I have a list of things that I would like to cover. But, I
figured this one would be best to do before what little winter we have had this
year leaves us. I am a big fan of wool for outdoor uses. From baselayer, to
outerwear, I just love the stuff. Four years ago, I figured why not incorporate
it into my daily clothes too and I purchased a Filson Double Mackinaw Jacket.
Perhaps it is that I am just not the most stylish person in
the world. But, as soon as it starts getting cold in the fall, until it starts
warming up in the spring, this the jacket I wear every day. No kidding! If I
dress up in wool dress pants and dress shoes, this jacket looks fine. Jeans and
boots….yup. Take it camping….yup. Seriously, there were days when I would come
hope from work in this jacket, dress pants, dress shoes, etc, go in the house
and change, and then wear it to stack wood for the wood stove. It has truly
been a one size fits all conditions type of jacket for me.
Filson’s website has info and pictures of all the features
of the jacket, so I am not going to re-create it all here. Instead, I will just
take note of a couple of the features that I think are extra cool. The lower
pockets will let you top load them full of stuff, and then it still allows you
to stick your hand in from the side. The top loading pockets hold quite a bit,
and the side pocket is useful for when you fill up one, you can keep your hand
warm in the other. Another relatively common feature is the inside pocket. This
isn’t really anything special, as most jackets have something similar. I use
mine for my pipe :) Probably the coolest feature of the jacket is the rear game
pouch. It has large buttoned openings on either side, and is one big comparment
that can be accessed from either side. While I would not put a bloody carcass
in there, it does supply quite a bit of room. It may look funny, but I have
wadded up two kids jackets and stuffed them in there just to keep from carrying
them. Lots of possibilities there.
The final thing I wanted to comment regarding this jacket is
the wear. I already mentioned how often I wear it, and that I wear it stacking
wood. Just because this thing is expensive does not mean that I have taken it
easy on it. I have used it for cutting wood, working outside, stacking wood,
hunting, and it has been on most, if not all, of my winter camping trips. These
are things that I would not want to do with many modern material jackets.
Despite all of that, after 4 winters, I see virtually no sign of wear on this
thing. You have to love wool!
