First off, I used to be super warm blooded and didn’t need a super warm coat. However, the last view years, I’ve aged (considerably it seems) and now I feel the cold. Really feel the cold. My knees ache, my elbows ache, my hands…oh my god my hands…my nibbles, well…we don’t need to talk about them. I had a Columbia Turbo down jacket…not warm enough…Canada Goose parka…ok that one was warm enough. Helly Hansen Ski jacket, didn’t cut it for normal winter wear in Peterborough anymore (still good for winter hiking, snowshoeing). So I searched all over for the right parka, read reviews, asked the manufacturer questions, and finally settled on the Reine. Happy I did. It is a pretty warm coat, -10 Celsius, it’s good with just a cotton long sleeve shirt under neath. I wore it a couple mornings ago walking the dog, -27 Celsius with a HH insulator jacket and a T-shirt, insulated pants, mitts, toque (and boots of course) and I was very comfortable walking the dog. Probably would have been ok, waiting for a bus, or a bit of ice fishing too. Not sure I could have lasted all day sitting on a lake in those temperatures though… It’s got a huge insulated hood and a very generous cut. The arms are well insulated and long enough for me. I am 5’8” 190 lbs. Chest 42”, pant waist is 34. Plenty of room for a sweater or insulator underneath. Haven’t tested it in the rain, but it’s too warm to wear much above 0 C, anyways. Pockets are big and snap closed, along with a couple of hand warmer pockets and a hidden chest pocket with zip. It doesn’t have a draft tube or snow skirt around the waist. If it’s windy I do feel the breeze blow up my back. That’s probably the biggest flaw and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. With an insulator underneath, it’s not an issue. The hood is huge and with the faux fur on it flops in front of my face…I’ll likely never use the fur bit…I wear an old navy large, HH medium, MEC medium, Columbia medium for info. Overall, it’s a very warm, decent jacket.
