Best Winter Gear? (Boston: sales, real estate, apartment)

[fourinamillion]

Well, we've completed our first trip to MA to prepare for our upcoming relocation, and I have just a few thoughts:

1. The housing market in Boston is all that it's hyped-up to be. Finding an apartment was CRAZY, but MikePRU was an INCREDIBLE source of help and assistance. Anyone looking to relocate...Mike is your guy when it comes to real estate.

2. It was COLD! I mean really, really cold. Our flimsy little Wal-Mart mittens and cosmetic scarves did us absolutely no good, and we realized exactly how badly we'll need proper winter gear when we move after Christmas.

So, here's the question:

Where do born and bred New Englanders get their winter gear? And for kids? All help is much appreciated!!

~Lindsay

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by fourinamillion

1. The housing market in Boston is all that it's hyped-up to be. Finding an apartment was CRAZY, but MikePRU was an INCREDIBLE source of help and assistance. Anyone looking to relocate...Mike is your guy when it comes to real estate.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by fourinamillion

2. It was COLD! I mean really, really cold. Our flimsy little Wal-Mart mittens and cosmetic scarves did us absolutely no good, and we realized exactly how badly we'll need proper winter gear when we move after Christmas.

I couldn't believe you guys were walking around in sweatshirts.

Originally Posted by fourinamillion

Where do born and bred New Englanders get their winter gear? And for kids? All help is much appreciated!!

REI is a great place for outdoor gear. You can also check out EMS, but a lot of sporting goods stores like Dick's and Sports Authority carry some pretty good jackets, gloves, etc. The important thing is to dress in layers. The winter coats that have a zip out liner are so much better.

[in_newengland]

Sweatshirts in winter? Walmart gloves?

No. Go and get some quality winter clothes. L.L. Bean makes good jackets. So does Eddie Bauer and probably Land's End. You have to get serious about your jacket and probably it should be a good down parka.

Under the jacket you need a layer like a sweater or a long sleeved T.

Your hat and gloves need to be warm too, not some thin polyester. Wool is good but often you can find something that isn't wool but is well insulated.

Good quality boots from a decent store and make sure they're warm and waterproof.

I don't know of stores in the Boston area but if you have a chance the Kittery Outlets in Maine have everything in one place. Spend the money to get the quality and you'll be comfortable and your investment should last you a few years at least.

[mmyk72]

LL Beans, Lands End are my fav's. The end of season (March/April) sales are great for picking up $200 jackets for $40. Of course, if you need it now, just bite the bullet and invest in a good jacket, hat, gloves, and boots.

I don't usually wear anything extraordinary under the jacket since once you're indoors, it's usually heated to the point where sweaters get too hot. With a good down jacket, you can wear a simple t-shirt inside and you won't feel a thing even when it's 20F outside.

LL Beans has a lifetime guarantee so it's good money spent.

[timberline742]

It isn't cold yet, but honestly, I don't get "winter gear". Most of my friends don't either. Add a sweater or sweatshirt depending on what you're doing to your fall/spring coat (I have a carhart with horse blanket lining) and you're good all winter with the addition of hat/gloves (I just get cheapy ones from family dollar or something, no good reason to spend money on these things unless you're a skier). Seriously. Worst case scenario it gets really cold for a week all year and you add a thermal layer.

[johngolf]

The things I got rid off when I moved south from Boston were gloves, boots, and hats so they are the main things one needs to fight the cold. I also got rid of my corduroy pants and ragg wool sweaters. The catch is to dress in layers rather then a bulky coat. I never wore more then a mid weight, non lined parka length/style jacket. Mine had a hood that folded up into the collar. I rarely ever used the hood. Lightweight thermal long underwear is great as the base layer for casual dressing. My wife had silk long underwear she wore. She had it in several colors.

My main supplier was LL Bean and Eddie Bauer.

Again, dress in layers.

[dravogadro]

I echo dressing in layers and going to REI.

I highly recommend wool clothing. With a decent wool long-sleeved shirt/long underwear/socks, waterproof boots and a good windproof/waterproof jacket, you can get through most of the winter. If you are doing something where you are standing around for long periods of time, you might want a bulkier jackets.

I also wear a thin liner glove under a mitten so I am covered if I have to remove the mitten to reach into a pocket.

I feel like it takes one winter to get your 'winter skin', and then it is never as bad as the first one. Find activities to do outside and get your body adjusted; you may find yourself actually enjoying it!

[495neighbor]

Layers are the way to go, otherwise you'll be too cold outside or too hot when you go into an overheated commercial building.

Don't buy a really long coat. You don't want to drag the bottom of the coat through dirty piled up snow banks in the heart of January, when the snow is the worst.

All my coats have hoods. I should probably wear hats more often, but I usually get away without one. I wear large scarfs to cover the head and mouth tucked into the hooded coat.

I like the Isotoner type winter gloves. Warm, waterproof and easy to use hands for driving. Don't buy wool gloves and mittens, they get wet and you'll get chilblains and frostbite fast.

For boots, leather or practical, flat soles with good traction. Think of yourself as a car and the boots as your tires. Have room in the boot for winter stockings, the kind you would wear skiing and possible a second layer of thinner stocking.

Puffer type coats with a nice collar can be warm, waterproof and stylish for women.

Eddie Bauer and REI are good stores for men. The male family members should not try to imitate the idiots who try to look cool, macho wearing long baggy shorts in winter.

I have good luck with TJX and Marshalls in the Boston area.

[mlhm5]

Warmest and lightest jacket for adults and kids. I have these and they are really warm. A lot of the time I put them on with just a shirt underneath and they work fine.
BC MicroThermâ„¢ Down Jacket 2.0 | First Ascent
BC MicroThermâ„¢ Down Jacket 2.0 | First Ascent
Boys' MicroThermâ„¢ Down Hooded Jacket | First Ascent

I see LL Bean now has similar.
Ultralight 850 Down Jacket: Jackets and Vests | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean
Ultralight 850 Down Coat, Long: Winter Jackets | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean

I can never find a pair of good looking gloves that keep my hands warm.

[raveabouttoast]

Originally Posted by timberline742

It isn't cold yet, but honestly, I don't get "winter gear". Most of my friends don't either. Add a sweater or sweatshirt depending on what you're doing to your fall/spring coat (I have a carhart with horse blanket lining) and you're good all winter with the addition of hat/gloves (I just get cheapy ones from family dollar or something, no good reason to spend money on these things unless you're a skier). Seriously. Worst case scenario it gets really cold for a week all year and you add a thermal layer.

I generally agree, but would recommend at least one wind-breaking type layer. I can stand around in 0 degree weather just fine, but it gets brutal when it's windy.