Bushwalk Australia

Off to sunny Scandinavia in September, looking for that classic all round jacket to wear.

Wont be doing much in the way of hiking, just something to wear on any/all occasions while being a tourist.

Wind and waterproof[ish], some insulation, a few pockets on the front, waist belt, hooded, goretex/event?

My googling seems to come up with a lot of shapeless/beltless/pocketless jackets, current fashion I guess.

Happy to pay a bit as it will be expected to get a lot of use over the coming years.

Thanks in advance

If you've won Tattslotto recently then Arc'Teryx is an option:
https://arcteryx.com/home.aspx?country=ca&language=en

Alternatively I've found this site to be good for reviews:
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/c ... ain-jacket

I'd be buying a S/H ski parka when I arrive, that way you look less like a tourist but I would take a decent poncho too, best for coping with steady rain in that scenario

Davidf61 wrote:Wind and waterproof[ish], some insulation, a few pockets on the front, waist belt, hooded, goretex/event?

This one requirement will just about eliminate any of the current generation outdoors jackets unless you go to 'fashion stores' or ski stores for options. Or pair up with a belt of your choosing. Many jackets still have internal elastic that synch around the waist but not an external belt.

It's actually harder than it looks to find this jacket, having some ideas around a motorcycle/sailing version, or a military surplus option [ if I can find it minus "camo" ]


I have a old school Belstaff jacket which ticks all the boxes, except obviously wax cotton and the weight, that's the sort of item/style I'm looking for

Macpac Sabre softshell is windproof and water resistant, not insulated but very warm. I wore the hoodless version for years.

https://www.macpac.com.au/sabre-softshe ... -mens.html

Just got an email about this:
https://www.macpac.com.au/1958-fairydown-parka-mens.html

Perhaps that may be close?
It has an internal waist cord adjustment..... But not cheap, even on sale

https://www.macpac.com.au/1958-fairydow ... -mens.html
Oh How the Mighty have fallen
Anybody wearing that in Antarctica would freeze to death rather quickly so it's only for show
I got the same email

But OP doesn't want to wear it in Antarctica. It meets the requirements broadly, particularly for urban and outdoor use.

Moondog55 wrote:https://www.macpac.com.au/1958-fairydown-parka-mens.html
Oh How the Mighty have fallen
Anybody wearing that in Antarctica would freeze to death rather quickly so it's only for show

The number of people going to Antarctica who need their own gear is fairly small.

But .. "cotton and Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment ... repels light rain" ... ummm no thanks.
Light rain is what may be predicted.. but I'll get heavy rain. I suppose I should collect it and sell it to those atomic type places.

May well suit the OP .. wanted waterproof(ish) ..

Last time I was in Europe jeans and down jackets were the norm in cool to cold weather for both locals and tourists. Locals added a scarf.
I would wear that and add a lightweight rain jacket (OR Helium or similar) if you are going to be out in the rain. Get a jacket with an inner chest pocket for your passport, that’s all you should need. The down jacket also compresses to a small volume in a daypack or case, depending on how light you intend to pack. I am in Peru at the moment with a 40l pack for 3 weeks overseas. I use a down jacket for cold mornings and nights and have an ultra minimalist soft shell (OR Ferrosi) for daywear when it warms up. Merino polo or shirt underneath and you’re set for most conditions.

You could alternatively buy a sharp wool jacket whenYou arrive. Youre then guaranteed to be 1 seAson ahead of Australian trends and this also fulfils most of your requirements - including belt and pockets, as a bonus you will look snappy and not touristy.
Personally, I couldn’t imagine anything worse than travelling with a belstaff jacket.

gayet wrote:But OP doesn't want to wear it in Antarctica. It meets the requirements broadly, particularly for urban and outdoor use.

I know this, I was referring to the use of past glories to sell second quality clothing, the amount of down in that parka would be hardly enough to resist the crushing force exerted by the heavy shell fabric. But also they neglect to tell us which grade of Ventile is being used, there are 4 normal grades. Even so I would have considered it for Alaska if it came in 3XL

http://www.dririder.com.au/all-products ... end-jacket
I looked but the Dririder is the closest I found and like the old Belstaff it's heavy