Outdoor Research

Stormcraft Down Parka - Women's

Wanted to love it

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

Medium

Height:

5' 3"

Weight:

140

Soft and flexible coat with room for layers. I love it except the neck and hood. The arms were very long but I could roll them up. If this had a detachable hood it would fit much better. I will be returning mine due to the discomfort of the large hood that I will likely not use unless it's snowing heavily.

Incredibly warm

Incredibly warm and gortex outter helps keep in the heat. I’m using it to stay warm during low intensity activities like walking, but would be useful for hiking etc as well

Love it!

Perfect length, beautiful colour, lots of pockets and extremely warm!

Survived Greenland Winter

I purchased this in black for an extended trip to Greenland. For sizing reference I purchased an XL to accommodate 44in hips but fit a L everywhere else (with sweater underneath). It did well in the winter and I appreciated that it wasn’t bulky like most parkas. There are plenty of lined pockets which was convenient. The lined hood felt restricting when it wasn’t in use but I appreciated its close fitting structure once I used it. I had a liner jacket ready, thinking it might be necessary but nope! This parka does it all and stay dry and warm no matter the activity. Mine was used primarily in snow while hiking/walking and extended time outdoors in rough arctic winters. No better test than that! If fashion matters to you, it was as streamlined as an arctic parka can get. There is a toggle to make the waist cinch if that’s your thing. All in all a great parka I’d highly recommend.

THE DREAM COAT for rainy Northeast

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

S

Height:

5' 4"

Weight:

112

I've been hunting for a winter coat for months. This coat has finally hit all my criteria! Lots of pockets, a tough and sturdy shell, roomy enough to wear with a sweater, cuffs, and a lovely turtle-green color. This coat is perfect for me. I'm in a rainy Northeast town and this coat is both warm and waterproof.

Just what I wanted but for one detail

I bought this jacket specifically for walking the Oregon coast in wet weather. It is precisely what I needed. As I get colder than most, I have to add an additional down sweater layer inside, for which this jacket is designed, but otherwise it's perfect. I walked the wet redwoods, and on many beaches, and it did exactly the job I wanted. It can be bulky for some; I would not take this on adventure travel as it's way too big and bulky. But for local use with the rain and wind, terrific. Plan for it to be roomy for layers. Love the many pockets.

Arctic Adventures Approved

I used this parka when traveling to northern Norway in January. Average temps were around 20F/-6C but lots of wind in some locations. I generally run cold so I wanted to make sure I had something warm and versatile enough for the various tours and time I would spend outside. This parka nailed everything I was looking for! Amazing windproof tech. Plenty of pockets and large enough to fit what I needed (no need for a purse as I was roaming around town). Large inside pockets for my mittens or gloves. Love the inside breast pocket for my phone, I realized keeping my phone there was perfect so it would stay warm with my body heat. This parka seriously made my trip so much more enjoyable knowing I was warm enough for anything thrown at me. Paired with OR merino wool base layers was a huge plus.

Warm, waterproof, windproof

Bought this for the fridge Alaskan winter. Meets all expectations and then some!

Warm and waterproof

This coat is warm enough for most days in Northwestern Ontario, but since I sized up, I could fit a lot of layers under it to be comfy in any temperature. Good against wet snow. The only thing I wish was different was the hood is quite large and there's no drawstring, so you can't see much when it's up and I don't think it would handle a strong wind well (but in that case a hat would do the trick)