I recently picked up a jacket from Bigfoot Mountain Outfitters. I liked the color and the fit and it seemed well built. I figured it would be a great jacket for work and some mild outdoor conditions, but soon I had to put it to an extreme test and it performed great!
While I was shopping at Bigfoot Mountain Outfitters in Ridgefield, WA, I saw the new jacket and immediately liked the look. It was the new Spellbinder Parka from Howler Brothers. The XL fit perfect and I bought it on the spot. I left for a business trip in Alaska a few days later and wore the Spellbinder Parka on the plane, figuring it would be a littler cooler in Anchorage than Portland.
The jacket was perfect for the 30 - 50 degree weather in Anchorage, and I even received a few compliments on how I had stepped up my wardrobe! I talked to a buddy of mine down in Soldotna, and he said I should stay an extra day and come down to fish with him on the Kenai for late season Coho and big Rainbows. I was able to change my flights around to take the "REDEYE" out on Friday night (actually 1:50 am Sat Morning) and hopped a flight from Anchorage to Kenia Friday Morning.
Thinking it would not be too cold, I wore some insulated pants, t-shirt and a Hoodie from Bigfoot Mountain Outfitters, with the Howler Bros jacket. To my surprise, when I got to Kenai it was 11 degrees. I thought, oh boy this is going to be a looooong day.
Mike picked me up and we headed to the river, luckily, he brought a pair of neoprene boot-foot waders for me to put on and that definitely helped to keep me dry and warm. We headed down river and to my relief the Spellbinder Jacket performed great in the wind and cold. I had to zip it all the way up to protect my face while we were running in the boat, and the hood was a must too. We fished for 6 hours in the cold weather, and my core stayed warm the whole day!
A jacket I bought primarily for the look, turned out to be a great performance jacket. I'm telling you that fishing all day in temps in the teens can be a miserable day if you are not dressed for it, but the Howler Bros jacket kept me comfortable all day! I highly recommend this jacket! Check out the selection at Bigfoot Mountain Outfitters in Ridgefield WA!