Review: The Parka Nobis, a savage series of events in the land of the deers (1/2) - Men's Fashion in 2024

If you’ve already been faced with a trip to the mountains, skiing downhill or at least lessons, it’s likely that you already have a relatively clear idea what you do better first time round, what kind of equipment you will obtain and what kind of precautions you’re going to take. This article can allow you to calmly come face-to-face with the biting cold.

If, for example, you’re going on a trip to Norway perhaps, and you want to have a specific idea in mind of what you’re going to do, don’t worry.

By the end of the article, if you have any queries, you can ask them in the commentary and I will respond accordingly with the Kinowear team dedicated to the post.

The most painstaking of preparations: to dress yourself during the freezing cold

When I learnt that I would be spending four months in Canada, during the harshest part of winter in Quebec, I immediately sought to equip myself with warm clothing. Admittedly, the forecasted temperatures were looking at being around -20C to -30C for a big chunk of January. Referencing an expression from Quebec, “ now is not the time to fool around!”

So, I contacted Benoit, who has already broken his way through snowstorms, to ask him what he would advise I wear in such an hostile, arctic environment. He was somewhat pragmatic, very much like his character, “don’t joke about the cold, it’s important to invest in properly adapted clothing.”

Note from Benoit: I can’t emphasise this enough, don’t look to save money when you’re buying clothes to protect you from the cold. In my opinion, the cheaper Parkas out there aren’t that trustworthy.

After taking his advice, I got my hands on some stuff that could be useful in the conditions that awaited me:

Thermal underwear from Uniqlo and Nike (their range for running in winter)

They’re handy to have pretty much all the time, allowing you extra warmth and comfort if the wind is particularly strong, or if you’re walking longer than an hour in the snow. Between long johns, socks, and long sleeved t-shirts, it’s easy to manage multiple layers that will be adapted to function with the activity that you expect to do. Note from Benoit: When I was in Montreal, I remember that apart from long johns, you don’t really need loads of thermal undergarments. With a decent pair of socks, vests and whatever you decide to cover your head with, you’ll be fine.

Trousers that are thick, warm and protect from the wind

Protecting your legs is essential because, the torso is easily covered by lots of layers, yet we don’t put on as many trousers. So, once my dignity was put to one side, I pulled on my thermal leggings under wind-protecting trousers, or alternatively ski trousers work fine too, and my legs were protected.

In conditions that are considered a health risk, you must quickly get used to wearing leggings more often than a TV host wears make up.

Sous-titre: Dressing yourself in warm clothing better not resemble this, Sirs Dolce & Gabbana

A pair of winter boots

Walking on snow that is hardly solid softens your step, as you don’t want to break it, but you end up buried up to the knee. A good pair of boots will be well adapted, because there are those that will protect the foot from the cold which worms its way in little by little. Mountain boots, boots with thick soles (note from Benoit: go crazy with Vibram soles! The thickness of the sole is a key factor) and trousers which cover them, even the gaiters, if you wear them when hiking.

An essential Canadian Parka (or not far from)

Even if getting (and investing in) a thick coat is somewhat disputed, we will see what the advantages and disadvantages exist, how to choose one, etc. I will develop this topic at a later date.

Moisturiser

The cold, the frequent change in temperature and the wind will ruin exposed skin that will find itself constantly aggravated. It’s important to repair your skin to avoid chapping, frostbite and other joys to look out for. For me, I take two tubes of cream to repair my hands, one pot of hydrating balm for my body and three sticks for my lips.

Here, you aren’t lacking with brands, and you probably already have your favourites. I chose to buy an American brand: Neutrogena. It’s very effective, already after a month of glacial temperatures, my skin isn’t marked and I have never had chapped lips.

Sous-titre: The roads are effectively de-iced, however the cold is always there, as with snow up to your knees too.

The story of the Parka Nobis: where does it come from?

Nobis was born from the division of the Canada Goose team, on the subject of which direction the brand should go. Nobis was thus created in 2007 where the aim was to associate protection against the cold and the expertise of design and development. The brand is young, but it already has experience with an established label. Interesting, no?

Nobis has mixed its Canadian heritage; military codes and contemporary street wear culture with warm clothing. One will particularly appreciate the care taken to make the coats functional and comfortable to wear thanks to the properties of the clothing.

Models Cartel, Yiggins and Yatesy

Note from Benoit: There’s a little bit of funny product placement concerning this brand, since the last Resident Evil film, the heroes are fighting with a Nobis on their backs.)

Sous-titre: This goes out to all the fans of the Resident Evil 4 heroes, Léon Kennedy!

All the models are impermeable, stuffed with Canadian goose feathers, and are wind broken. There are many technical details, but in short, the clothing is composed of many layers, which are added up to create ultimate protection against the elements.

The coatings that are used are reputable for their effectiveness and are used by all textile giants and heating for its waterproof qualities, wind resistance, ventilation (like sportswear) and warmth.

What kind of conditions have you experienced?

Whilst testing the Parka, I was firstly faced with outings during snowstorms. I’ve been especially surprised because I’ve had the tendency in the past to dress myself with a classic coat, but found myself too hot once outdoors (note from Benoir: we all have to do everything first time round! Once you have bought a Parka that’s warm enough, you’ll realise that to wear coarse knitwear on top is too much.)

I reserved a part of my technical clothing to wear when my coat was too much. In concrete terms, I wore my coat each time I needed to be outside for longer than half an hour, and with this, I never felt the cold or the wind.

After a decent fight against the snow and many descents, the coat wasn’t humid and the melted snow ran immediately without even permeating it. I tested all aspects of the coat without discovering the tiniest fault for now (note from Benoit: this is what we mean by “trustworthy clothing.”)

Returning to sport, I was perfectly at ease, as my coat breathed fine and allowed the excess heat to escape, whilst I remained at a perfect temperature to not let in the cold despite the difficult environmental temperatures. (Note from Benoit: I’ve had the same feeling with my Parka, it’s really strange that you don’t get too hot even when you’re doing sport. It’s the belief that really good quality and perfectly balanced down allows for heat transfer.)

Finally, with the gusts of wind, the only cold that I felt was on my face and legs. With my trousers being much thinner than the Parka, it’s understandable. I felt like I was inside a rolled up rug, the wind unleashing itself upon it, but it couldn’t reach me. It is honestly the first time that I have felt completely secure inside a coat.

Note from Benoit: There is a real sense of “client experience” which is put in place without even realising, especially with a Parka, which carefully guards body heat. It’s a slightly strange sensation when you see the arctic wind rip into your badly equipped friends whilst you don’t feel a thing.