We talked about boots in the last post, now let’s dive into parkas. I find my photography ability and creativity decreases as my body temperature goes down. Some photographers find they get their best images the more they suffer to take the shot, and there are some remarkable images out there of sufferfests (is this a word?). But creativity doesn’t equate to suffering for me, I’d rather dress as best as I can for the cold. I’ve spent years in the field working for NOLS teaching winter skiing, dog mushing and Denali mountaineering courses, temps regularly pushing -25F with no where warm to go (ie vehicle, lodge…). You learn how to stay warm, dress right and generate your own heat (movement and food). I love winter photography, and thankfully living in Alaska has plenty of it!
Your parka choice is the anchor of winter clothing, followed by bibs and extremity clothing (hats, sock, gloves…). Before we go further, decide just how cold you are planning to get. Getting the warmest winter parka may not be the right choice. Instead, a really warm parka rated for closer to 0F might be better. And you can add layers underneath if needed. You always have two choices of insulation, down or synthetic. Down is still the warmest, lightest insulation out there. Synthetics like PrimaLoft and Climashield aren’t as warm as down per se, but they can get wet and still hold their warm, and I love the durability of synthetics.
PARKAS. Let’s start with some great winter parkas that aren’t rated for the absolute coldest weather, but probably much more practical for many photographers. We use two mid weight parkas. First up is the Patagonia Fitzroy down parka. This medium weight down parka keeps Cree warm down to near zero degrees. It has a long cut so it covers below your waist line, and a fantastic warm hood. I like to use the Patagonia DAS (dead air space) synthetic parka for moderate weather. I am good to around 10 degrees in this coat (colder if I layer underneath). The coat uses PrimaLoft Gold with cross core technology…ie it gets to about as close to down properties in a synthetic as you can get. Better yet I can stand in freezing rain and wet conditions and the DAS parka still keeps me warm. Another great parka that is very warm is the Feathered Friends Volant parka. We used Feathered Friends for years as guides, their gear is top notch, and this parka is very warm.
What about the warmest parka you can get? There are lots of options here. If you search the internet you may find the Canada Goose Snow Mantra parka. Canada Goose became famous when their coats started showing up on Antarctica expeditions. These coats are cut long to keep you warm well below the waist, have tons of pockets and some great features like built in neck guard and fur ruff. I’ve only tried these coats in mild conditions, so I can’t speak to how warm they are in subzero temps. Canada Goose rates them to “-22F and below”. Downside is they are heavy and very expensive ($1900!), and I don’t think they are the “warmest parka in the world” based on the amount of down fill they have. Patagonia, Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, Mountain Hardware, North Face and RAB all make burley down winter parkas for subzero temps. The Feather Friends Rock and Ice Down Parka is going to keep you warm at -30F, and is one of the warmest parkas out there. I have a friend in Alaska who uses his Feather Friends parka in temps to -50F in arctic Alaska (burrrrr!). I often use their Frontpoint Down Pants in the coldest weather I experience.
Cree and I use a local Alaska company for our coldest weather gear, and that is Apocalypse Design. What sets this company apart is who they are and the quality of their gear. Apocalypse Design is based in Fairbanks Alaska, one of the coldest places you can live without being at some remote arctic research station. They are a small company, and design and sew everything they make at their building in Fairbanks, AK. They outfit polar explorers, Antarctica expeditions, dog sled mushers and countless folks living off the grid in very, very cold places. Needless to say they know how to make cold weather gear, and live in a city where -40F happens each winter. We use two parkas by Apocalypse Design.
Cree loves the Alpine Parka seen above (while getting mobbed by sled dog puppies in subzero temps). This parka uses a continuous synthetic fabric called ClimaShield, similar to PrimaLoft. This parka has a waist length cut with a longer back section so your rear end is insulated if you sit in the snow. The shell is super strong and reinforced at key areas. And all Apocalypse parkas come with an option for a ruff (more on that in a little bit).
My ultimate cold weather parka is the Apocalypse Expedition Parka. This parka is cut long for below the waist protection, and uses two thick layers of ClimaShield and a layer of PrimaLoft for insulation. The photo above was last week at -30F in interior Alaska. I was wearing a light thermal layer underneath, and I was hot in this parka. Using the Expedition Parka is like wearing a sleeping bag. Apocalypse rates this parka down to -60F, and I believe it. This parka is heavier than a comparable down parka since it uses synthetic insulation, but these coats are meant to last. Lots of pockets inside and out, and reinforced points on the shell. And fur ruffs are available for any parka. If you are going to buy an Apocalypse Design parka give them a call on the phone to discuss sizes and colors. They often are sold out but will make parkas to order, and you might have to wait awhile to get your coat. This coat may be more than most need, but I live in this jacket in the winter photographing aurora.
RUFFS. Notice how these Apocalypse Design coats have big fur ruffs? Ruffs are not a fashion statement, they provide an important warming element to a coat. Adding a large functional ruff creates dead air space in front of your face, and can also block the wind. Some experiments have found that ruffs can warm your face 10-15 degrees than the current temp. Just watch every Iditarod dog musher hit the trail, they all have large parkas with huge ruffs. At -30F my nose tends to freeze if I don’t cover it with a neck warmer, but I couldn’t believe the added warm my ruff provided. Faux fur isn’t as good as real fur but it also works.
WINTER SHELL. One other coat needs mentioning in a winter parka review, and that is the Wintergreen Northern Wear Expedition Shell Anorak. These are amazing breathable nylon shells that can go over a midweight parka to create a great winter coat system. Cree often uses her Patagonia Fitzroy parka under her Wintergreen Anorak. We will use these with lighter layers like the Wintergreen expedition fleece for milder conditions. These shells also have a great fur ruff. Wintergreen has their roots with polar explorers and dog mushers, their layering system is used by many here in Alaska. And besides that I have never worn a coat that I get so many comments on walking down the street!
There is our list for warm winter parkas. I’m sure there are many others out there as well, but this is what we wear in subzero temps in Alaska. Find something that works well for you, so when the temps drop well below zero you can enjoy the photography rather than suffer through the coldfest!