Its wintertime in the PNW again, and my trusty old coat is starting to give up the ghost. I patch a tear, a new one forms beside it. What can I say, it's 70+ years old, an alpaca-lined ¾ length USN hooded parka. Cotton twill shell. Fantastically warm with just a hoodie and t shirt underneath. I love it.
Now, the conditions: I am extraordinarily hard on my clothing. I don't need something specifically waterproof, but I do need something tear- and abrasion-resistant. I work in commercial mechanical maintenance, so I spend most of my time indoors or crawling inside some fan assembly, or crawlspace, or moving some piece of machinery, or darting to deal with a urinal that won't stop flushing. If you've ever been around HVAC equipment, just know that everything is sharp and jagged and will ruin your day in a hurry if you aren't careful. I also usually end up with a healthy layer of grease and oil and airborne grime all over me, which means it ends up on the coat I'm wearing. I do a lot of bending and twisting and slithering, so waist-length isn't going to do it for me.
Insulated coveralls, right? Unfortunately, I end up switching from outdoor work to indoor work several times over the course of the day, so I need something I can get into and out of quickly.
Finally, price: I'll pay more for quality, but I'm not looking to get into Canada Goose territory. There's a good chance whatever I buy with give me the usual 2-3 years before it becomes un-mendable, but more would be nice.
Submitted December 27, 2019 at 09:36PM by captain_joe6 https://ift.tt/2Q1n3M4