Looking at cold weather jackets for your adventures? If you’re a winter Overlander and you find yourself in the mountains or the desert, you’re going to need a good jacket for daytime activity or simply sitting round the camp at night. Here’s six top brands with specs that range from high loft down insulation to tackle extreme cold, to light weight and water resistant materials, to tackle day use on the trail. All the jackets were tested in dry and cold winter conditions, with temps between 42F to 25F. The tester is 5’10” and 190 lbs and the jackets ranged from L to XL.
STIO
If you want to stand out in a crowd and also keep warm on a cold winters day, this jacket is for you. The jacket tested was a large and had a relaxed fit, easily accommodating a bulky hooded fleece underneath. Well made and comfortable to wear, with just the right level of technical features to keep you comfortable on the trail or around town.
Buy Here: Skillet Stretch Down Hooded Jacket– $399
- Stretch nylon with engineered down channels
- 650-fill, 90/10 grey goose, RDS certified down
- Regular Fit
- Weight: 19 oz.
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Kuhl
With its subtle black camo panels, that are cool (no pun intended), but don’t scream ‘Look at me’, this is definitely a statement piece. Built with high loft insulation on the body and tailored to fit your body contours, it was very comfortable to wear on the trail. This technical jacket became my go to for fast hiking on cold days, or jumping out of the rig to capture the shot. The jacket tested was a large and has a snug athletic fit.
Buy Here: Spyfire Down Jacket – $249
- Large baffles at body front and back for core warmth
- Smaller baffles at side body and sleeves for less bulk
- Self overlay on front body and sleeves for extra protection from the elements
- Water-resistant finish, softshell overlay on the yoke, collar stand, and zipper garages for durability
- Knit underarm gussets for breathability and stretch
- YKK Reverse coil zippers; 2 hand pockets, 2 chest pockets, and 1 left sleeve pocket
- 1 internal mesh pocket
- Reflective trims for added visibility
- Elastic binding around cuff openings
- Bottom hem cord adjustment for a custom fit
- Lightweight down insulated jacket for versatile low-bulk warmth
- Thermal body mapping design
- 800-fill RDS Certified Goose Down. Certified to be non-force-fed/non-live-plucked
- Lightweight and resistant 20-denier body fabric with a water-resistant finish
- MIKROTEX: Water and oil-resistant finish
- TUFFLEX: Water and oil-resistant finish on softshell
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Jack Wolfskin
With its high loft design, as soon as you put this puffy jacket on, it just feels warm and cozy. It became the jacket I reached for when the temps really started to drop. This is a technical jacket, made to be windproof, waterproof and designed for cold weather. A small feature I aesthetically did’t like, was the peaked hood, but it’s not a deal breaker. The jacket tested was an XL, which felt the same size as the other L jackets tested.
Buy Here: Nebelhorn Down Hoody $245
- Weight 720g (M)
- Shell consists of Robust windproof Pertex Quantum (Recycled Polyamide)
- Insulated with RDS High Power Down.
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Sitka
For the bow hunters out there, you’ll know Sitka as a brand that makes well made and robust gear. The unassuming Kelvin Lite Down Jacket is relatively light weight and feels designed for packability and active use. That said, it performed well hiking and jumping in and out of the rig on the trail. The jacket tested was a Large, but it felt like I needed to size up to an XL.
Buy Here: Kelvin Lite Down Jacket $359
- Weight: 17 oz. // Size: L
- Down Weight: 110 grams
- Insulation: 900 fill PrimaLoft® Gold Down Blend.
- Arms & Lower Back Insulation: 60 grams of PrimaLoft® Gold Active Synthetic.
- Two way stretch nylon face.
- Two zippered hand pockets.
- Zippered chest pocket.
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Norrona
A waterproof and breathable, versatile jacket that balances warmth, protection and durability. The down insulation concentrated on the body kept me warm while active, without overheating, while the lower loft synthetic fill on the arms, allowed for ease of movement. The athletic design is both flattering and ideal for activity, being just roomy enough to comfortably allow for layering if needed.
Buy Here: Falketind Down Jacket $349
- Weight 444 gr.
- Style no: 1833-20
- Chest pocket with zipper closure
- Elastic closure around wrists
- Elastic tightening in the bottom of the jacket
- Hand-warming pockets
- Reinforced shoulders
- Reinforced elbows
- Reflective safety logo
- Soft brushed chin protection
- Storm hood fitted for beanie
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Beyond Clothing
This is an active use jacket with plenty of room for layering. Technical features include, internal fleece for warmth and a water repellent shell to keep you dry. This is a shoulder season jacket, that is designed for the trail and chilly nights around camp. Unlike the other down puffy jackets, it is not designed for extreme cold. It’s comfortable to wear and great looking and is equally at home on the trail or getting coffee in town. The jacket tested was an XL.
Buy Here: Stretch Alpha L5 Jacket – $149.99
- Water repellent and durable Tweave nylon softshell
- Thermal regulating Polartec Alpha Insulation
- Moisture wicking internal fleece
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Editors Note:
All the above technical cold weather jackets are well made, quality pieces of gear and yes, their price reflects that. If you’re looking for a great winter jacket, here are some definitely worth looking at. This isn’t however a technical review, as we didn’t climb Everest, snowboard an Alaskan peak or go on an expedition to the Arctic. What we did do, was what most overland adventurers do: Drive countless miles exploring off-road trails, hike in freezing, dry snowy conditions, stand around in the cold taking photos of beautiful places and sit around camp, sipping whiskey and telling exaggerated stories.
