Alternative winter jacket to Canada Goose..thoughts?

[double-j]

I noticed on the the government auction website that they use Kelsey Trail Parkas for their northern equipment. I did some searching and noticed that this brand also has goose down parkas for extreme cold (-65c). Anyone seen or have one of these parkas? At 300 dollars they may be a viable alternative to the Canada Goose parkas to those cash strapped and up in the cold this winter.






I am thinking of getting one just to wear test an alternative.

jj

[looproll]

I like my North Face parka, but it's not much cheaper than Canada Goose

[slowstream]

I can't speak on the others but I can tell you for me and someone who hates being cold my Canada Goose was amazing and worth every dollar!

[scoops]

Canada Goose is hard to match but I managed to get a north face parka in the states for 45% off with some back to school discounts and first time buyer discounts at Macy's last year..
I tried a canada goose discount website before this but ended up with a child size chicken and dirt down jacket from China that took 2 months to arrive.. if it sounds to good to be true it is..Good thing my credit card company was nice to me and cancelled payment after 2 weeks of ordering and when packaged arrived i returned to sender

[flyinthebug]

I survived two winters in the arctic in a good Carhartt parka. 11 days straight of -51 in YEV and I was warm as toast. They are a bit cheaper than the Goose and worked well for me. That said, nothing will keep you much warmer than a good ol Canada Goose.

[Rebelle]

I think it's wise to invest in a good warm jacket. 2 years ago I bought a Canada Goose expedition parka and I love it. I am NEVER cold. We get often 100km/h winds during winter here and the hood with fur is amazing to keep you warm in that type of weather. I am looking forward to a third winter with it!

If you divide the purchase price by the number of winters it will keep you warm, it's not so expensive.

The only thing I dislike now is that everyone in town seems to have a Canada Goose now, and they went from being warm jackets for Canada's north to a fashion statement.

[skyhag]

www.outdoorsurvivalcanada.com I found these parkas cheaper but BETTER quality then the Canada Goose - double stitching at the pockets/stress points, neat pockets and add ons. Unfortunatley I had JUST purchased my Snow Goose the season prior to finding these jacket...but NEXT TIME....I'm getting an Outdoor Survival Parka!

[jet a1]

being the proud owner of a canada goose parka i can say that in almost 10 years of arctic winters and a few antarctic summers.... i have only needed it a handful of times. anytime you're working, they're way to warm! now standing around doing a tire/ski change in -40 and 20kts of wind...that's a different story. usually, carhartt pants, hoody and wind breaker are just fine for day to day work.
canada goose, hands down the best but i'm sure most parkas will do just fine.

[HuD 91gt]

Year 1 - On the ramp. Old Ski jacket layered up.
Year 2 - Sorel Parka! What a great coat, little cold in the wind.
Year 3-5 - Canada Goose Snow Mantra - Useless unless your standing around. Think about being warm, you'll start sweating. That hood was killer when you were stuck somewhere and not moving in 30kts of wind. Overall, useless.

[loopy]

I bought my Goose on ebay about 7 years back. Well worth it. Worked in Inuvik and I still live farther north than most Canadians in Edmonton. When thos ereally cold snap comes, the Goose comes out.

[Apollo]

So, besides jackets, what else would one recommend for the cold winters? What types of pants/boots/gloves do the experienced ones here use?

[DanWEC]

Im looking for a good winter jacket as well. I have about a dozen ski jackets fom different brands, and Several warm wool peacoats... But nothing good for actual outdoor casual work. I've heard about the OCS jackets, basically a Canada Goose clone, but in a good way at least. CDN made, high quality. They only seem to be a bit cheaper than Goose but I'd get one just so as I'm not following the flock so to speak.
You couldn't go 10 feet in TO without seeing someone wearing one for their 5 minute fashion statement walk from the starbucks to the streetcar.

[looproll]

I haven't had much luck with gloves. Mittens with a warm liner seem to be a good bet when it's really cold, but mittens suck for dexterity and the liners might be too thin when you're using your hands. Now I just use Costco lined leather gloves for quick stuff outside. I have Canada Goose gloves which are great too, but not durable.

I love my Icebreaker merino wool long underwear. I got the heaviest and it was pricey. It's the warmest underwear I've ever had. I got a good deal on Columbia heated boots and they were great for a while, but it seems like the heat doesn't work anymore. Still a warm boot though.