Favorite Anorak?

[Heavy Duty]

What's your favorite anorak?

[Ray1984]

Lure of the north! as far as canvas goes, its well made an should last me forever.

I did just order a boreal mountain wool rough so I should likely hold my opinion until it gets here.

[snapper]

The one I can afford...

Seriously, I was fortunate to find one from a guy who is no longer around. It's not fancy (I sewed some woven Nordic oriented tape on it to give it some color) but I'm OK with it. If you put it against one of the "name" anoraks you'd be able to see the differences but so far it's done well by me so I'll go with it until it gives out; which I don't think will happen anytime soon.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

PS - If I'm going out for a short outing I still pull out my old 65/35 poly/cotton anorak from LL Bean. I've had it for over 30 years and other than the elastic in the cuffs being shot, the rest of the garment is still going strong.

[Ray1984]

The one I can afford...

Seriously, I was fortunate to find one from a guy who is no longer around. It's not fancy (I sewed some woven Nordic oriented tape on it to give it some color) but I'm OK with it. If you put it against one of the "name" anoraks you'd be able to see the differences but so far it's done well by me so I'll go with it until it gives out; which I don't think will happen anytime soon.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

PS - If I'm going out for a short outing I still pull out my old 65/35 poly/cotton anorak from LL Bean. I've had it for over 30 years and other than the elastic in the cuffs being shot, the rest of the garment is still going strong.

Snapper the best gear is always the one you have, and use. If what you have is doing the job dont worry about it

[Haggis]

Empire Canvas, Anarak/Parka, coming and going,,,

Beaver mitts and coyote ruff from my traplines,,, the finger woven sash I did myself,,, the snowshoes are Faber, of a 18”x39” style they no longer make,,, the Strømeng Leuku is a 9” version,,, and the pack du jour is an LL Bean Continental Rucksack. Photos by GoPro ...

[snapper]

I've mentioned this in another forum but everything I see Haggis in those photos he posted all I can think of is he and I are twin sons from different mothers. I just wish we still received in NYS the level of snowfall he seems to get in his neck of the woods.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

[Lonelake]

Empire wool and Canvas. i have both the Snowshoe Hare, and the Permafrost Parka. 2 different over jackets, for 2 different types of weather. Construction is top notch, and the customer service is excellent. Cottage business, and local to Minnesota.

LL

[Model94]

No kidding about the permafrost. I bought one and never had the opportunity to really use it. Unless you are in some serious cold, the lighter anorak will get more use. I sold it and got a snowshoe instead and use it quite a bit now.

[brulu]

It's not an anorak but I picked up a used Fjallraven Greenland jacket on eBay. I love it for a winter camping outer layer - lots of pockets, a hood, breathable fabric, and a two-way zipper for ventilation. I think I prefer a full zipper to an anorak, but I was also considering a Norrona Svalbard cotton anorak.

[Bkrgi]

Lure of the North for me ...best part is they supply the materials/how do and I add my sweat equity to make it. Something about that for me makes it appealing.

[Justin P.]

Mine are Empire and I'd highly recommend them.
But there are other great options too.
I'm damn happy to own some stuff from Empire, but I made it a lot of years wearing anything and everything.
When I'm moving or working I can stay warm wearing any old pile of clothes, even at -25F, it's when I stop that I appreciate the good stuff.

[Moondog55]

I like Snappers answer.
As I don't currently have one they all look good to me but if I ever get around to sewing mine then naturally that one will be my favourite, in the meanwhile it's the US army surplus M-65 Fishtail parka with polyester liner option with the hood sewn on.
On paper the Arctic from Empire Canvas ticks a lot of boxes as does the Snowshoe Hare for its simplicity, but all of those are overkill and unsuitable for Australias soggy winters.

[Minnesotian]

I got a Swedish Army snow anorak off Etsy and had a local sewer do some modifications to it, like a velcro on coyote ruff, adjustable cuffs, and some decorative ribbon. It is super comfy, keeps the wind off me, and now that I have had experience with a real fur ruff around the face, I will never go back to anything else.

[Southcove]

Bioguide from WT turned me on to the Swedish army snow coats and I have used and beat the life out of two of those. I also was lucky enough to purchase two ECW garments, one an anorak and one a full zip... I coveted them for a few years and it was a reward for a life event in both instances... wonderful gear. But I am always a bit afraid of trashing them... A Boreal wool anorak suits me on insulation. (along with a closet of fleece and primaloft etc zip jackets that get a lot of 3 season usage day in day out)

[Piolet]

Haggis,
(Aren't you ashamed of eating that nasty stuff? I put it right up there with scrapple and Lao Lop!)
Putting that aside, I love most things Scottish.
Question: Your post with the photo says you have an Empire Wool and Canvas Anorak. From looking closely at the picture, I'm guessing that what you're wearing is actually the Empire Permafrost Parka. If that's the case, have you compared it to their anorak (different thicknesses of canvas)? I'm leaning towards getting their parka, but they're making it difficult. They claim to be "Craftsman" but then caveat their website with disclaimers about not presently selling anything but their stock items, when they're in stock. It seems they've turned into a "merchandiser" vice a "craftsman" (Like so many others that found more profit in stopping one-off work and only selling mass-produced gear in "take-it-or-leave-it" configurations.) Oh well!

[SD_Motak]

If that's the case, have you compared it to their anorak (different thicknesses of canvas)?

The Arctic Anorak and the Snowshoe Hare Pullover are both made from 6 oz cotton canvas, but the Permafrost Parka is made from 10.10 army duck. I bought an Arctic Anorak in Feb. '20 and couldn't be more pleased. I had to check EWC's facebook site 2-3 times a day for about 3 months before an anorak in my size became available. This year, it looks like any prospective buyer's ordering campaign needs to be about same. I don't get the sense that cutting 2-3 garments at a time is anything like mass production. It's just a slightly different strategy given material shortages, different social patterns and home-life cycles. Patience and a bit of luck are required.