My Winter Columbia Order
About this time of year, I put in an order at Columbia to grab some clothing and shoes. This year, I picked up four items that included a pair of road-to-trail waterproof shoes, a softshell jacket with hood, insulated softshell pants, and a standard issue black fleece. Here’s why I bought each item:
Konos TRS OutDry Shoe | LINK. These are billed as road-to-trail which means they perform just as well around town as out in the wilderness. Years ago, Columbia had a road-to-trail shoe that I absolutely adored. They were perfect for smashing miles in the neighborhood with good cushioning on the roads and sidewalks, and they performed great on non-technical trails.
This new pair has a more aggressive tread, so they’ll likely be better on technical trails, but the main reason I bought them is for winter running. Waterproof also means there is greater wind protection (still breathable though). So, on cold, windy days with wet sidewalks and roads, these should provide plenty of comfort. I also like to run some miles around the bison pen at Big Bone, so these will be my go-to when I’m out there.
I just tried them on and they fit well out of the box - we’ll see how they feel after a few dozen miles.
Also, these are the ONLY waterproof shoes I own. I’m generally not a fan of waterproof trail runners because in warmer months, it’s better to have fast draining shoes with superior breathability.
Ascender 2 Hooded Softshell Jacket | LINK. I have a softshell jacket without the hood, but always seem to spend time in the cold rain over the wintertime. I wear a helmet and have an oversized hooded jacket to fit when skiing, but when I’m hiking and walking in the rain, it’s too loose. This jacket’s hood seems smaller (due to arrive next week sometime), so it’ll fit a bit more snug and provide better rain protection when I’m not on the slopes. Also, softshell material is billed as water repellent which is true for a little while. If it’s flat out pouring, I’ll still grab my rain jacket as my outer layer.
Vast Canyon Softshell Pants | LINK. Softshell pants are one of my favorite clothing items on the planet. I own a range of them from light- to heavyweight so I can pick what’s best based on the weather. These are great for keeping the wind off of me which provides greater warmth than almost any other material. These also have a boot zipper, so they expand to accommodate my insulated boots when we go chasing ice cones on the coldest days of the year. These appear to be a mid-weight which is perfect for what I need.
Hart Mountain 2 Half Zip Fleece | LINK. I still own the first fleece I got as a gift a couple decades ago (well done, turn-of-the-century-Old-Navy). They last and last and last, but eventually the elbows wear thin which is the case with my old Columbia fleece. I think that one is close to ten years old, so adding this is just a replacement for around town. My old one will go in a trail bag to keep as an extra layer, replacing a waffle thermal I carry a lot, but rarely use.
No Bad Weather, Only Bad Clothing. That old saying still holds true. Winter is my most active season with a wide mix of activities including skiing, running, and hiking as well as getting some treadmill and stationary bike miles when the weather turns into Trasharella. If you get depressed in the wintertime, get outside. The current scientific understanding is insufficient blue light - likely because working from dark to dark suuuuuuucccccckkkkkkssssss!!!!!!!
Gear up and get outside. It always feels good.
Oh, and if you want to know my thing that I buy way to much of, it’s jackets and coats. I have something for every kind of condition outside of the Arctic. That Arctic level stuff is a little too rich for my blood. I literally have 4 jackets in my car right now - rain jacket, running zip-up jacket, insulated zip-up jacket, and a puffy jacket.
I’m always comfy, so I got that goin’ for me.