Decision on durable winter parka (TNF vs Patagonia)

Submitted by hastati96 t3_yzz7as in BuyItForLife

Hello everyone, I am looking for a new, durable winter parka for European winters as Black Friday is coming closer. I have a budget of 400€. Currently I am deciding between:

Both parkas have similar specs in respect to down filling and price. The McMurdo is water proof, Patagonia's only water resistance. I am aware of Patagonias life time warranty but tbh I only had bad experiences with any kind of warranty in the past.

Any views or other alternativs in a similar price range? Maybe someone has experiences with one of the parkas?

I am happy about any help :)

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RecognitionOne395 t1_ix2uo8i wrote

I would steer clear of The North Face at all costs. I just had a horrible and frustrating experience with their warranty for a zipper failure on an expensive jacket. Because I can't produce a proof of purchase receipt, they will not honor the warranty and put the repair bill on me. Patagonia have a stellar "no questions asked" "Ironclad" guarantee to fix/repair their products for free for the lifetime of the product. After my terrible experience with The North Face, I will never buy their expensive clothing or gear again.

Edit to add ... I'm an avid outdoorsman and have a lot of gear that gets very well used. Patagonia have repaired numerous items for me. It has never been a problem and I have never been asked to show proof of purchase.

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hastati96 OP t1_ix2zz8o wrote

Thanks! I think with Patagonia's mindeset on warranty it is decided for me. I would like to keep that Parka for as long as possible and this is where Patagonia clearly wins :)

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Valek1001 t1_ix366qz wrote

Fjallraven if you can find one on sale. Quality is stunning. Build to last a damn long time.

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Bakingsomecake t1_ix3yvk3 wrote

Fjallraven doesn't use Teflon based coatings like Goretex, and you can reapply the water-resistant coating. Goretex eventually breaks down and I'm not sure you can repair it.

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bouchy73 t1_ix2vx33 wrote

Patagonia will also repair items if you ship them to the factory, which is nice if you grow an emotional bond to things that go through things with you.

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WombatMcGeez t1_ixh0o64 wrote

Yes, although YMMV. My son got some holes in his puffy down from hiking in the desert and getting caught on a cactus. Sent it off to patagonia, they sent it back with a note saying sorry, they couldn’t repair it. A couple little pieces of tape and we were back in business…

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JordanBost t1_ix3e82a wrote

Patagonia every single time.

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bmwlocoAirCooled t1_ix386jf wrote

Patagonia all the way. One of the best return/repair in the business, and they stand behind what they make.

Love the wornwear section.

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Quail-a-lot t1_ix446dg wrote

Alas, they do not do international shipping on the Wornwear. Some amazing deals though and I am sometimes tempted to have friends re-mail them for me.

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hallucinating_3 t1_ix2vex4 wrote

Both brands are famous so you can search their products in second hand stores. If you care about the planet, good conditions to their workers, etc go with Patagonia

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BornAgainSpecial t1_ix4c1ii wrote

Patagonia wants you to eat the bugs. It shows how confused you are that you think one Chinese plastic factory is better than another just because they got a bigger contract with the US state department to promote wars and lockdowns.

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hallucinating_3 t1_ix4detn wrote

I don't know anything about promoting wars and lockdowns but it's one of the few famous brands that care about making quality products without destroying our planet or exploting their workers. They're a B Corporation and 1% for the planet.

Here you have a summary of their conditions to the planet, workers and animals: Patagonia

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RecognitionOne395 t1_ixe4cok wrote

This is 100% not true in regards to Patagonia. You can read all about their philosophy on clothing production on their website. Please stop spreading untruths.

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arzthaus t1_iy9hmlz wrote

What's wrong with eating bugs? Because Chinese people do? Or because liberals do?

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Direct_Scarcity_2471 t1_ix2wekb wrote

I would look for Euro brands if you're quoting prices in €. They make good gear. Stay away from The North Face.

All that aside, unfortunately outdoor gear like this is not BIFL. The durable water resistance will degrade, which can be replaced but never as good as factory made.

Also eventually the membrane gets holes in it and will no longer be waterproof. I imagine if you're using it only for domestic uses it may last longer.

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regaphysics t1_ix3umag wrote

First of all, none of these are meant to be worn in conditions with liquid water, so that isn’t very relevant; they all can shrug off falling snow indefinitely. Secondly, most of them don’t have permeable membranes like gore Tex. It isn’t very relevant in a winter parka. This one has dry vent which is basically just canvas. It doesn’t clog like gore Tex can. But again, even fully clogged goretex is fine in a jacket like this.

My mcmurdo is quite old and still functions perfectly.

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hastati96 OP t1_ix30193 wrote

Oh, thats sad :(

I thought this was the biggest advantage of the McMurdo but without being fully waterproof there is no reason to pay 50€ more.

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Direct_Scarcity_2471 t1_ix31ppe wrote

There's a great advantage to the modern membrane based clothes. They can work really well in adverse conditions. They'll keep you warm and dry, and allow your sweat to breathe out.

They just have life limitations,which imo don't make them BIFL.

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maybenomaybe t1_ix37gtu wrote

I would choose Patagonia out of those two, but here are some other brands to check out:

Paramo is very good quality and an ethical manufacturer. No lifetime guarantee, but they have a guarantee against defects and also a repair/alteration service.

Rab is also superb quality, check out their Latok or Resolution insulated jackets which would be in your price range on sale. They have the same sort guarantee and repair services as Paramo, and they also have a professional wash service - a lot of waterproof jackets are ruined by incorrect laundering. I have a lightweight Rab jacket (women's Kinetic) and I love it, super breathable but the rain just off it.

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EhnDubbs t1_ix95q3n wrote

Agreed with the comments on how these are overpriced. May I suggest the superior down parka from Eddie Bauer. I’ve had mine for years (or at least a comparable version) and it’s still going strong. Alot less expensive, durable and has been tested in the Canadian winter - https://www.eddiebauer.de/herren/jacken/daunenjacken/superior-daunenparka-herren.html

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JudgeZedd t1_ix9hudi wrote

Seconding this. I have an EB down parka, going strong after 5 years. Extremely warm, likely to last quite some time with my level of use. Great value for the price, especially if you can snag a coupon from a friend.

FYI - this is in Buffalo winters. I only wear it when it gets close to 20F or lower.

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EhnDubbs t1_ix95y78 wrote

Note - I prioritized: fill, length, hood w/(synthetic but decent) fur, internal draw string and chest pockets to be comfortable.

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hastati96 OP t1_ix99u7v wrote

Looks really similar to the other parkas in terms of specs :) seems to be sold out in Medium in the good colors though :/ lets see if I can get one in Medium

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EhnDubbs t1_ix9a1gd wrote

I saw that. I’m a medium as well! If you can swing it and probably pay a little for shipping, it would still be less than your other 2 options. Plus more colors to choose from 😀

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hastati96 OP t1_ixu3ff3 wrote

Now I ordered the parka once in Medium (brown) and once in Large (black), seeing what fits me better :) also giving this jacket in Large a chance: https://www.eddiebauer.de/herren/jacken/daunenjacken/glacier-peak-daunenjacke-mit-kapuze-herren-schwarz-l.html?sp=2&isVariantId=1

As the prices are only half of what TNF and patagonia are I am curious about the quality of EB :)

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EhnDubbs t1_ixvdwyj wrote

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed my friend. Enjoy and keep us updated!

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tallulahQ t1_ix3mr7p wrote

Patagonia. Closest thing to BIFL bc they’ll do free repairs on it forever. I sent in my 15-yr-old down jacket last year for holes and a broken zipper, fixed like new for free!

I also prefer water resistant to waterproof. Truly waterproof lacks breathability and can cause overheating pretty easily.

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BornAgainSpecial t1_ix4cobr wrote

People wear these for one ride down a ski slope then sell them. Don't buy from some big company that hates you. A long time ago North Face at least used heavy duty nylon in their jackets. Nothing today is anything but polyester.

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F-21 t1_ix9vane wrote

Probably not that relevnt if you don't want that style, but I have an 80's or 90's original Bundeswehr parka that lasted me through highschool and university andI still wear it. It's even still quite waterproof.

Otherwise, I'd go with Patagonia or Fjallraven.

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amrungwaew t1_ixd20cw wrote

Also gonna mention Land’s End, though Idek if they do international sales or just American.

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thequickbrownbear t1_ixwjtwc wrote

Stupid question, but where did you find the BF deal for patagonia? Doesn't seem to be there on their website. I visited a store on BF and there was a sign that everything in the store has 20% off EXCEPT Patagonia that has no discount. I assumed it was because Patagonia was anti consumerism and didn't want to take part in BF

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I ask because I'm looking to get that Patagonia Glacier Parka myself!

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BobsonDonut t1_ixxa8df wrote

I know this post is a little stale but I had a McMurdo parka when I lived in Edmonton, AB, Canada. It was my go-to parka for anything colder than -20 centigrade but anything warmer than -15 and it was too much. It was very durable and looked pretty much brand new after 5-seasons before I donated it. I didn’t like wearing it very often however because of it’s bulk and low end finishing. For just shear warmth and durability it’s excellent though.

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hastati96 OP t1_ixyaw1y wrote

I am also a bit afraid that the McMurdo is far too warm for our rather mild German winters. It gets barely below -5 centigrade, -10 is already an exception where I life.

I also had the impression that the McMurdo has a very good quality. I often read the opossite online but it felt very high-grade with a lot of functions.

Sadly I had to send it back as Medium was far too big even though I usually wear Large on jackets. Currently waiting on a Small one and then deciding if I will keep it :)

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BobsonDonut t1_ixztpvn wrote

Cool, hope it works out. I feel like either jacket will definitely last you a long time when you find out which you like more.

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