Your top jacket choice?

[Guest]

I have a wool pea-coat with a quilted liner, very warm. Love it! We're getting ready for a trip to upper Washington State and my wife needs a jacket. I'm inclined to recommend she gets a coat just like mine, but I'd like to hear other opinions.

PS- While recently looking at coats for her I noticed the women

[Grand58742]

I've had decent luck finding women's jackets (for the former girlfriend) online at the following spots:

http://www.campmor.com/

http://www.everestgear.com/

http://www.rei.com/

http://www.steepandcheap.com/

The Steep and Cheap link changes every fiften, twenty minutes or so.

Depending on style, budget and ability of your wife to wear what you pick out, the ex didn't mind the Patagonia, Columbia or Marmot stuff. But each woman is different lol.

[EX121]

Depending on what side of the mountains you are going to, may determine what you need. The west (wet) side doesn't usually get very cold, even in winter. The east (dry) is different. I suggest a good thigh length rain coat and an insulated jacket. That way she could wear it in layers if necessary.
Women even with their higher fat layer are more vulnerable to the cold due to their overall smaller body size. A big mass looses heat slower than a large mass. Think bigger species of animals in the north versus smaller version in the tropics.

[WiseOwl]

My wifes vote is in for North Face. Keeps her warm and is comfy for a woman.

We saw some nice Marmot jackets this past weekend at an REI type of store. If you can get past the ugly colors, those are some really good jackets for the Mrs.

[610Alpha]

but maybe women are naturally warmer because of their higher fat % (no offense, I'm being genuine). Women, what's up with that?

No women are not warmer, at least the ones that I know feel like they are colder all the time. My theory is that when females turn 12 their ability to regulate their body temperature stops functioning. From my wife to my grandma and women in between in age, they all talk about how cold they are and they don't feel warm unless its 90+ degrees outside. My Aunt installed a NG furnace on her pool and she doesn't get in if it is below 87 degrees F. Even if it is 100 degrees F.

[jimmycthemd]

It's a fact that womens' thermoregulation is not as robust as a man. Not dinging women, just a physiological reality.