Columbia G41 Parka
December 25, 2009
Take a gander at that jacket shown above. It’s awesome looking isn’t it? I guarantee you that when you pull out this jacket, it will be greeted by “oooooooooohhhhhh that is COOL!” This is one of the sharpest looking jackets to pass the Geargals’ door. The unique and striking color scheme is sure to garner attention wherever you wear. From what I can tell, there are two options available, the brown/white and a pink/purple/white. For whatever reason (which could probably say a lot about me if one were interested enough to psychoanalyze this little fact) I really prefer earthy colors like grey and brown, so I am really in love with the brown and white version. I think my G41 parka and brown ski pants are my second coolest ski outfit. In the interest of full disclosure, my very coolest ski outfit is my blue pants and red jacket, so you may want to take my color preferences with a grain of salt.
Performance-wise, this jacket seems pretty clearly designed for warm-ish winter conditions and mostly for lift-served skiing. I wore it in single digits (without the liner, see below) and was a tad chilly, but when skiing in wet conditions, the Omni-Tech fabric will keep you warm and dry (and very stylish, natch). The copious pockets are meant for your snacks and gadgets (there is the required iPod pocket, after all) and the styling walks the line between baggy and body-conscious. That’s right – you can rock the slouch vibe while not looking like Charlie Brown in a jacket 5 times too large.
My sample jacket also came with a removable inner liner which I admit to taking out to wear on its own and never putting back in the jacket. It’s a cute little well-cut hooded, thumbholed fleece that provides a little extra insulation while wearing the waterproof outer layer and translates well to apres ski or even a chilly morning run. The fleece even has the iPod pocket so you never have to go without your tunes.
Usually we traditionally hand off tested gear to other wearers, or donate it to a good cause, but all of us are having a hard time letting go of the G41 simply for the fashion factor. There is something for everyone whether you like the flashy pink and purple option or the more stately brown. You even get the bonus fleece liner which in itself is a nice addition to the gear closet, so if you want to stand out in the lift line or in while shredding that always-showoffy run right under the lift, the G41 is a good bet.
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