Are the hand pockets insulated?

Would this be as warm or warmer than the marmot afterburner jacket? Im looking for a warmer end softshell that I can layer over a fleece for really cold weather but that will also work well as a stand alone jacket for pretty cold weather. I own the afterburner jacket which works well for the latter but its a little hard to layer under it.

Would the hyllus layer well under this for when the temp really drops?

Based on the fit, how well would a fleece fit under this for layering?

Without taking wind resistance into consideration, would this be as warm as The North Face Khumbu? Also is there a flap behind the zipper?

Does anyone know how water resistant these pants are? I mean one wouldn't likely be wearing these in a downpour, but what about against wet and slushy snow?

I know Down is generally warmer, but would the Alcove Jacket be pretty close to this in terms of warmth?

I'm torn between this coat and the Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Down Jacket. I'm looking for a good durable down jacket for being outside for an extended period of time in very cold whether (ie camping and expeditions in heavy winter whether). Is this jacket really the better buy for the price? I know its got a stronger shell (waterproof) and a higher fill rate but is also heavier and more bulky.

Is there really that big of a difference between the parka and the jacket version? I'm asking because there are a lot more complaints in the reviews for the parka version concerning the material tearing, the hood and zippers. I was originally under the impression the only real difference between the two is the length before really reading the reviews.

So I bought this jacket not necessarily for snowboarding but more for its combination of down plus gortex. When I received the jacket I noticed there is not a large amount of down in it and it is overall thinner than I expected. It is not cold enough here yet for a good field test so I'm wondering: Will this coat stand up well against significantly cold weather for extended periods even if you are not being significantly active?

I'm 6'2 195lbs and I want to make sure I'm getting plenty of coverage with possibly a little room to layer (even though I'm sure you don't need much with this). I generally run XL with winter coats so would XL be a good choice here?