want to be warm this winter and many more?

I don't have any of your sleeping bags but I do have the Antarctic Parka and Pack Boots with the Sunwalker liner. I tested the Parka one night a couple years ago. The temp was around 0F and I decided to go for a 4 mile walk with it totally zipped up with the hood cinched down. I already knew it was going to be way too warm and was really sweating. At the 3 mile mark I stopped walking and just hung out for 30 minutes waiting to feel cold. I never did feel cold and the only thing that happened was the outer shell had a layer of frost on it. I was pretty impressed by that. For me the Parka is a dedicated deep cold double digits below zero garment. With the Pack Boots with the Sunwalker liner it pretty much doesn't matter if you sweat in them. My feet have always been warm no matter if I'm hiking or stationary. Very happy with these products!”

The above comment was posted this weekend on my UTUBE video channel. Although there is no name I am grateful for this person’s account of wearing my Antarctic parka, pack boots and Sunwalkers.

What really caught my attention was his recognition of the frost that formed on the exterior of the garment. A good deal of the sweat was driven through the insulation while still in a vapor state and it condensed on the outside of the parka where it turned to frost. This action was apparent to me when I was lost in 1995 and as you can see the frost on the outside of my parka in the picture of me on horseback. The reality of his comfort after he stopped walking was the fact that his sweat was not against his skin so long term he would have been comfortable, and I know that because that is what I experienced; staying warm for hours , actually for three days.

As I have said many times it is our own moisture that becomes out enemy in cold climatic conditions and our clothing can become our best friend if it does not inhibit our moisture from getting away from us, therefore all of our clothing must be lose fitting to allow for the vapor to move away from the body.

There is no other insulating material made other than continuous filament fiber (CFF) that has a silicone coating that is used to make garments and sleeping bags where this action takes place. I am very specific when I say the real key is use the CFF in a laminated construction method, specifically when the weights per square yard are 5 ounces or more. By having a uniform thickness of insulation means you are maximizing the insulations ability to trap the heat that your body is generating and because of this uniformity heat loss is minimized.

When I view what other companies are offering these days the garments are quilted with small quilt patterns maximizing the number of cold spots, every stitch is a cold spot and since they have small quilt patterns that dictate the amount of fiberfill used it must be thin. If you use too much fiberfill you will pack it in so tight as to cause the quilted fabric to become boardie. Boardie materials do not drape very well and since these companies are motivated by fashion making an insulated garment is not really part of their thinking. These companies stress slim fitting garments and I know this because all I ever see are slim fitting garments on their web sites. An example of this philosophy I see daily when I get the Patagonia emails. But they are not alone; ALL of their competition is doing exactly the same thing with respect to fashion and fit.

It is literally impossible to wear one of these garments and have the same experience as the fellow who wrote to me. To begin with they would never have made one mile let alone 3 miles before giving up due to the fact that they are cold.

If we are to have a cold winter as is being predicted there will be numerous cold soles out there. Then they can return the garments to rei or ll bean for a store credit and then these stores can resell the used garments probably telling the prospective new buyer how good they are.

We are getting more parka orders that we have ever received for which I am thankful so I know many will be comfortable this winter.