I thought my wife was a picky shopper.
I'll never complain again.
There are some things in life that I like just the way they are. I don't need 'em improved, modified, changed, whatevered. But that doesn't seem to be the way it works.
This particular model of Carhartt jacket is exactly what I like to wear on the river trapline. XL tall allows plenty of room for maximum arm movement without lifting the bottom up. Also allow me to wear just a T-shirt under the jacket and that is enough without getting overheated. The quilted versions cause me to overheat. The polyester lining in this model is just enough. If I get cold, I take it off and slip on a lightweight sweatshirt over the T-shirt. Jacket goes back on with maximum movement maintained. And that will keep me warm down to near zero when I'm on the move. The bottom of the jacket is knit and stays in place.
The zipper is heavy duty. Haven't had one fail yet.
The inside pockets have one that is zippered. Perfect place for the cell phone to stay warm and dry without chance of falling out.
The outside pockets are large enough to accept gloves.
The sleeves are not bulky. That means I can easily slip on shoulder length gauntlets without having things bunch up. Knit cuffs on the ends of the sleeves to keep 'em in place and when slipping on the gauntlets they don't ride up my forearm. When wearing gloves I have no wind coming up the sleeves.
The hood is large enough that I can slip it up and tie with drawstrings when running up/down the river. And it's out of the way when not needed.
It's not waterproof. When it's raining I've got a favorite raincoat I change into. That's another story.
Yes, I'm very picky about some things.
When I buy Red Wing work boots I buy two pairs at a time. Figure the next time I go to buy 'em they'll be made in China. Last time I still got two pair made in America. I like Red Wing work boots. Period.
I have always liked the way La Crosse made their black insulated trapper hip boots. Stout enough they could stand up on their own. Extra material over the knee. Well made. Then they moved the manufacturing to China.
Off the top of my head a short list of things I miss because they've been "improved."
Jiffy gas powered ice augers. I still have two of 'em from the 80s and they work just fine.
Pick up trucks a fella could work on. That's all done.
Stuff out of Herter's catalogs. Name it. I miss it.
A good set of boat oars. Old style oar locks allowing you to slide oars in/out.
Coleman lanterns with tip cleaner stems.
Jeans that don't have knees blow out within a year.
Underwear that doesn't have the elastic give out.
Beaver Dam tipups that don't cost a fortune. Still got a bucket of 'em from back when. What the heck makes a Beaver Dam tipup so expensive today anyway.
Flannel shirts that don't shrink after the first cold washing.
Gloves that say XXXL that are actually large enough to wear comfortably.
That Carhartt jacket should be arriving today or tomorrow. Hopefully Carhartt won't let me down with "improvements."
