Which coat is warmer?

[dsmolken]

I had an old-school shearling coat which I never wore except when the temperatures got below -15 C. It was not shorn very closely and damn heavy. My uncle had it made by a Polish highlander in the 1970s, then got too big for it and passed it down to me. I got too big for it too, though.

 

[Spirit of 69]

Originally Posted by polar-lemon

Shearling, down parka, wool. Leather is extremely warm, especially shearling.

Excuse me, but what kind of answer is that? You've simply repeated all the options!

 

[Spirit of 69]

To answer the question, a down filled parka beats them all hands down!

 

[spatten]

It's -15 here today and I'm wearing my shearling coat. For me it's warmer than a quilted thick wool peacoat I used to wear. The parka I just won't consider.

 

[Night Owl]

Down filled shearling

 

[Tarmac]

parka-filled shearling-collar wool-blend

 

[TRINI]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

parka-filled shearling-collar wool-blend

I like the way you think.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by Spirit of 69

Excuse me, but what kind of answer is that? You've simply repeated all the options!

he was putting them in order of warmth according to his opinion.

 

[Tarmac]

kidding aside, there are really 3 factors to warmth: 1 amount of airspace between you and the cold, 2 how airtight that airspace is, and 3 whether the construction material is conductive to heat/cold. In general 3 is not a factor, most leathers and cloths are comparable. You are left with how much airspace you can make and how airtight/wind resistant the barriers are.

For example, a jacket literally made up of 2 layers of plastic bubble wrap would be extremely warm. Also, ask a homeless man, a garbage bag worn over newspaper is also warm.

anything of significant loft (sheeps wool, cashmere, polar fleece, etc) under a waterproof shell is also extremely warm

 

[HomerJ]

Along those lines Tarmac, an alloy double-walled vaccum jacket would be quite warm.

Personally I like shearling because it looks good. Down.. I have for mountaineering although the newer ones by Moncler and the like are not too Michelin Man.

 

[nordicstyle]

If there's any chance of wind, go for the parka. Nothing beats a good parka when it's 20 below (Celsius) and windy. After all, there is a reason the eskimos invented it!

 

[JORDAN MARC]

Bulky coats do not guarantee warmth in subzero weather. It doesn't matter if it's made of heavyweight wool, shearling or a down-filled parka. Whether you're trying to get behind the wheel of a car or trudging through drifts of ice and snow, all of them are cumbersome and uncomfortable. What really keeps you warm are relatively thin layers of natural materials that allow your pores to breathe. Between each layer is a barrier of warm air generated by the heat of your body. Pure silk, cashmere/cotton blends. alpaca wool, shetland wool and cotton, none of which need be thick, offer superb protection against severely cold weather.
Add a good coat made of tightly woven wool. Wear two pairs of gloves, cashmere or wool
nearest your skin and silk-lined leather on the outside. Wear two pairs of socks, cotton
underneath woollen. If it's ungodly cold, you would do well to add battery-powered hand warmers and foot warmers. And for Heaven's sake! keep your head and ears protected.
Last but not least, keep your eyes protected with tinted ski googles. Sunlight on snow can destroy your eyes.

 

[Crane's]

Originally Posted by JORDAN MARC

Bulky coats do not guarantee warmth in subzero weather. It doesn't matter if it's made of heavyweight wool, shearling or a down-filled parka. Whether you're trying to get behind the wheel of a car or trudging through drifts of ice and snow, all of them are cumbersome and uncomfortable. What really keeps you warm are relatively thin layers of natural materials that allow your pores to breathe. Between each layer is a barrier of warm air generated by the heat of your body. Pure silk, cashmere/cotton blends. alpaca wool, shetland wool and cotton, none of which need be thick, offer superb protection against severely cold weather.
Add a good coat made of tightly woven wool. Wear two pairs of gloves, cashmere or wool
nearest your skin and silk-lined leather on the outside. Wear two pairs of socks, cotton
underneath woollen. If it's ungodly cold, you would do well to add battery-powered hand warmers and foot warmers. And for Heaven's sake! keep your head and ears protected.
Last but not least, keep your eyes protected with tinted ski googles. Sunlight on snow can destroy your eyes.

You never wear cotton as a base layer. It is imperative that your base layer not only breathes but it must wick moisture quickly from your skin and feel dry at the same time. Wool, silk and fast wicking synthetic products like those made by UA, Patagonia or XGO is what you wear next to skin. Over that you can wear cotton but it is not advisable because if it gets wet it has no insulation value at all. Again wool is your best choice for intermediate layering because of it's thermal properties even when wet. As far as the outer layer is concerned I'll stick with wool and if I need water and wind protection I'll add a waxed cotton shell over the wool.

Yeah the arctic parka is tops for warmth overall. It's a very specialized piece of clothing that has little value in our world. That nice parka wouldn't last a week crawling around in the muck framing a building. It wouldn't last a day playing lumberjack, fixing barbed wire fences or hunting in nasty briar patches. The nice leather and shearling coat could take the abuse but it would look worse than a pile of horse dung real quick. So once again when left with real world situations the wool coat is number one and is the solution to the warm coat problem for the overwhelming majority of people who have to put up with Mother Nature's Winter temper tantrums.

 

[Cordwinder]

if all else fails layer. See Joey as example...

 

[emmanuel]

I realize this was not an option but if you can get something fur lined that would be ideal. That is the best way to stay warm!