Cold Coats

As one would expect after retiring from Alaska, I have a number of warm coats; coats that are especially designed for real wet cold, the kind of cold that kills. It is a point of frustration; when we are moving, we have more than 10 boxes of coats. So when the weather here turned cold, I opened a few boxes, pulled out bits of gear, my double fleece gloves, warm wet or dry. My neon coat, made of reflective gortex. A few of our knit hats, some scarves and under coats.

Then yesterday amid the cold and all we are doing, the zipper on one of my coats started to stick. It is my neon coat, warm from neck to knees, cuffed to fasten around my gloves and long enough to wear with a skirt. Anyway we sprayed and washed the zipper, I even tightened the slide and upon visual inspection, no teeth were missing or bent, but it keeps sticking.

Well a coat that doesn’t close is not much use, so I moved onto another from the stash. A black and gray 3 in 1 Columbia. It works and it stops the cold and wind, but it lacks the double zipper. This morning before breakfast we had found a place that fixes coats. I hope we can get the zip fixed without replacing it.

After living in Alaska I look for very specific things in a coat. Wind proof, water shedding, cinches at waist, bottom, wrists. Pockets should zip closed, layered lining, reflective markings, hood, high but non scratching at the throat, mobility. Since the temp may go down as low as -27 this week during the day, I think I’ll keep my criterion since I am never likely to hide inside when the weather turns bad. What do you look for in a coat?