In need of a warm waterproof jacket - help!
 

Does anyone have a suggestion on where I can locate (or mail order) a lined waterproof jacket. I've read about lined Gortex jackets on here, but no one stated where they got them. I live in Southern California (where we rarely need such an item), but will be traveling back to Michigan for the holidays. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Good selection (with temperature ratings) at www.llbean.com and www.landsend.com. Highly recommend down fill.

I like the removable fleece liners - vest or with sleeves - because the liner can be worn on its own. Of the two, I prefer the vest because it's not as bulky. Maybe you could buy the Gortex jacket in Michigan. If I'm paying that much for a jacket, I want to try it on.

Hi Katie: <BR>Try LL BEAN or MAGELLAN both are good sources of waterprook jcakets. Good Luck!

REI is a good place to look--I believe there is one in San Diego if thats convenient for you. LL Bean is another great resource.

Try Landsend too. www.landsend.com <BR>

My favorite source for that kind of thing is Campmor. www.campmor.com

Another one to try is www.cabelas.com. <BR>I've had a lot of success with their products and they'll probably send a catalog upon request.

Just for your info...we ordered Lands End lightweight Gortex rain jackets recently, and on both jackets that we ordered, the zippers totally broke within one month, and we ended up returning them. This is not to say that all of their jackets are poorly made, and certainly their excellent return policy made returning them no problem, but it was a little disappointing all the same.

Thanks for all the great advice - I knew that my fellow fodorites would be able to steer me in the right direction. And thanks for the tip on LL Bean jackets. While their return policy was good, I don't want to risk having a broken jacket on vacation.

I have used L L Bean products for years and have found them generally satisfactory. The one GoreTex jacket I had that developed a leak was replaced with no questions asked. I simply got a new model. <BR> <BR>Bean has a fairly wide line of parkas and whatnot. My own outfit does not have a zip-in polarfleece liner. The fit of the jacket is large enough that I pull it on over a thick Polarfleece pullover that I can wear independently. <BR>In cold weather, or in rain/sleet I wear a cap under the hood. The bill of the cap keeps the rain out of my eyes, but it is covered by the hood. <BR>I am not sure if my setup would work in Michigan, however. It gets mighty cold up there. Don't forget the lower half of your body, however. A thick jacket worn with flimsy pants does little good. <BR>Multiple layers over the torso and one, thin layer over the legs makes no sense at all!

Bob Brown makes an excellent point. It's best if your jacket is at least long enough to cover your rear end. You may also want to consider silk underwear, also available at both L. L. Bean and Lands End. Take up little space in your suitcase, are lightweight, add the perfect "extra layer" but aren't sweltering when you go indoors. I always take mine when traveling in the winter. Much more comfortable being out and about. Note: I recently added the L. L. Bean "warn-up" parka (supplex shell, Polartec lining, Thinsulate insulation, waterproof) to my "collection". We live in New England. It's great for chilly and "crisp" weather. But, not sufficient when temps drop below 40 degrees. When it's colder than 40, I grab something with down.

If you don't use that sort of a jacket often, why don't you look at the outlet/clearance sites for a coat? rei-outlet.com and sierratradingpost.com offer all the BIG names at huge reductions.

Remember the keyword: Layering. It's much more important to layer (properly, ie, no cotton next to the skin as it traps moisture) than it is to have a great big heavy coat. I always wear Patagonia, even though it's somewhat pricey I know their stuff lasts. REI and LL BEAN are good too. For good deals check out Sierra Trading Post.