How to Stop Being Cold Outside.

Summary

Michael presents the “Winter Jacket Selection System” - a comprehensive guide on how to choose winter outerwear and stay warm. The video covers the three-layer system (base layer, mid layer, outer layer), the differences between synthetic and wool materials, and why proper layering is more important than just buying the best outer jacket.

The video dives deep into down jacket technology, explaining fill power, fill weight, and various construction methods (sewn through, box construction, offset baffle, and the new woven/bonded baffles). Michael discusses why down’s reputation for being useless when wet is overblown, especially with modern treatments like DownTek. He also covers wool outerwear options from brands like Filson, Weather Wool, and his own Iron Snail Mammoth jacket, emphasizing that wool requires layering to reach peak warmth but offers a heritage feel and superior durability.

Highlights

”It’s Probably Not the Last Piece of Your Outerwear”

Clip command

yt-dlp --download-sections "*1:43-2:40" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMhDEVghPc" --force-keyframes-at-cuts --merge-output-format mp4 -o "tIMhDEVghPc-1m43s.mp4"

“If you just hate the cold it’s probably because you don’t have a good mitten or hat system or layer system in general. It’s usually not the last piece of your outer wear.” — Michael, 1:57

”1,000 Fill Power Performed the Same as 750 in Humidity”

Clip command

yt-dlp --download-sections "*10:59-12:00" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMhDEVghPc" --force-keyframes-at-cuts --merge-output-format mp4 -o "tIMhDEVghPc-10m59s.mp4"

“I was reading one study where in moderate humidity a 1,000 fill power down jacket performed the same as a 750 fill power down jacket.” — Michael, 11:30

”No Acceptable Level of PFAS in Our Water System”

Clip command

yt-dlp --download-sections "*14:17-15:20" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMhDEVghPc" --force-keyframes-at-cuts --merge-output-format mp4 -o "tIMhDEVghPc-14m17s.mp4"

“The original formula of Gore-Tex actually contained PFAS. It got banned because it’s not that great for the environment or people. And by not that great - there’s no acceptable level of PFAS in our water system at all.” — Michael, 14:32

”In 20 Years We’ll Just Wear Foam White Crocs”

Clip command

yt-dlp --download-sections "*15:27-16:25" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMhDEVghPc" --force-keyframes-at-cuts --merge-output-format mp4 -o "tIMhDEVghPc-15m27s.mp4"

“I think eventually winter jackets are going to be foam. I think this is all very old school now and in 20 years we’ll just wear foam white crocs. I think that’s what we’ll be doing.” — Michael, 15:41

”Woven Baffles - No Stitching, No Water, No Down Leakage”

Clip command

yt-dlp --download-sections "*16:05-17:00" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMhDEVghPc" --force-keyframes-at-cuts --merge-output-format mp4 -o "tIMhDEVghPc-16m05s.mp4"

“They are weaving it together at points and opening it up at certain points… making baffles out of a singular fabric with no stitching. Since there’s no stitching, the water’s not coming through, the wind isn’t coming through, you don’t have to worry about down leaking out.” — Michael, 16:30

Key Points

Rich Neighbor’s Down Jacket (0:00) - Modern down jackets with square baffles are warmer, more water-resistant, have stretch, and don’t leak down
B6 Bomber Jacket (0:34) - 1939 WWII flight jacket, lighter version of B3, notoriously hated by Ake Nordin of Fjallraven for being too heavy
Eddie Bauer K2 Parka (1:00) - 1962 jacket considered the first purpose-built expedition parka, when Eddie Bauer was king of down jackets
Layering System (1:43) - Three pieces: base layer (moisture wicking), mid layer (warmth), outer layer (protection)
Synthetic vs Wool Base Layers (2:27) - Synthetic dries fast but smells quicker; wool absorbs moisture, insulates when wet, naturally antibacterial
Mesh Base Layers (3:21) - Fishnet-style base layers are trendy for being both warmer and more breathable
Malden Mills and Fleece (5:26) - Patagonia and North Face built their brands on synthetic fleece from Malden Mills in Massachusetts
Chopper Mittens (6:35) - L.L. Bean mittens with layering system - breathable inner, less breathable outer
Nylon Outer Fabric (7:21) - About 2x stronger than cotton at similar weight; go heavier for durability if jacket is for years of use
Wool as Insulation (8:14) - Unlike nylon which just holds down, wool IS the insulation - heavier but more breathable and durable
Fill Power Explained (10:59) - Measures how much space 1oz of down takes up (e.g., 900 fill = 900 cubic inches); higher fill is more efficient but affected by humidity
Fill Weight (11:41) - How much down is actually in the jacket - manufacturers commonly don’t list this
Down Construction Types (11:52) - Sewn through (has cold spots), box construction (has walls), offset baffle (two layers offset), woven/bonded baffles (newest)
Down in Rain Overblown (12:51) - Modern treatments like NikWax and DownTek make down much more water resistant than people think
Gore-Tex PFAS Issues (14:32) - Original Gore-Tex formula contained PFAS which got banned; no acceptable level in water systems
Aerogel Future (15:34) - Predicts winter jackets will eventually be foam-based; in 20 years we’ll wear “foam white crocs”
Woven Baffles Technology (16:05) - Double weave fabric creates baffles with no stitching, allowing stretch, preventing down leakage and water entry
Winter Jacket Selection System (16:58) - Check what you have, note your use case/climate, walk for an hour noting cold spots, start simple and build up
Down is Heirloom Grade (18:41) - Very resistant to compression; doesn’t stay compressed unlike synthetic which loses loft over time

Mentions

Companies

Eddie Bauer (1:00) - Historic down jacket maker, created first expedition parka
Fjallraven (0:49) - Ake Nordin hated heavy bomber jackets, which led to lighter designs
Patagonia (5:26) - Built brand on synthetic fleece; has amazing repair policy
North Face (5:26) - Also got start from synthetic fleece
Malden Mills (5:31) - Boston-area company that invented synthetic fleece
Filson (8:56) - Wool jacket maker, uses different weight measurement system than Weather Wool
Weather Wool (8:56) - Makes very heavy wool jackets; uses standard fabric weight measurement
L.L. Bean (6:35) - Sells chopper mittens; uses DownTek and woven baffles in jackets
Duckworth (9:02) - Wool brand mentioned as quality option
Woolrich (9:02) - Vintage wool outerwear brand
Pendleton (9:05) - Wool fabric/clothing company
Gloverall (9:05) - Good for peacoats
Gore-Tex (14:04) - Waterproof membrane technology; patent expired but offers great warranty
The Iron Snail (8:52) - Michael’s company making the Mammoth wool jacket
RAB (17:50) - Makes lightweight sewn-through down jackets
Marmot (18:18) - Outdoor Research competitor; Guide jacket mentioned
Outdoor Research (18:20) - Outdoor gear brand

Products & Technologies

B6 Bomber Jacket (0:34) - WWII flight jacket from 1939
Eddie Bauer K2 (1:00) - First expedition parka (1962)
Mammoth Jacket (8:52) - Iron Snail’s wool jacket, goal is “far beyond the grade”
DownTek (13:41) - Water-resistant down treatment used by L.L. Bean
NikWax (13:38) - Down water-resistance treatment
Gore-Tex (14:04) - Waterproof breathable membrane
DWR Finish (15:07) - Durable water repellent coating that needs reapplication
Aerogel (15:34) - Being implemented in modern jackets
Billy Goat Sweatshirt V1 and V2 (6:09) - V1 is jersey stitch (flat), V2 is thermal knit (higher loft)
North Face McMurdo (18:11) - Popular heavy winter jacket

People

Ake Nordin (0:49) - Fjallraven founder, hated heavy bomber jackets
Ralph Johnson (9:00) - Wool and Mills manufacturer mentioned as quality source

Surprising Quotes

“If you just hate the cold it’s probably because you don’t have a good mitten or hat system or layer system in general. It’s usually not the last piece of your outer wear.” — 1:57

“I was reading one study where in moderate humidity a 1,000 fill power down jacket performed the same as a 750 fill power down jacket.” — 11:30

“The original formula of Gore-Tex actually contained PFAS. It got banned because it’s not that great for the environment or people. And by not that great - there’s no acceptable level of PFAS in our water system at all.” — 14:32

“I think eventually winter jackets are going to be foam. I think this is all very old school now and in 20 years we’ll just wear foam white crocs. I think that’s what we’ll be doing.” — 15:41

Transcript

0:00 This is the down jacket that your rich neighbor wears when it’s cold outside. The question is why. Looking at a jacket that is the same size, the same weight, the same thickness - this jacket is warmer, more wind resistant, more water resistant, more comfortable, down doesn’t leak out of it, and it has stretch. Most importantly though, new jackets have this weird square pattern on them and they generally look different. Why is that? What is that?

0:23 And on the complete other end of the spectrum is another jacket that I bought - cuz I bought 11 jackets for this video to show you. Actually scratch it because I left that one at home because it didn’t fit me that well. What you’re seeing right now is a B6 jacket from the company Avirex, first introduced in 1939 and not changed ever since. The B6 bomber is a lighter weight version of the B3 bomber. I like the B6 better. That was commonly used during World War II for pilots that were training in open cockpit planes - notoriously hated by Ake of Fjallraven because it was very heavy and all this other stuff, but notoriously loved by Michael of the Iron Snail.

0:59 And this jacket I do have - hold on - this is a 1962 Eddie Bauer K2. This is really the first ever purpose-built expedition parka in existence, by Eddie Bauer when Eddie Bauer was the king of down jacket makers. All these jackets are very cool, very fantastic - this is obviously my favorite one - but the true goal of this video is to make a guide on how to get a warm, affordable, cool jacket. We’ve done an absolute butt ton of videos on winter jackets but never a basics video on what makes a good winter jacket and how to stay warm. So that’s this video.

1:30 Welcome to class everybody, hope you’re doing well. We at Iron Snail Industries have created what we like to call the Winter Jacket Selection System. This is the entire system and the entire course in one easy video. All you have to do is - layering. Typically the answer to all of your outdoor woes. If you are too hot when you go outside, probably because of your layering. If you’re too cold, probably because of your layering.

1:54 And the thing that I usually find too sometimes is if you just hate the cold, it’s probably because you don’t have a good mitten or hat system or layer system in general. It’s usually not the last piece of your outer wear. Does that make sense?

2:06 You can break your layering system down to three pieces: you have your base layer, you have your mid layer, and you have your outer layer. Your base layer is exactly what it sounds like - that is the section that is close to your base, to your actual body. So it’s very soft, usually very stretchy. Its job is to wick moisture, be very breathable, but it’s not supposed to be super warm.

2:27 Your base layer could come in synthetic or wool or synthetic-wool blend. Synthetic is usually polyester because polyester absorbs virtually no water, so it will just wick moisture away and then dry really really fast. The number one complaint about synthetic stuff though is that you can stink way quicker.

2:39 Synthetic fibers and fabrics as a whole have a ton of money and research going into them. You can use insanely fine yarns because of the strength, but there are some great things with natural fabrics that polyester and synthetic materials can’t naturally emulate on their own. So to work around that, brands will coat the fabric in things like heavy metals and chemicals and stuff like that to make them more odor resistant or antibacterial or things like that.

3:05 Wool does absorb moisture but it has a tolerance of absorbing moisture. It still insulates when wet, it’s naturally bacteria resistant, it’s naturally anti-odor, it’s naturally flame retardant - there’s a bunch of good things with it but it is more fragile. So usually a blend is the best choice here - polyester, spandex, and wool or some mix of everything.

3:21 Something you’ll also see right now is mesh-based layers are very trendy - AKA fishnets. People are walking around in fishnets and they’re noting that they are warmer and more breathable, so they’re the best of both worlds. If you layer properly - not just, you can’t just walk out here in fishnets and be like “wow this is so much better than my jacket.”

3:36 Here’s a fun game - let’s see if we’re thinking the exact same thing. I’m thinking “wow, I wish I could rub deodorant across my entire body right now.” And luckily I can, and you can too. This video is sponsored by Mando.

3:49 [Mando Sponsorship] Mando was created by a doctor in a lab because she was seeing how regularly body odor was being mistreated, underdiagnosed and basically ignored. So she did something to fix it. Mando is a high performance body deodorant that you could wipe, spray, roll, or rub. It’s clinically proven to control odor better than a shower with soap alone. You can choose from four scents: bourbon leather, clover woods, Mount Fiji, and Pro Sport. Mando is skin safe, baking soda free, cruelty-free, vegan, pH optimized to use anywhere on your body, paraben free, and it doesn’t stay in your clothes. Check out the link in my description and use code IRONSNAIL - that’s 40% off in total.

5:08 Similar conversation when we’re talking about mid layers, except obviously these are beefier layers. This is the majority of what you’ll be wearing. If you’re going for a hike, you’re probably going to be in your mid layer until you stop somewhere. Then you will put on your outer layer because you’re not doing a lot of active movement, so you will get cold. You will get cold really fast.

5:26 Obviously the Patagonia fleece is an icon, same with North Face. That is how those brands got their start from synthetic fleece - so thank you Malden Mills, shout out Boston. I’m from Cape Cod but close enough. You can do that and it has all the same benefits as a synthetic base layer that we talked about before, but you can also dive into the world of a wool sweater.

5:43 I’m currently wearing a synthetic mid layer, which you’re probably like “what? That doesn’t make any sense.” Listen, I’m at my parents’ house, I’m on Cape, I’m relaxing. Chances are if you knock on the door at my parents’ house and I answer the door, I am wearing Christmas tree pajamas, an Avengers t-shirt, and I haven’t showered in 3 days.

5:58 What’s really important is the weight of the overall fleece and then the stitch of the overall fleece. If you have an effective layer on the outside over your fleece, that loft that you’re getting from - if we’re looking at sweatshirts for example - billy goat version one is a jersey stitch, very flat. Billy goat version two is a thermal knit - it’s higher, you have a higher loft. And if you have a layer over that stopping air from moving, that becomes a very very warm sweater.

6:21 Cool thing about layering is that you really can take that philosophy everywhere and you should. So obviously with boots and stuff like that, think about the socks you’re wearing, think about the insulation level of your boots. But more importantly, mittens and hats.

6:35 These are Chopper mittens that I got from L.L. Bean a very long time ago, but you can get Chopper mittens basically anywhere. Layering is important here because you have your breathable layer and then your less breathable layer.

6:47 On the hat front, obviously think about if your jacket is going to have a hood or not. You can get a regular beanie like this, or - this one by the way, I’m what you call a Night Runner. I like to go for runs when it’s pitch black outside, so my mom got me a glowing beanie for Christmas. You can get a beanie, a watch cap, you can get a trapper hat, you can get a balaclava. Because I feel like the worst part when I’m outside is always my mouth and my nose, so get a gaiter if you don’t get a balaclava.

7:15 But that’s layering. We are moving on to outerwear, and we’re starting with the outermost section of outerwear which is the outside. So typically that’s going to be - cotton or, sorry, not cotton, that’s the one thing that I didn’t want to say - it’s typically going to be nylon or going to be wool.

7:31 What’s obviously great about nylon is it’s just incredibly strong. A baseline - that’s not always true - is it’s about two times as strong as cotton at a similar weight. So that is why you can get nylon to be very soft and thin. You can make interesting pockets on down jackets cuz you don’t have to worry about really thick 24-27 ounce wool.

7:48 The one thing I wanted to say when you are shopping for a down jacket - if there is nylon, typically try to go as heavy as you can with the nylon. Nylon is very strong but it does have its limits. So if you’re looking for a jacket that you’re going to wear hopefully for years and years and years, this jacket, although is cool, you probably see a lot of people duct taping and repairing it because this is specifically made for people that want very little weight on their pack if they’re hiking or they’re doing something strenuous.

8:14 And then we have little old wool. What’s cool about wool is nylon is protecting down or holding down inside of the jacket - that’s the insulation layer. Wool IS the insulation. So by that you get a much heavier jacket. You either really like that or you don’t really like that. I happen to really like that.

8:29 Wool is more breathable, it’s a tougher fabric because of the weight that comes with it, it’s antibacterial, it’s insulating when wet, it’s odor resistant, you hardly ever have to wash it. There’s a ton of cool things about it, but for me the coolest thing about wool is that it feels much more alive. It feels much more like a heritage piece versus down jackets.

8:49 This is the Mammoth jacket, but I also can’t just recommend The Iron Snail on The Iron Snail - that’s no way to run a channel. Filson, Weather Wool, shout out to Ralph Johnson Wool and Mills - I know where they get their wool, good stuff - Duckworth, vintage Woolrich, Pendleton, Gloverall for peacoats, and then of course there’s a good old Iron Snail.

9:09 The goal of The Iron Snail, if you don’t know, is to be far beyond the grade - to make stuff absolutely the best that I possibly can. The reason I’m telling you this very quickly is because there’s a lot of people signed up to get Mammoths right now and not a lot of Mammoths in existence. So please if you are at all interested in one, sign up for the email list because I’ll be emailing everybody in around a week to guarantee everybody gets a Mammoth this year.

9:34 The one thing I did want to say about wool though is it’s extra imperative that you layer with wool, because wool is just naturally not as warm as down because you can’t loft it out. Layering with wool is when it becomes unstoppable.

9:46 Okay, now this is the true nerdy detail section. This is my favorite part of the video. This is also the most frustrating part of the video because you will quickly learn it’s almost impossible for manufacturers to tell you how warm your jacket actually is compared to anything. Because that’s why you have to trust the 1 out of 5 warmth or three snowflakes.

10:05 You’ll notice Weather Wool, who makes a very very heavy beautiful winter jacket - they all say their wool, if we’re talking about ounces, is 18.5-19 ounces. Filson will say theirs is 24.5 ounces. Weather Wool’s is actually heavier by a pretty large degree because Weather Wool is measuring on a standard measurement. Filson is not really giving you all that information.

10:29 But also the weight of the fabric doesn’t always correspond to warmth, as we know, because down is lighter but warmer than wool. You could say “okay this fabric is heavier, but this one is napped on both sides so the loft is a lot higher so it traps more air,” or “this one is just woven tighter, this one is woven looser, this one has a DWR finish on it, this one has different size yarns.” You put all that together and it’s very hard to say “this jacket is warm in this range” because you also have to factor in the person wearing the jacket, their movement, their activities. So it’s very hard to say with wool. Same with down, but down we can get a little nerdier on.

10:59 The most popular measurement that you probably hear with down is fill power. So you see like 650 fill, 900 fill. Fill power is just: how much space does down take up in a standardized container? 1 oz of down - does it take up 900 cubic inches? 900 fill power. You can get mega efficient down with big plumes that’s very proud to be around, and you can compress that a lot. It’s warmer for lighter weight, so there’s a lot of cool things about it.

11:23 But immediately a problem is the humidity levels or the moisture levels really affect high efficiency downs. So I was reading one study where in moderate humidity, a 1,000 fill power down jacket performed the same as a 750 fill power down jacket.

11:36 We’re already in the weeds and let me tell you, we’re going to get a lot more weedy. Because that’s how efficient the down is, but you also need to know how much down there is in the jacket. So that’s fill weight, which manufacturers commonly don’t even put on a jacket.

11:50 And then also finally, how is the jacket constructed? Something we do need to touch on very quickly cuz we talked about this last video is down fill construction types.

11:57 First type of construction: sewn through construction. We take a pillow, we sew right down the middle - you get cold spots on either side. Then we have box construction, which literally picture a box, so this helps the down because we’re not compressing it on the sides. There’s also offset baffle construction, which is sewn through construction but done a little differently and done twice and then offset, so you lose those cold pockets. But again, takes longer to construct. But also, which we’ll talk about in a second, there is now woven baffles and bonded baffles.

12:33 In every article that I’ve read, every video that I watched, everybody’s like “okay, wool - when it’s wet outside it’s great, it insulates when wet, you’ll be totally fine. Synthetic - also fine, will dry really fast and be fine. Down sucks and you’ll die.”

12:49 And frankly I don’t - I mean it’s not the best, it’s the worst out of all three, but I really - we talk about it like if a drop of water hits you, your jacket’s going to explode and you’ll die.

12:59 Oh also, I forgot to say - obviously I bought a ton of down jackets on eBay. I don’t need a ton of down jackets, I only wear like mine and one other. So this was going to be a Christmas video just way behind schedule. I’m going to donate all these to the There’s A Jacket Foundation in Maine, so I’ll be at the jacket drive.

13:13 So this one is actually an Eddie Bauer K2 - Egyptian cotton/nylon mix with like a 450 fill live plucked down, which again, controversial. The down clusters collapse when they get wet if they’re not treated with anything. So I understand why you say down is useless in the rain because you’d rather be safe than sorry. But for the most part, unless you’re going on crazy hikes and you have no other water resistant gear or anything like that, I think you’ll be okay with down.

13:38 Especially with modern technologies. Most down jackets now use NikWax or DownTek or something like that. L.L. Bean uses DownTek, and that is - they are actually the spray that you spray on the outside of jackets, they put that on the down. There’s a great video where a guy throws his down jacket in the water, puts it back on, he’s fine, it’s insulated. You can do that, and there’s a lot of technology that makes it easier and easier.

14:04 But there’s also waterproof membranes. Gore-Tex is insane. The idea that someone took something that was waterproof, extended it really fast, and all of a sudden it was still waterproof but it let vapor pass through it so it was more breathable - is insane.

14:17 Everybody brings up the fact that there’s nothing special about Gore-Tex anymore because its patent expired - you can get any other brand. And that’s true, but the one thing that is great about Gore-Tex is they have a crazy warranty, a crazy testing lab. So with Gore-Tex you get that guarantee essentially.

14:32 The tough part is though, the original formula of Gore-Tex - and what still a lot of companies are using - actually contained PFAS essentially, is what I’m getting at. It got banned because it’s not that great for the environment or people. And by “not that great” - there’s no acceptable level of PFAS in our water system at all. Which that part I’m like, none? No level? That can’t be good.

14:52 Waterproof membranes will also sometimes delaminate. Some people can have a Gore-Tex membrane or a waterproof membrane for 30 years with no problem. And Gore-Tex does have a great warranty, but sometimes your jacket will bubble and look weird, and sometimes it gets to the point where there’s just nothing you can really do.

15:07 You also need to keep applying a DWR finish onto your jacket, which is what you see when water is beading off of jackets. Otherwise Gore-Tex, while it will stay waterproof, will wet out and not be breathable, so you lose a little bit of a benefit there. You’re getting a more complex system which is harder to maintain. You have to work harder to maintain it, but it is very convenient outdoors if you do.

15:27 But the reason I’m bringing all this up is because we’re going to go back to just mega simplicity in one second, and that to me is the most important thing when you’re trying to get the winter jacket.

15:36 Modern down jacket technology - insanely cool. The stuff that’s happening - aerogel being implemented into jackets. I think eventually winter jackets are going to be foam. I think this is all very old school now, and in 20 years we’ll just wear foam white crocs. I think that’s what we’ll be doing.

15:50 The reason I’m saying that is because you don’t want to just get caught up and think you need new gear immediately because something else got released. But it is cool to know what the new gear does.

15:57 So I introduce you to the jacket that all of your rich neighbors are wearing. You’ll see little square baffles and stuff like that - those are really cool. Instead of there being these giant sewn through baffles, there’s little boxes and little lines throughout the jacket.

16:13 This is where me and my friends would sled down when we were kids - we’d go right down this little thing. Windstoper jacket - L.L. Bean and a lot of other brands are using a double weave fabric. And usually double weave is reserved for - you’ll see it on like towels where like one side is orange, the other side is black.

16:30 They have their double weave insulation. They are weaving it together at points and opening it up at certain points, and really just little lines they weave it together, and they’re making baffles out of a singular fabric with no stitching. And that’s sick.

16:40 Since there’s no stitching, the water’s not coming through, the wind isn’t coming through, you don’t have to worry about down leaking out as really at all. So you can make the fabric stretchy because you have that flexibility there, so the jacket’s even more comfortable.

16:58 Okay, so let’s go down the sledding hill and finally go over the Winter Jacket Selection System - how with all this information, how to pick out a winter jacket that you will love.

17:06 It’s very complex, it’s very rigorous. First thing you need to do is see what you have. Do you have a base layer? Do you have a mid layer? Do you have a down jacket at all?

17:15 Second thing I recommend you do is just note your general - what are you going to use the jacket for? Is it just to get into the car? Are you going to be walking for a very long time? What’s the temperature climate around you? All those factors - does it rain a lot? Is it very windy? So on so forth.

17:28 Next thing you need to do - go for a walk. Walk up and down the street for 1 hour and stop at 30 minutes and see how do you feel, where are you cold? And the second thing to note down is are you too hot? Are you wearing a big jacket and thinking like “I am going to sweat, but I can’t take this jacket off because I am wearing a t-shirt under it.”

17:45 Once you have that information - this has been on the whole time - before you go on any websites, I would recommend just picture the most simple, this is the RAB sewn through lightweight jacket, you possibly can. And then build the jacket out. So do you need a hood? If you need a hood, yes - is this probably not warm enough? Okay then puff up a little bit.

18:03 Break it down into its simplest form, and the chances are if you have a good layering system to go with it, you will be far more comfortable when you are out and about. And I feel like most people are going to go with, you know, the North Face McMurdo, the Stormcraft, you know, the ultimate jacket. But there are a lot of benefits to picking out the jacket that works really well for you.

18:18 So the Marmot Guide jacket - much better today for me than Outdoor Research. And then even better would be a lighter weight jacket because I’m hiking. But you can also go the vintage route and they’re all really great. And this is very effective if you don’t live in a very wet place and you don’t need a ton of length - this is a great jacket.

18:34 So you can go on eBay and just find crazy stuff - jackets from the 70s, so cool. Ski jackets, absolutely wild. So I just feel like that’s a lot of fun.

18:41 And transitioning to the last thing that we have to talk about - down is also very heirloom grade because it’s very resistant to compression. It won’t stay compressed if you squish it down. And I love that because that is the only reason I don’t really like synthetic.

18:53 Once you pick out your jacket, the last thing I’d recommend is - if it’s not eBay and not used - check to see, you know, Patagonia has an insane repair policy. I’ve heard some people just bring in whatever to certain locations and they’ll fix it. So check to see if you can get your jacket repaired, what the warranty is, and then just go at it.

19:09 Anyways, I hope that was helpful somewhat. I hope there is something in there that you found useful. If you didn’t, sorry for wasting your time. I will see you all next week - we’re talking…