see, it is sold very cheap.

This is the jacket the suit contains:

https://www.asmc.de/BW-Naesseschutzjacke-flecktarn-gebraucht

And that are the trousers which are part of the complete suit:

https://www.asmc.de/search#/q/bw naesseschutzhose

I can't give you the link correctly. It copies to a polyester cotton version. You have to surch "BW Naesseschutzhose" yourself. !!!!

If you play around on the German and Austrian sites:
gebraucht means used
neu means new.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Brendanh

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
And of course you can choose Dutch, British, Swedish and other army rain coats too.

The German coat is a simple and light construction. But they all use the same durable 3 layer Goretex.

I think you can buy a blue Royal Air Force version as well if you don't like to wear the camouflage patterns.
 
Last edited:

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,152
1,546
Cumbria
Paramo is one system I take the view is overrated. I used it for a decade before I got my first hard shell event jacket. The biggest issue with paramo has always been fit and sizing. I've heard the rather offensive description of them being fat dog walkers coats. Sorry for that but it does sum up the wide bodied, short armed fit of standard paramo jackets.

Also, the wetting out issue is real. My paramo used to get wet out in some places, as in wet through. It was always a good system but as with all the others not perfect or indeed the answer. It's just one answer if it suits. Personally I'd prefer a softshell system and live with wet and warm or a hard shell for bad rain.

The other issue is paramo is rarely found less than £200. The op wants to spend less.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,152
1,546
Cumbria
I'm not fat and I don't have a dog!

PS the perfect outdoor coat is like the holy grail. Doesn't exist.
I didn't mean to imply that. It's just a phrase I've heard a lot to describe hill walking style of paramo. First heard it from a retail assistant at a paramo premium retailer. He was looking at cascade and altar shaped jackets. When first out they weren't as bad. My alta original version was slimmer fitting than newer versions I think. The design works best when the inner layer is in contact with your clothing layers underneath the coat. It's a pump action or a kind of capillary action sort of thing. You can't suck you're milkshake through a straw if you're straw isn't in the shake.

Totally agree with the perfection idea. Sub £200 near perfection is even harder. To get it you'll probably need to spend thousands to find it. I always say finding your outdoors clothing system is a case if iteration.

I spent decades and more money than I care to admit to on outdoor gear. Then close to reaching a system that works well for me I go and change my activity levels. Cue a whole new search for my new system. It's certainly hard to get your own kit right without working out the best kit for a stranger. Suggestions are good but it'll be the op who needs to try things out. That's hard without visiting physical shops.

PS I'm not a gear freak just prefer kit that works for me.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
No such thing as a waterproof, comfortable jacket or coat.
Waterproof = you sweat like a navvy.

Get a comfortable jacket with a bit of precipitation resistance, and top it up to water proofness with an umbrella.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Buy layers. Then you can mix and match to suit the day.
Rain tomorrow doesn't need waterproof today.

I have 2 Carhartt coats. The old one is good to maybe 0C then the new one to -20C and beyond (knitted cuffs, etc)
Windproof, water resistant and well insulated.
Over that, I have a waterproof shell meant for offshore sailboat racing.
Waterproof. Neoprene seal wrist cuffs waterproof.
You can see my big, broad-brimmed hat in my avatar.

Today, I could wear all three. No better than +5C and wet.
Must be snowing hard up top. Smells like it.
For all I'm out, the old coat and hat will keep me happy.
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,185
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
I've spent much of my long life searching for the ideal coat that will suit all conditions. I can't recall them all but do remember using the following.-

Garberdine raincoat: Hot, not waterproof, not warm, takes forever to dry, hard to carry and pack. No idea of price as Mum bought it for me. Hated it when made to wear it up Helvellyn in the 1950s.
Oilskin cycle cape Tore easily and replaced with plastic version. Cheap and portable but with drawbacks of poncho without their advantages, Bright yellow!
Army gas cape, stuck together when rolled in pack. Smelly. Issued so glad I didn't pay for it.
Ex-navy duffel coat: Warm, surprisingly water resistant, impossible to pack and hard to carry Cheap and flogged it to a student of my wife's about 30 years later. Moths were very upset about losing food source.
Pak-a-mac. Plastic cheap, windproof and fragile. Got wetter from condensation than rain.
Greenspot cotton double skin "windcheater" wiindproof, water resistant when newly treated with "nev".Quite liked this and sorry when it wore out. Modified it extensively, by adding pockets etc and experimenting with waterproofing.
Nylon raincoat: light, easily carried and packed windproof, waterproof. Some ******* pinched it from my parked scooter in Portsmouth in1960.
Corduroy jacket. Second hand two sizes too large. Comfortable. Not wind or waterproof took weeks to dry out. But really fancied myself in it. Could have been right as met wife when wearing it in 1961.Probably the only jacket I've ever bought for appearance rather than function.
Navy foulweather oilskin modified to jacket length and carried all across Europe in 1966. Water and windproof, very cheap but a bit heavy.
Polyurethane coated cagoules .Several of these, waterproof but not condensation proof most had to be replaced as coating wore off from inside.
Goretex!! first of several. Made by Berghaus, If only it had lived up to the advertising claims. Never have worked out whether water was coming from inside or outside.
Several others with claims to being the perfect answer to the condensation problem. None was. Most came unlaminated after a time, and appeared to be OK but suddenly became permeable usually unexpectedly in the middle of a wet-weather trek in Wales or Derbyshire.
Paramo cascada. Have had this for years now, reproof it at least every years, Wind and waterproof and warm. Bit heavy and hot for summer, but saves carrying and extra warm layer. Very expensive to buy, but when worked out on cost per year of use, much cheaper in the long run.

Experience has taught me that a shell over layers is far better than a warm and waterproof jacket. I hate using waterproof over trousers, but keep a light pair in the pocket of my Paramo.

I'm still looking for the very light and packable water and windproof outer shell that I can snuggle into when it's howling with sleet and still feel dry and snug. It has to be roomy enough for a couple of insulating layers without being too big for summer use on its own. Oh, and it has to be a dull subdued colour- I don't like to be easily seen!
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,152
1,546
Cumbria
My history is not as long as yours but here goes (memory not as good).
Various kids coats that I wore for street use and hill use. Indeed everything. Mostly cotton and weather resistant.
Various nylon anorak of cheap boil in the bag type.
Various cast off work coats from my dad (civil engineer on road building sites so green, padded, non breathable and with a fold away hood that's useless).
A cast off work jacket using cascade breathable fabric - got beginnings of hypothermia in north York moors one winter wade through thigh deep snow wearing it with woollen jumper underneath.
Parent's decided to buy me full set of waterproofs for birthday. I got a new fangled brand called paramo. Totally new waterproof fabric (no longer legally allowed to be called waterproof) called analogy. Alta trousers and top. Top of their take m range for mountain use.
Montana event jacket best buy multi use jacket in tgo magazine. Great jacket and such an improvement on the old version paramo imho. Just so much more comfortable and I finally had a waterproof useable in summer.
Berghaus mountaineering jacket asgard project jacket designed for an arctic circle climbing expedition with Leo Holding. Amazing fit for me, snug but still took winter layers, very light / stackable and latest goretex fabric. With a very simple design there were no bulky pockets in fabric creating 4 layers or more to breathe through. This actually made it very breathable. It's my commuting waterproof for many years too since the hem doesn't rise up when you lift your arms. With pit vents it only gets damp inside when it's torrential rain but by then water's wicking up from the edges of anything so you're as wet from that as from sweat.

My current solution is softshell tops with a longer length. First off less water run off to your thighs / groin which is worst place to get wet through imho. Buffalo s6 is good but could do with hood. Coped with 40 minutes dog walk in the heavy rain at the weekend apart from water run off waterproof cap down neck.

Legs are a big problem being 34" waist but 6'5" tall. Most waterproof trousers that size aren't long enough. If they're a couple of inches short you fill you're boots. Btw most brands stop increasing leg length by size medium. It's like average size in the range and people only increase girth not girth and height. Daft!
 
  • Like
Reactions: plastic-ninja

Brendanh

Member
Sep 14, 2019
14
2
28
South Wales
Thanks all I think it's best given the information provided in the thread that I buy some layers and not one jacket, problem is finding one that fits tidy, I'm quite small is design and short and like a snug fit
 
Jul 24, 2017
1,163
444
somerset
Berghaus do some of the best waterproof jackets go to outdoorGB there prices are great so is the service.
Hillwalker, Hudsonian, Otago are all good and some will zip in a fleece or be lined as is
 
Last edited:

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE