Do you buy expensive coats?

[MrsDThomas]

Does everyone own a Rab/NorthFace/Montane coat nowadays?

I just find them expensive and too warm.

I went for a walk with friends yesterday, forest, hilly, fresh. They were in their super puffy down jackets, branded woolly hats and Buffs, and im in my Millets, generic cheap thinner down jacket (which i love) and a North Ridge fleecy lined top sweating my bollocks off🥵🥵

I’ve borrowed a thick puffy branded one off said friend and i found it too chunky and too hot.

Do you wear them or go for cheaper versions?

@Hungry675tf

Regatta till I die

Yes! My Regatta coat is not too thick but super warm and has the perfect size hood. I love it.

All my coats are 2nd hand/eBay.

My All Saints Pilgrim Parka is nice and warm - think I paid £20 for it.

I bought a duvet coat last year. It’s an absolute revelation after years of being slightly chilly in wool coats and layers.

@MrsDThomas

Im asking why people wear big puffy coats for walking/hiking.

I borrowed one for a 2 mile dog walk, that is not a “walk” for me, but i got super hot in it.

Maybe because they feel the cold more than you?

I can't wear big puffy coats for walking either as I get too hot, but they're invaluable if you're going to be doing quite a bit of standing around outdoors - I wear them for things like Christmas markets or sitting outdoors after walks in winter.

Some people run hot, some run cold. IME when it comes to outdoor gear, the phrase "buy cheap, buy twice" is generally very accurate.

If it's not breathable you're going to sweat, overheat and feel absolutely miserable.

I have a zavetti canada coat and a fur coat that's about it

I’m someone who runs very cold (gloves and fluffy socks September to March and fluffy socks even inside November to February). I have a Rab coat and for me it’s perfect for shorter walks. It will also last forever…my raincoat has just been replaced after 16 years because it needed reproofing, all the seams redoing and a new zip. All my coats last that long so overall I’m quids in!

I see people wearing them to walk up. snowdon. Im really puzzled

But I agree no matter how cold it is I always get too warm😖

I've got a long NorthFace coat as I needed a warm coat for playground duty - and I needed a long one to keep my legs warm too! It can get bitterly cold for those 20 minutes or so stood in a playground in the rain, wind and sleet. It wasn't cheap but I did manage to get it in a sale.

For going out I have a wool Ted Baker coat.

For the summer I have a light weight Seasalt waterproof jacket.

Lots of people have bought thick outdoorsy coats in the last year or so. Last winter when we could only have a coffee with a friend on a park bench you needed what DH calls a ‘football manager’s coat’ - long enough to cover your bum when sitting on a damp bench and padded enough to keep you warm.

Some people feel the cold more than others, even when walking.

[quote lmnoh]@StEval That's an amazing find !!! That would have gone into a glass cabinet in my charity shop 🤩[/quote]
I also got a Jack Wolfskin rain coat the same day for £15
New with tags.
Theres a gem of a charity shop near me.

Not those brands, but yes, I have a shooting coat and a ski jacket. I can spend a whole day out in the snow in either and not get cold.

I have other clothes for when it isn't so cold or I'm only outside for the walk from train to office.

Buy cheap, you buy twice is my motto. Also, IME you actually need quite a lot of coats to ensure you're always appropriately dressed - so not too warm/cold. Too scruffy/smart. Too thin/heavy. Etc

I've never seen a big puffy coat on a serious walker. Late dh and I used to wear a waterproof thin coat and layer up underneath or a soft shell again withdecent base layers

Personally i get too hot in a big thick coat,I find cheap jackets are the worst because they're not breathable

If I'm standing around watching the kids play football the warmer and thicker the coat the better

I think if you feel the cold you really need a more expensive coat. My most spendy coat is the warmest and it’s a godsend in winter, really changed how comfortable I feel when out and about

My DH likes a coat and rightly states in the UK it’s all people see us in for many months of the year. I currently walk in a coat inherited from my late DM. She was quite frugal so it’s no recognisable brand. Also I’m menopausal so a lot of the time I could walk about in a bikini top and feel fine. I love wearing her coat, it feels like she is giving me a little hug everytime I put it on.

@blackheartsgirl people wear super thick coats on snowdon. Thats my point, why do people wear super thick ones on walks, is it a brand think? They are branded.

I wear good coats because I live somewhere actually cold but I buy second hand so I don't spend much. I have a woollen overcoat, no idea how much it was originally so might have been expensive, might not, which is good for walking, especially as its long (almost down to my knees) so keeps my bum and thighs nice and warm too, and if I start getting too warm I open it up and let the cold air cool me back down. And an Icepeak ski jacket that would be somewhere around 100-150e new, for doing anything more active outside like playing in the snow with the kids.

Didrikson but it’s about 7 years old now so cost per wear must be pennies.

[quote MrsDThomas]@blackheartsgirl people wear super thick coats on snowdon. Thats my point, why do people wear super thick ones on walks, is it a brand think? They are branded.[/quote]
Because they feel the cold more than you...

Surely it's not that difficult a concept?

Now I don't understand what you mean by a super thick puffy coat. Theres nothing exceptional about going walking with a light padded jacket like this whether it's a outdoors brand or from Asda, they are very common. Maybe Snowdon gets a lot of visitors who aren't frequent walkers and use whatever warm coat they have.

I do have an expensive winter coat these days because I am always cold and the cheaper coats I’ve had in the past just don’t do the job anymore. I don’t have a big huge puffy coat though.

I've got an extensive range of coats.
Today, I've used a thin down coat that I could squish into its own hood and pack away comfortably while running a race. Later it was snowing and we went out in the car which didn't get much chance to warm up so I used my super-thick massive coat that's ideal for things like the school run. Then I swapped to an older, fairly warm, waterproof coat for a walk. That was the one I upgraded on last year to survive prolonged school pick-ups/ drop-offs.

I'm not particularly motivated by brand. I've gone over £100 on a decade+ old North Face which has had extensive use. Decathlon is one of my main go-tos. I also have a wool coat about 18yo that's dormant at present but a good, smart classic. Last year I also upgraded to a longer waterproof after continually drenched thighs in 2019. Too bulky for hiking so the older, short waterproof is still used.

For hiking, I'd layer my North Face or down coat and combine with a waterproof as it's more flexible and space efficient than a big coat. Many of the big pouffy outdoors coats are down and have a great ratio of warmth to weight and bulk. Uphill is hot work, but stopping for breaks and downhill can be cold going. I was very glad of the North Face coat the night I was trapped in a shelter in a poorly forecast storm on a hillside!

@Dogmum40

No, my Canada Goose doesn’t have fur! It’s a parka! Working in farming I obviously use my cheaper coats for work but I do love both my Rab and Canada Goose for events that don’t involve cow muck or mud….

Some of the parkas have the fur. The ones with the fur trim on the hood, that’s real coyote fur. Not all of the designs have it though.

Mine is a really heavy duvet. It was expensive as hell at over 800 euroes but worth it (hence username).