What's a good fleece/shell combo?

[stultus]

I'm headed to Alaska for a couple weeks (and otherwise live in a rainy, cold city -- Boston) so I need something warm and wind/waterproof. I think I'm looking for a North Face/REI/LLBean sort of fleece zip-in to a jacket. I don't know anything about these, and vfigured I should get opinions.

What do you own? How do you like it?

 

[ShotgunSteven]

I live in Alaska, and it's about eighty degrees here right now. What part are you bound for?

 

[isekii]

it's summer time, so Alaska should be pretty warm. Not too hot but warm.

I know when I visited Alaska during the summer it was in the 70's

 

[stultus]

Cruise in the usual area (SE Alaska) + Denali. May do the whole "walk on iceberg" thing. Plus, if the boat is doing 20 knots, it's going to make things more chilly. People from cruise forums talk about how unprepared they see people are.

But I'm not just spending $200 for 2 weeks, I'm also going to be using is in Boston, where rainy, windy, and sub-50 degree weather is all too common.

 

[SinNisTeR]

i like Columbia jackets. they are nice. or North Face.

 

[stultus]

Originally posted by: SinNisTeR
i like Columbia jackets. they are nice. or North Face.

Yeah, but do you have any more specific models or information? I cna narrow it down to the big manufacturers, but was looking for actual use experience instead of just buying from the web page description.

 

[SinNisTeR]

i have this one. i lived in toronto for two years, and thus, two winters. this model served me very very well. -40 degree weather and never felt cold.

Cougar Flats Jacket? Style: RM2411

 

[Atomicus]

my North Face XCR Gortex Parka is pretty good, as if any of their 2-layer XCR Goretex series

 

[gistech1978]

i have a columbia jacket that is a few years old, waterproof outer shell and fleece inside, the fleece doesnt come out. that thing is nice.

i think i paid about 55-60 for it IIRC

 

[vexingv]

if you're thinking about north face stuff...look also at EMS products too. i think theyre comparable and offer better support since they have more retail locations. all gore-tex products are waterproof. the xcr as opposed to regular goretex is supposedly more breathable. north face and ems have their own laminate too, hyvent and system 3. get a shell and you have a lot of options when it comes to lining: fleece, down, primaloft (synthetic fibers).

the ems summit parka and cascade are good jackets. the only problem with ems is that their stuff varies with the season so now might be a bit hard to find the selection that you want, but prices are also really great too.

 

[stultus]

Thanks for the advice... I'll start looking at EMS stuff.

I already have a knee-length $250 parka for the sub-zero temps, but that would take a whole bag to pack by itself. I'm looking for something intermediate, for not below freezing ... the word "parka" makes me thing it's overkill for what I'm looking for.