Pricier Parka May Be Worth Extra Bucks

Q: Realizing that you have been a longtime fan of L.L. Bean’s Mountain Guide Parka, I’m wondering if you can shed some light on the difference between it and their All Conditions Parka. The catalog was of little help and neither was a call to the company itself. About the only difference I can see is the price: Mountain Guide is $210 and the All Conditions is $258. My primary uses will be skiing, some backpacking/camping, and general wet-weather wear.

Bryan Roberson

Gear Guy: I pulled out my Bean catalog and put my powerful brain to work. Here’s what it came up with: The All Conditions Parka has a heavier “face” fabric - the stuff on the outside. That makes it a bit more durable. It also has a few more bells and whistles such as inside mesh pockets. It has zip fittings that can be used to mate it with Bean’s Primaloft or Fleece Jacket. And, it’s slightly longer really more of an anorak than a parka. Since you said the word “skiing,” I would give the All Conditions parka the nod despite its greater price. Its fabric will stand up better to that abuse, I think, and its longer cut will come in handy. In my view, both it and the Mountain Guide parka compete very well with both the Mountain Hardwear and North Face offerings. And for about $100 less.

Q. Cotton is out, but I have been told that silk undergarments are both practical and comfortable on mountain hikes.

Kirk Haney

Gear Guy: True, cotton is out. But I’m not sure silk is in. Silk is lovely stuff, but it doesn’t perform as well as many synthetics when your body is really pumping out the heat and moisture, such as when hiking. Where silk excels is as a “passive” insulator, such as when you’re sitting around a cold house. I like DuPont Coolmax for a hiking shirt in cool to warm weather, as well as Patagonia’s Silkweight Capilene (a polyester-based fabric that feels like, well, silk). Other good choices include REI’s M.T.S. underwear and Helly-Hansen’s ProLite 5000.

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