Best Winter Jacket for Climbing?

[theciscokid]

Hey all,

Just thinking ahead to some serious Wisconsin cold coming in a few months-which brings me to the question: What is the best winter jacket for climbing? I have a Carharrt I used, but its too bulky and heavy, I guess it worked okay grounding, but this is my first winter climbing full-time. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[gorman]

Any kind of coverall or overall helps a lot. It rules out that "flesh gap" that appears when your harness pushes your jacket up and your pants don't go up with it.

 

[treebilly]

I just layer up. Long sleeve tees and sweatshirts and a pair of bibs.

 

[Zale]

Stay away from anything cotton. I've been wearing merino wool 1/4 zip base layers. Will keep you warm even if it gets wet. What's the coldest you are willing to work in?

 

[acer-kid]

Arborwear.com

 

[theciscokid]

Stay away from anything cotton. I've been wearing merino wool 1/4 zip base layers. Will keep you warm even if it gets wet. What's the coldest you are willing to work in?

Anything colder than -10 we don't work. Right now I have an under armour cold gear shirt as a layer. My sister works for Milwaukee tool, and just got me one of those battery powered heated sweatshirts. Not sure how well it that will work, but sounds awesome on paper. I'm thinking of just getting a Columbia/northface jacket to throw over that hoping that will be my trick. I guess trial an error is my only way of really knowing. Flexibility is what I'm going for.

 

[theciscokid]

I just layer up. Long sleeve tees and sweatshirts and a pair of bibs.

What kind of bibs? Are they pretty forgiving while in the saddle?

 

[treebilly]

Just unlined carhartt bibs. Once in a great while I'll put on a lined pair. Not to terrible in the saddle. Gotta keep moving. I will get set up without gloves on to get my fingers good and cold. Warm them up and good for the rest of the day

 

[capetrees]

Full Carhartt body suit/coveralls for the coldest days. Get a size larger to go over your normal clothes and still have movability. I've even climbed in mine. If it's jackets, I used to wear an arctic quilt lined Carhartt Detroit Jacket. I bought it in Alaska 25 years ago so I knew it worked in the cold. Haven't seen them around the lower 48 with the arctic liner.

 

[Axmeaquestion]

Arborwear double thick sweatshirt, you'll thank me later

 

[acer-kid]

Arborwear double thick sweatshirt, you'll thank me later

Seconded.

 

[KenJax Tree]

The sweatshirts we had at Asplundh were awesome

 

[250R]

Check out TreeStuff. The Phanner stuff is second 2 none.

 

[richard88]

I'm a big fan of the arborwear double thick sweatshirts. I wear the sweatshirt 98% of the time, but I also keep a hooded gore-tex storm shell in my bag for moisture days.

 

[Axmeaquestion]

Treestuff is the place, got 2 arbor-wear sweatshirts free from them

 

[Wesley F.]

Great question! I live in minneapolis mn and we will climb all the way down to -25 windchill. What I have found that works the best for cold weather is layers, layers, layers. Never wear cotton. I wear Patagonia expedition long underwear for my base and then two or three 1/4 zip polly-pro/fleece long sleeves, then a fleece jacket. This is all very light and slim. When it gets really cold and windy I wear a hard shell gor-tex jacket. Hard shells are key for staying dry and blocking the wind while being breathable. Most alpine hard shells come with hoods that are made to fit over helmets, which is a nice feature. These jackets are expensive so that might be a consideration. Some great brands are mammut, marmot, rab, and arc'teryx. I would suggest not wearing them on the ground dragging brush or chipping because you will probably blow through them in one season. Hope this helps and good luck this winter.

 

[bigremovals]

flannel jacket from walmart haha but foreal overalls and a sweatshirt

 

[mek]

arborwear double thick sweatshirt and labonville nylon insulated coat and pants, keeps the wind out.

 

[arathol]

Arborwear double thick sweatshirt, you'll thank me later

Yeah I have 3 and they are ok as long as they don't get wet. Get one wet and its miserable, like wearing soggy cardboard with zero insulative value. Anything made of cotton is worthless in the wet . Wool is the way to go when working in cold/wet/snowy conditions.

 

[BC WetCoast]

And take about

Yeah I have 3 and they are ok as long as they don't get wet. Get one wet and its miserable, like wearing soggy cardboard with zero insulative value. Anything made of cotton is worthless in the wet . Wool is the way to go when working in cold/wet/snowy conditions.

And take about 3 weeks to dry out.

I like grey Stanfields wool long underwear when it's cold. The scratchy kind.