My daughter’s boyfriend must have this jacket as he wore the inner liner on a European cruise we went on a couple of weeks ago (the metallic liner is very distinctive, and it was a Columbia jacket. He had to borrow a rain jacket to wear over it from my husband on a couple of cold rainy days.
I told my daughter that we should get him a nice raincoat for Christmas, but she said he had one, it was just at his parents house. I’m betting it was the outer shell of the 3 in 1.
There are a lot of companies that make those three in one things. I would let the student choose their own clothing. My own kids would never wear something that isn’t a solid color.
How cold will it be in NM when college starts? @WayOutWestMom might know. Can this student take a fleece and a hoodie to wear…and then see what is usual cold weather garb at his college? Then order it?
It’s a very nice and generous gift, but I would let the kid choose what color(s) they wanted
Our experience is the 3-in-1 coats are good in theory, but they aren’t practical. Coats are something you want to grab on the way out the door, not something you want to assemble. They end up being used as two separate jackets or as one jacket. As separates, there are better options. My kids prefer a puffy with a fleece underneath. Those two items would have a lot of use in NM.
Adding…my kids are more likely to layer a fleece vest under a jacket…than another jacket with sleeves.
I think it looks great and that’s a good price!
I’ve never noted fleece vests being worn by high school or college students and I live in a college town. Must be a regional thing.
Albuquerque will be hot for the first two or three months of school, with day time high temps in the coldest months in the high forties to low fifties. However, it can get very cold at night. The rainy season is in July and August. There is normally very little precipitation outside these months.
Climate in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
However, I think everyone needs a good rain jacket , because you just never know (refer to my earlier comment about my daughter’s boyfriend not bringing a rain jacket on our cruise when we advised him it would be wet and cold). A kid in Albuquerque would wear the inner liner of this jacket 99% of the time that a jacket is needed. But the outer shell would serve as a rain jacket or additional warmth if the student is interested in skiing or other wintertime outdoor activities.
If the kid isn’t going to UNM, particularly if they will be attending NMSU in Las Cruces (farther south on the Texas border near El Paso) then there may be other more suitable choices.
The kid will be at UNM.
When college starts, it will be HOT, probably in the low-mid 90s during the day with night time temperatures about 20 degree cooler. NM’s dry air plus high elevation and clear skies mean night time temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Typically around 20 degree lower than daytime; sometimes more than 20 degrees.
August can be rainy. It’s monsoon season so there’s always a chance of really massive thunderstorms. A lightweight rainjacket might be useful.
It won’t cool off really until October. Winters are pretty mild usually Mid 50s daytime, 20s-40s at night. Unless he’s going to be in a program at very high altitude (like in Red River/Taos) he probably won’t need a down jacket except for snow sports or mountain hiking. Fleece, esp windproof fleece or fleeece with windproof shell, is all he’ll really need to get thru the winter.
Since he won’t need a heavy jacket right away, you might let him acclimate first, then decide how much insulation he needs. There’s a REI in ABQ, another in Santa Fe.
FWIW, insulated vests are not a thing I see people wearing in NM. Except for some outdoor workers like utility linemen.
Full disclosure; I had a down coat when I lived in ABQ. I never wore it except for maybe 2-3 days/year and I mostly wore it because my butt got cold in the mornings on my way to work. The coat was too warm to wear by late morning/lunchtime.
When and where to buy winter cloths?
My freshman student be attending college in a sate with very cold winters. We live in a state that doesn’t get any snow or very low temperatures.
Any recommendations for us?
Anyone has good tips for winter boots? Leather or not leather? Or what type of material works best for winter boots?
Thank you!
Winter boots - not leather because the salt and deicer can stain them. My favorites are from Columbia. I also like the omni heat Columbia parkas. Less expensive than some of the popular brands but just as warm.
I bought straight through Columbia. Best time to buy in terms of sales is late winter so the window has passed.
The key to warm feet though is great socks.
I am originally from Canada, and live in the northeast of the US. One daughter attended university in Burlington Vermont. The other attended university in Canada.
When a student arrives at university in September, the weather should still be quite mild and pleasant. This gives a student some time to purchase winter gear.
I am skeptical about purchasing winter clothing in the south. While I have never tried to do it, I would wonder how knowledgeable sales people in southern states will be about winter gear. Probably there is a range of knowledge. In contrast, in a good clothing store in the north, sales people should know what they are doing in terms of helping someone purchase appropriate gear and the right gear should be available. Also, other students at the university (whichever northern university it is) will include many students who are familiar with what I call “real winters”.
I have several pairs of winter boots. Most are leather. They do get a bit stained from the salt, but I just do not worry about it. The ones that I wear the most are ankle high Cabela’s. The ones I wear the second most are taller pull on Merrills. There are however quite a few other very good brands. I also have a couple of pairs that are rubber on the bottom and leather on the top. The rubber bottoms take most of the contact with salt, and the boots do stay a bit cleaner looking. For a student one pair of ankle high boots should be sufficient (plus a pair of normal shoes). They are likely to want some “bite” in the soul of the boot to help minimize slipping on ice. Again a sales person in a good store should be able to suggest some good choices.
I agree that late winter sales can provide bargains. My warmest (and highest) winter boots would have been quite expensive, but I got 50% off in a late winter sale. However, I do not think that you will be in a position to benefit from this at least for the first round of winter gear.
Not losing gear can be an issue. One big issue here is that you walk outside with piles of gear on, then go inside and take it off. You need to not lose it during several hours in a warm building. As one example there needs to be somewhere to put gloves or mittens and a hat where they will not get lost. Over time a student develops habits. I did this as a young child but a few gloves were lost along the way.
Not leather! They won’t survive a winter of wet, salted walkways, and they’re heavy and bulky. I really like using my hiking boots as winter boots, because they’re lightweight and have a lot of grip in snow and ice (there’s another thread on CC that addresses hiking boot recommendations, so you can look at that thread for ideas). If you look for more standard snow boots, anything with good rubber soles that grip well should work. For coats, it depends on how cold it will get. My kids have 3-in-1 ski parkas, which are fine (and convenient, because you can remove or add layers depending on weather). My daughter’s heading to college in Maine, so we might get her a longer parka for the coldest stretches. For jackets, microfiber and synthetics (i.e., Thinsulate) are better than down – lighter weight, thinner layers that keep you just as warm, easier to clean. Fleeces are more versatile than wool sweaters, though your preferences might vary. Hats and scarves help, and gloves are a must (again, go with synthetics instead of leather, or just get fleece gloves, which will get your kid through all but the absolute coldest days).
No rush on any of this, because it’s not likely to get cold until at least October, and your kid can ask their new friends for recommendations.
For warm boots, check out Sorels. There are many many different styles from which to choose. I’ve had mine for a very long time. They just don’t wear out.
Re: winter clothing…I would let your kid get to college and see what is the trend there. At some places, you will see a lot of NorthFace or Columbia…or REI. At others LLBean or something like that. Just send your kid with some layers for the fall and let the order to be shipped to them at school.
Important. Get warm socks, and a warm hat…and gloves. We are from New England where it gets mighty cold. Really, neither wore boots much (except when snowblowing the driveway) but both had great socks, gloves and hats…and wore layers like a warm fleece over a hoodie or something like that.
Patagonia (or Patagucci to some) is having their summer sale now through August 22. Last season’s clothing and gear is 30% off. REI has a lot of the same items on sale too in addition to other popular outdoor brands.