Bunch of my friends and colleagues actually bought their parkas from Arctic Bay as well. They are all 100% made in Canada with amazing water repellent fabric, which is a big bonus for wet snow and random rains in winter. Now that I live in Regina Saskatchewan where the temperatures can dip well below -40C with the windchill, I really appreciate the Canada Goose jacket that I bought two years ago. I was in Montreal over Christmas and it was pretty cold. I stumbled upon Kanuk and they were having a really nice sale so I bought a coat on impulse. Once I put it on I no longer needed all the layering.
I won’t need to replace it for another 8 years. Rather than educating themselves on what to look for when looking at details that indicate quality such people get fooled by the hype. I took my CG parka to compare at Sportnlife, seen the exact same problem with the shoulders. There is no or very thin down in that area.
The only annoying thing is that ‘everyone’ seems to be wearing one especially in Toronto. Also, I do feel guilty about wearing coyote fur. I was ‘down’ with the idea at one point, so I actually went to try one on, and then realized that there was a coyote fur-lined hood. Ready to buy one, I asked if I could purchase it without this fur, when the reply was ‘No’, I was out.
I downhill ski in the winter and anyone who does that any length of time eventually acquires a good ski jacket (nothing like being stuck on a lift at -15C with a good wind blowing down the hill!). I don’t think I’ve ever paid more that $300 for a good jacket. And it has been warm enough to wear in Quebec City in February (just don’t have any exposed skin!). The pockets are huge and plentiful and I can stuff extra mitts and balaclava in the pockets for really cold days.
Yes, it was still dark outside, which made me less inclined to want to do all of the things. But my jacket was keeping me warm enough to withstand the frigid temperatures outside, so I was more inclined to do goose jacket some of the things. I could walk outside to get lunch without shivering! I could head down the street to grab an iced coffee and only have to deal with the one hand carrying it potentially getting frostbite!
I’m sure that some people will buy Canada Goose for status, but many people buy CG as a pragmatic or ethical decision. I got a big tax return this year, and being poor, I’ve never had a high quality winter coat, so I decided a parka would be a wise investment. Canada Goose manufactures entirely in Canada, where we have adequate labor laws, and sources the down and fur in Canada as well, where we have animal welfare laws. Habitats are destroyed, damaged and polluted by industry, plain and simple. Thankfully the coyotes were not farmed and subjected to cruelty for the entirety of their lives, unlike other fur animals.
I think most people buy them to be trendy, show off their status. Remove that crest, and no one would know how cool you are. Thus, it’s all about the crest and the brand and not really about the quality. I’d like to say I’d never goose coat spend $700 on a coat, but I live in Victoria, BC and am completely ignorant to what “real” cold feels like. I’m a bit puzzled about those who pay so much money to wear a coat in relatively tropical environments such as Toronto.
A while back I was shoppin for a computer. And the type of Computer (custom vs off-the shelf)seemed to fit the bill. Some of the information goose coat on the Web is just that information. Much is not sorted or collated in a proper format. Ask yourself, exactly what you will use it for?