I've already raved about the wonderful service at Backcountry.com. One of my concerns in buying this parka was that it would simply be too hot to be comfortable here in central Virginia. Last night my son and I attended a lacrosse game and sat in the stands in 35-40 degree weather, without a lot of wind. I wore the parka just to try it out, and it kept me very comfortable as most around me shivered and complained about the cold. Walking across parking lots and up the stairs to our seats I kept the parka unzipped and was very comfortable, but my guess is it would be too hot to wear zipped up doing vigorous physical activity in such weather. But it seems to be very well made, has a ton of pockets, and my 15-year-old son tells me it looks "G," which seems to be a nice thing among his generation. I did not make use of the hood. Bottom line is I am totally satisfied and would recommend this to others without reservation (well, unless you live in Hawaii of Florida).

I bought one of these because I needed a XXXL size for those rare Virginia winter days when I really want to keep warm. It is beautifully made, warm as toast, and my 15-year-old son actually approved the look.

But what was truly remarkable to me (besides the fact that Backcountry.Com had it much cheaper than competitors) was the SERVICE I received. I ordered the jacket around midnight one Sunday, at at noon Monday decided to change the color from brown to black. I got through to a customer service rep. without waiting on hold, he spoke ENGLISH, and when he discovered my parka had already been shipped(!) he offered to recall that package at no cost to me and send me the one I wanted. He then discovered that my sale price had ended Sunday at midnight, but volunteered to give me the sale price anyway since it was an exchange. Dealing with him was an absolute delight, and I've become big fan. The parka is GREAT, but the service was even better.