what are some good brands for winter attire? also what should i look for in these items? im gonna need some gloves, scarf, boots, floppy eared hat,and a winter coat for this winter.
all it has to do is be waterproof and keep me warm.
I just bought a softshell jacket from The North Face and I'm very impressed. At work I have to park about an eighth of a mile from the nearest door and the wind seems to always be blowing.
I have some Seirus stuff that I really like. The gloves are waterproof and very warm for as thin as they are. You can find them at Gander Mountain or Dick's. They are great for shooting because they are very thin, flexible, and have leather (pleather?) fingertips on them to help your grip.
Columbia. Any jacket with a removable insulated liner or insulated jacket so you can just wear the shell most of the time and add the liner for colder weather. You can wear the liner by itself as well
I've found some good luck at Army/Navy surplus stores. Name brands vary, but there are good quality items (in some cases) for reasonable prices. I had a camp coat that was very warm (it had a zip in liner) and large enough to fit me (I'm a big dude). Cost me $50.
Again, you really need to check the quality out before you buy, but if you shop around and pay attention, there's some good stuff to be had.
Wintersilks boxer briefs Wintersilks v-neck tee Wintersilks sock liners REI merino wool liner socks Omni-wool washable merino smart socks Carhartt heavy weight wool boot sock Wintersilks V-neck insulated long john shirt Wintersilks insulated long john pants Eddie Bauer merino wool zip neck long john shirt Eddie Bauer merino wool long john bottom Cabela's Dry-Plus legacy wool pants (gray or loden) Cabela's legacy wool shirt (gray or loden) Bandanas tan money belt all leather suspenders Orvis Oiled tall leather shearling boots Cabela's Elk moccasins w/shearling lining Henschel Weekend Walker hat Hat Flap ear warmers for hats Wintersilks balaclava Justin Charles merino wool midweight balaclava fur hat world sheepskin/leather fur bomber hat Wintersilks scarf. wool neck scarf Quartermastershop #1603civilian great coat Wintersilks glove liners Wintersilks mitten liners Filson merino wool gloves Filson original wool lined goatskin gloves Filson pile lined leather mittens
Stay away from cotton. Timberland boots, and all other leather boots can only be made to resist water, they themselves are not waterproof. If you want waterproof get a pair of oversized pull up rubber boots. No fun to hike in, but they are waterproof until you jab a hole in them. I use copious amounts of Sno-Seal on my leather boots in the winter. It's a bees wax coating that you rub into the boot, and then put the boot in the oven for a few minutes to bake the stuff in. It doesn't leak and is usually good for the whole winter/spring.
Best winter attire:
Anything I find a Goodwill or Salvation Army that has wool or down or Thinsulate and that fits me. Brand name is immaterial. The savings go toward more primers, powder, silver and Grabill canned meats.
If you need winter attire, why not go for ECWCS? A level 3 fleece and a level 5 soft shell combined should keep you plenty warm. Or go straight for the level 7 parka.
For me name brand is not as important. Don't get me wrong some of the name brands out there are well worth their higher price tags, but you can also find cheaper alternatives as well if you look around.
The key for me in the cold weather is dressing in layers.
i personally love carhart and under armor, but however underarmor is pricey and i have found that redhead(sold by basspro shops) is a very acceptable alternate and i own a lot of their coldweather base layers for winter activities such as ice fishing and hunting and camping etc.,
Any boot with a GoreTex liner will be relatively waterproof, that is, they will wick moisture away from your feet (wool or synthetic socks help) and they will aid in drying the boots when they get wet. With the advent of breathable waterproof linings in boots, breathable synthetics, such as cordura are easier to maintain and just about as durable as leather. When you look for boots, you should probably try them on with ALL the layers you intend to wear; you don't want to constrict your feet in your boots. Of course, if you get your boots too loose, they'll cause blisters if you have to walk any distance.