The North Face Himalayan Parka

This year I finally retired my old,well used jacket. So I was in the market for a lighter /warmer down jacket to mainly use for shovel snow in..the temp this winter in the upper mid west was very harsh--even few days down into the -30 territory..
I visited Seattle's Feathered Friends--I love their Rock and Ice Parka but FF's cut was way too tight on my waist. I needed more than a XXL on FF's --and the sales lady wasn't too sure if they can make more room around the waist..But the fit and finish was very, very nice.
Then I tried Mountain Hardware Sub-Zero jacket---way too short.too light .returned it right away..
Order This one...NF has a more generous cut (around the waist) for us big guys..Fit and finish is much better than MH's Sub-Zero. (but of course not in the $800 FF custom parka bracket) ..Its lighter than it looks, It looks way better in person than the image provided, Red looks very handsome-- But No doubt -this jacket will look huge on you but when you are in the below -0 temp range, No one will stare.. overall..its a nice parka, I like the Hobo gloves..they work well when you are walking about in the freeze..The Hood is well designed--covers your ears with the high collar and it hugs your head with only a few pulls--The only weakness on this parka is the YKK front zipper...they are difficult to mate and catch correctly..It often takes more than a few tries..but once mated correctly...pulling up the zipper is smooth..I Hope the zipper will last, other wise this is really a very nice jacket ..Hopefully NF Life time warranty would help if the zipper gives in down the road.. ...NF should improve this zipper in their next version if there's one..Overall..its a great Buy from backcountry..with this special price..its hard to beat....

This year I finally retired my old,well used jacket. So I was in the market for a lighter ,warmer down jacket to mainly use for shovel snow in..the temp this winter in the upper mid west was very harsh--even few days down into the -30 territory..
I visited Seattle's Feathered Friends--I love their Rock and Ice Parka but FF's cut was way too tight on my waist. I needed more than a XXL on FF's --and the sales lady wasn't too sure if they can make more room around the waist..But the fit and finish was very, very nice.
Then I tried Mountain Hardware Sub-Zero jacket---way too short.too light .returned it right away..
Order This one...NF has a more generous cut (around the waist) for us big guys..Fit and finish is much better than MH's Sub-Zero. (but of course not in the $800 FF custom parka bracket) ..Its lighter than it looks, It looks way better in person than the image provided, Red looks very handsome-- But No doubt -this jacket will look huge on you but when you are in the below -0 temp range, No one will stare.. overall..its a nice parka, I like the Hobo gloves..they work well when you are walking about in the freeze..The Hood is well designed--covers your ears with the high collar and it hugs your head with only a few pulls--The only weakness on this parka is the YKK front zipper...they are difficult to mate and catch correctly..It often takes more than a few tries..but once mated correctly...pulling up the zipper is smooth..I Hope the zipper will last, other wise this is really a very nice jacket ..Hopefully NF Life time warranty would help if the zipper gives in down the road.. ...NF should improve this zipper in their next version if there's one..Overall..its a great Buy from backcountry..with this special price..its hard to beat....

Love the Parka- its amazingly lightweight for its appearance- oh, about the title- this thing is wicked lofty! If you are worried about "looking 40 lbs heavier in your jacket, this isnt for you- If you couldnt care less about how inflated you appear- by all means BUY IT! This a great parka for the money (got mine @ 30% off from here @ Backcountry.com- would have bought another but the price returned to retail/MSRP since). The only boggle I have with it are the "monkey cuffs". But once you resolve to the fact they are there to stay, they really dont mind them too much. Thought about cutting them off, but they are easily tucked up out of the way around your wrist & back up into the sleeves. Ive received compliments on the color (Molten Red) and the simplicity of the jacket/parka design is outstanding. I have purchased maybe 25-30 various TNF products and have given them to my wife & extensive family members as gifts on numerous occassions. I highly recommend this parka for casual wear as well. You dont sweat in it even if the weather is mild but are securely warm if the temp plummetts. One more thing- the hood does NOT detach from the jacket and with the "neck roll" which is also sewn into the neck of the jacket, the two together can look like a "sack of potatoes" residing behind your head. Love the color, size is near-true ( I usually buy an XL, but as TNF sizes run comfortably big, I opted for the L instead- fits perfectly with room to move freely & layer underneath. Tried a Med in this coat but the area around the waist/hip area was too snug (5'10, a non-athletic 213 lbs).

The Company: I purchased a North Face Himalayan Insulated Parka (Men's) from BackCountry.com by telephone. I was pleased with the order process and the shipping. The first jacket I promptly received had a small cut in the material located on the upper left shoulder. Once called, BackCountry quickly sent another item and documents to return the offending item.

The Himalayan: I have been a customer of North Face since 1986, so my comments are relative tot he NF products I have owned over the years, from shirts to heavy jackets and parkas. This Himalayan is a great garment. It is well designed and has a variety of features that make it a pleasure to wear. It is light wieght and packs well. There are adjustments in the hood and coat and wrists so it can be made to fit perfectly. This is an expensive investment, but I am pleased with the money spent for the quality received.

The only concern I have with the Himilayan Parka is that I have a little trouble when trying to zip the parka. The zipper can easily catch nearby material and jam in the area near the bottom third of the zipper track. The zipper is a bit difficult to start at the bottom. The zipper is also tough to move in the area from the upper chest to the top of the zipper track.

This parka is awesome. I thought my MH Subzero SL parka was superb, which it is, but this TNF Himalayan is incredible for general purpose chores in bad weather. Born and raised/lived in Colorado most of my life and I know either one of these parka's will handle anything this state has to offer. I have not had this TNF parka very long so I can not speak for the durability of the outer fabric, but it looks very promising. I got it on sale for almost half price, but considering other products I've had I'd say it is worth the asking price. Great pockets, hood and so on. I am 5' 9" and 190, and the large fits the way I like it. Plenty of room to layer should it ever become an issue. And, as always the gearheads are a pleasure to do business with. This is probably the only store besides REI I trust buying over the phone, since I know if something is wrong or the fit is off, I can always send it back and try something else.