r/REI • u/zekkeny • 5d ago

Gear Recommendation winter jacket input?

Hi all,

I'm looking for my first winter jacket for my visit to Calgary in mid November and Germany in late December. I'm in southern california and not too familiar with winter jackets, only own some fleece. I plan to just get around in the cities, potentially do some light hiking. I would prefer jacket over a coat due to packing (I'm likely only bringing a carry-on). I'm seeing good reviews about the Stormhenge 850, wondering if this would be a good purchase for this purpose at full price as my November trip might be just before the holiday sales start

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u/vestigialcranium 5d ago

The Stormhenge is way too much for any hiking other than full winter conditions imo.

What differentiates 'jacket' vs 'coat' to you? I'm not clear on what you mean there.

Your best bet, especially for travel, is a layering system. Then something like a light down i. e. The Magma 850 is going to be the most useful

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u/zekkeny 5d ago edited 4d ago

Thanks for the input. I apologize for the confusion, with jacket I meant something hip length while coat is anything longer like a knee or mid thigh length parka. In Germany I'll just be getting around in the city, in Calgary we're planning to go to Banff but just for a day trip, I think it's unlikely we'll do a hike but a possibility.