A fleece vest is about all I need to ride out a NM winter.

Is LL Bean any good??

Need input.

LL Bean makes good stuff, price is reasonable and quality is excellent.  I would also look at REI's website to see if they have any deals.  My favorite pieces of fleece are my Mountain Hardware pieces but those are only worth it if you can get hooked up with a "bro-deal".

Edited: I was at Gaylans a couple of weeks ago and they had an excellent selection of jackets and vest.  Do you have near you?

Try campmor.They have most of the "name"brands and also their on stuff.

Seconding LL Bean ... I like them because they hav e virtuall everything in Big & Tall sizes as well. Also, you can NOT beat their guarantee ... check it...

Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L.Bean that is not completely satisfactory.

This is no lie. I bought a dog bed for my Lab before we brought him home from the breeder. It was a very nice dog bed with a fleece cover, and monogrammed with his name ... Anyway, to make a long story short, the puppy teeth tore right through the cover in no time flat, thus turning it into the worlds largest dog toy. After he grew up (he's 3 now), I figured I'd see if the legendary guarantee was true, I called them up, explained the situation and they said to send the torn cover back so they could make sure they sent out the right one for replacement ... Got it about 2 weeks later, they even redid the monogram.

Try this place as well:

www.sierratradingpost.com

They get a bunch of d/c'd stuff, odd lots, and mislabels. Decent quality, and sell it pretty cheep.

I've got an old sheepskin vest I use pulling wire in the winter. Got it from my old Captain when he cleaned out his closet.


Glad I didn't give it to Goodwill with some of the other stuff....

If you don't mind spending some cash, Mountain Hardware makes Windstopper fleece
vests and jackets. Their products are tough to beat, imho.

Quoted: Try this place as well: www.sierratradingpost.com

+1.

My dad sells labradors and one of his the guys who buys dogs from him was the President of L.L. Bean.  WE were outside talking one day while he was trying to pick out a pup and my dad mentioned that he had these two really nice L.L. Bean sleeping bags that he got when he got married almost 20 years before and that he still used it several times a year on scout and hunting trips.  

The guy (I've forgotten his name) told us an interesting story,  they used to sell a lot of sleeping bags,  but they eventually got out of them because nobody ever bought any new ones.  They were a one-time purchase item because they never really wore out.  

I'm 33 now and that bag pre-dated me by 5 or 6 years and last time I was home we put together an impromptu camping trip and that bag was still in about as good a shape as it was when I was a kid.  it's faded from dark forest green to a very light shade of gray but it's still warm, zippers all work and stuffing's in the right place.


Good quality stuff.


Oh, back to fleece; Cabelas has an extensive collection and the PolarTEC series is top notch.  They've got either the original or a copy of the army's fleece system. I think they call it the E.C.W.S. somethingsomethingsomething.  

extreme cold weather etc.....


it's on clearance now....

Quoted: If you don't mind spending some cash, Mountain Hardware makes Windstopper fleece vests and jackets. Their products are tough to beat, imho.

+1  The North Face is overrated. MH is just about the best out threre.  If you decide to go cheap, like LL Bean or something lessor, at least make sure it's polartec brand fleece.  All others are just copies...

Cabelas has a bunch

Mountain Hardware all the way. Have alot of their gear and it is the best out there.
I have the windstopper Tech jacket. Unbelieveabey warm

Old Navy

I had a pair of LL Bean sneakers, and after two years they finally busted... I called them and said that the rubber was comming off the shoe, they send tell us your size and we will match a close model and send it to you, please send us the old ones back in the same box

Quoted: Mountain Hardware all the way. Have alot of their gear and it is the best out there. I have the windstopper Tech jacket. Unbelieveabey warm

+1

My Mountain Hardware jacket is by far the best I have ever owned.  They are a little pricey, but the quality and Gore wind-stopper is worth the money

Quoted: Try campmor.They have most of the "name"brands and also their on stuff.

I tried Campmor.  They don't have much right now.

Thanks though.

I am leaning towards LLBean because they make them in Tall.

I need it to cover a sidearm, so the tall is necessary.

Don't get fleece vest, get a softshell (water proof, more robust). I LOVE my Arcteryx shell!!

Quoted: Don't get fleece vest, get a softshell (water proof, more robust). I LOVE my Arcteryx shell!!

Can I ask why??


I know nothing about the soft shells.  I didn't want to spend a small fortune.

"Waterproof"??  Dude, see my location, at the left. <---

It would have to be water from a puddle, splashed up on me.  The puddle would have to be from the fire dept. testing hydrants.....NO RAIN?SNOW HERE.

Snow is the ideal climate for softshells (really heavy rain isn't):

The past three decades have seen three major innovations in outdoor apparel: Gore-Tex in 1976, Polartec fleece in 1981, and, most recently, the softshell revolution that began in 1997. That's when American skiers bumming in Chamonix, France, started imitating the local guides' practice of wearing jackets and pants made from Schoeller, a stretchy, weather-resistant, and exceptionally breathable material. Schoeller trumped Gore-Tex by offering improved breathability and fit while sacrificing only a fraction of a hardshell's water resistance. Initially only hardcore athletes bought the stuff because of the hefty cost (in the $400 range). But as manufacturers like W.L. Gore and Polartec created their own softshell fabrics, prices dropped (they now start around $150) and wet weather performance increased. Everyone makes softshells now, and you can choose anything from wispy jackets for jogging all the way to waterproof armor for mountaineering. Viva la revolución!

I got my Arcteryx gamma mx jacket at REI for 165,- USD, a steal.

Quoted: Quoted: Mountain Hardware all the way. Have alot of their gear and it is the best out there. I have the windstopper Tech jacket. Unbelieveabey warm +1 My Mountain Hardware jacket is by far the best I have ever owned.  They are a little pricey, but the quality and Gore wind-stopper is worth the money

+5 or 6 or whatever it is at now.  I love my Mountain Hardware gear.  Like has been said, be sure to get WindStopper fleece.

Quoted: Don't get fleece vest, get a softshell (water proof, more robust). I LOVE my Arcteryx shell!!

I want an Arcteryx for this coming ski season.  They rock.

Cabelas, Polartec classic 200 stuff should be fine if you dress in layers

Quoted: Cabelas, Polartec classic 200 stuff should be fine if you dress in layers

That's what I will be doing.  For most anything the vest will be all I need.  But I want to be able to throw a larger/heavier parka over it, if/when the need arises.  There are times when we get stuck out all night, or even out on a long cold day. (We have a handful of really cold days here each winter.)