I hate carhartts, lol I am short and fluffy and have big boobs. The stiff material just makes me feel like a peanut m&m with T Rex arms lol. I don’t care that I look like an m&m, it’s the T Rex effect for me that ticks me off lol
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Since we’re on the subject of winter coats . . . just this week I ran across an article on the CNN website that barn coats are the fashion trend this year. So we can all just wear our ratty barn coats to town and be right in style!
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can we talk about ZIPPERS? I am so freaking sick of the zippers going bad!!! I have a mountain horse coat that I love - thankfully the snaps work because the zipper died a few years ago. Now the zipper on my Shires coat is on its last legs and I’ve already broken the snaps on it 
So which of these coats have sturdy zippers that will stand up to my abuse?
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You can quite easily have those zippers replaced with heavy duty ones at your local dry cleaners, fyi.
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The last time I had a zipper replaced I think it was $40. I feel like my coats aren’t even worth that 
It’s like when a beater car is totaled because replacing bumper costs more than the car is worth 
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Fair!
Yeah - the last quote I got on a zipper replacement for a jacket was $50 and that was a few years ago.
I’ll echo the LL Bean Baxter Parka. I have that and it is so warm I will sweat over about 25 degrees. It’s not particularly breathable so I rarely ride in it, but it is fabulous for horse chores in cold weather.
It’s also a very tough jacket. I’ve had mine 5+ years and the only thing starting to get iffy is the zipper.
ETA - mine unfortunately does not have a two-way zipper. They may have changed that over the years so check if it’s a feature you care about.
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Zippers are the bane of my existence. Can we bring back snaps and buttons? So sick of broken zippers!
Rant over, stepping off the soapbox. Thanks for letting me vent.
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I tend to get barn coats filthy, even though I dont clean stalls! So I didnt want to spend a lot on a coat that is going to get trashed, but I wanted to be warm. My solution this year was a heated ororo vest under a cheapo Walmart parka. Works so well I got a second coat for when this one gives out.
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My winter barn coat is the LL Bean Rugged Ridge parka:
I do barn stuff in and also ride in it. The hood is big enough that I can fit it over my helmet and it has a 2-way zipper which makes it easier to ride with. It’s pretty durable, not sure how old mine is but at least 5 years old. That said, I did have an issue with the zipper but to be honest, I have problems with every zipper (guess I’m hard on my stuff or have bad zipper karma). I bought a zipper repair kit from FixnZip and was able to fix it.
The kits from FixnZip are pretty easy and was able to rescue some of my other jackets 
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Check out the repair kits from FixnZip, I was able to salvage some jackets with them.
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I have the same issue. I found that putting a thermal sock over the boots and then put a rubber over shoe on really helps. I did this with my winter riding boots and this year, I put did the same thing with my LL Bean winter boots. I just use the cheap thick acrylic socks and for my LL Bean boots I used this:
Looks goofy but my feet are soooo much warmer now!
I think OP was referring more to barn coats, BUT- if anyone is looking for a great winter riding coat, the Horze one I linked from Chicks is really nice. Great fabric, fits well and seems like it will be warm and hold up nicely.
I have been a wearing a Carhartt zip-up hooded jacket for years, nice and warm as a top layer, really stops the wind.
But.
It is sooo bulky and stiff! I just realized the reason winter weather exhausts me so much is because I’m constantly fighting the resistance in that jacket to do anything more than stand there with my arms out like Randy in A Christmas Story! So I’m looking to replace it with something really warm that doesn’t require an additional layer, with a hood, that isn’t bulky or stiff (so no canvas or duck). I checked out some of the links on here already and sadly, seems like everyone is sold out or backordered (or only offers ugly colors). This will be a barn chores jacket so color shouldn’t matter, but if I’m paying that much for it I don’t want to wince every time I look at it.
Would something down-filled fit the bill, or do I need to look at other forms of insulation?
Can you wear men’s sizes? I would especially look at Duluth Trading, I’m pretty sure they make free swinging arm stuff, that would be the direction I would go. And women’s everythings seem to be way more tightly-fitted than mens.
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I thought it was just me that hated them- all the Carhartts seem to have be weirdly small in the armpit too. Like unless you’re a walking skeleton, none of them hang right
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For riding, I’m going to give a major plug to Sync Equestrian winter breeches and their sweatshirt as well. They’re some of the warmest I’ve tried. My riding coat is Kerrits and I find it to be pretty warm.
For general barn chores, I’ve been throwing insulated pants on under a full length Lands End coat that is 100% trashed. I find that their coats are pretty warm and you can get them on sale and not worry about them too much. I obviously wash them and they look better after that but I would say that this ensemble is something I’ve created for warmth only. If I wanted to look put together, the insulated pants are fine and pretty hard wearing but the coat is a bit questionable.
I will say that my Carhartt that’s from 2006ish is very warm and broken in. I can’t deal with the new ones!
Jackets with the heat reflecting material on the inside have been a game changer. I cannot believe how much of a difference it can make.
I have a layering system that works so well for me, I wear the exact same thing every day.
-
Base layer: EIS cold weather shirt
** I haven’t tried many base layers because I got a discount on these and bought enough to rotate. A SmartPak one I tried recently was terrible - uncomfortable (really tight around my armpits, I’m 115lbs and was wearing XS and it fit everywhere else) and did not keep me warm. -
Middle layer: LL Bean Ultralight 850 Down Sweater
**It’s amazing how warm this is for how lightweight it is. No Michelin man here. I have two, one has held up for 6 years incredibly well. So much better than the huge old school MH I used to spend every winter in. -
Outer layer: LL Bean Women’s Ultrawarm Coat, Long
** This is SO WARM I only wear it outside while turning out. Or at Buffalo Bills games in January - that should tell you how warm it is! I have never been cold while wearing this, even when standing still for hours in negative temps.
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I have a puffy Columbia parka with that feature ( and also 2-way zipper and thumb hole lining). It really is a game changer. That parka is soo light and comfortable, and so warm. Would not fare well in a barn situation though 
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