So you desire to be warm this winter... and you've heard parkas are hot even in arctic temperatures... but what's a parka? Originally, parkas had been worn by the Inuit and other Arctic peoples. The regular parka layout is actually "a pullover model outer garment built from caribou skin having a fur lining around the hood". The notion being that if animals could remain warm, humans could put on their skins and remain hot also, even in probably the most inhospitable conditions.

The fashionable parka jacket is built from synthetic resources and zips up the entrance for closure. Down-filled parkas are presently the norm, but synthetic fills can also be incredibly warm and more animal friendly for you vegans out there. Basically, parka jacket style has remained the same together with the exception of front zip closure, along with the use of breathable, fast-wicking water-proof outer materials. Inuit people today now hardly ever don the classic caribou skin parkas in favor of the modern equivalent.

It might be a bit confusing to navigate the wide range of parka jackets that have adopted the name "parka". Parka has been adopted by firms like North Encounter and Bugaboo (and others) to essentially mean "super warm thigh-length winter jackets with a hood!". Even so, if it's a true parka you desire, it doesn't get any much better than the Canada Goose Expedition Parka, one of the best made garments you will ever own. Growing up in Canada, and having endured hundreds of minus thirty degree wintertime days, there simply no other jacket I would ever want hanging in my closet for cold days.

So, what kid of parka jackets do we recommend? And which outfitters make the very best quality arctic parkas? Here's a list of the best five parka jackets:

1. CANADA GOOSE EXPEDITION PARKA. Our #1 suggested arctic parka jacket. Simply the warmest garment you may ever wear. Duck down-filled, which has a nylon lining. Arctic tech shell with DWR finish. Comes with lifetime restricted warranty.
2. NORTH FACE McMURDO PARKA. Well manufactured and extremely warm from our friends at North Deal with. The McMURDO PARKA functions waist and hem cinch cords, internal media pocket, detachable faux fur trim, down-filled insulation, breathable, waterproof.
3. COLUMBIA WHIRLIBIRD PARKA. This jacket is actually a shell design, no fur trimmed hood, a lot tighter fitting style and design. Whilst it doesn't necessarily seem like the classic arctic parka, this jacket is no joke. The Columbia Whirlibird Parka capabilities a 100% Nylon Ultra Contact Shell, Lining: 57% Recycled Polyester, 43% Polyester Mesh, 100% Polyester Chamois Touch Tricot, 100% Nylon, that has a 100% Polyester Microtex Lite liner. Manufactured for skiing, this could be the best powder jacket.
4. M-51 FISHTAIL PARKA. Inspired by the 1951 U.S. Army situation parka jacket. The Fishtail Parka features 2 front flap pockets, drawstring waist and bottom, snap up back again flap with button quilted polyester liner, brass zipper entrance with snap storm flap and a drawstring hood. For underneath $100, you can't do a lot much better.
5. PATAGONIA DOWNTOWN LOFT DOWN PARKA. Women, if you need to really feel like that you are wearing a slim-fit sleeping bag this the winter season, this parka jacket is for you. Featuring 800-fill-power premium European goose down, the satiny polyester outer shell sheds light snow and keeps the chilly-chills out. Although the Patagonia Downtown Loft Down Parka is warm and stylish, it is not waterproof against freezing rain, so think about what you need before you choose this one.

So, that's it - our prime 5 arctic parka jackets. We truly like these jackets and that is why you see them featured right here. When you live up north, bundle up inside the Canada Goose Expedition Parka. If you're a Skiier, take a look at the Columbia Whirlibird. If military model is to suit your needs - grab your M-51 Fishtail Parka. Ladies, you can keep your silhouette in a slim-fitting sleeping bag all wintertime long with the Patagonia Downtown Loft Down Parka!

The modern parka jacket is based on a time-honored design, tested and proven on the glaciers of the arctic by native northern peoples, and perfected for Antarctic expeditions to keep scientists warm in impossibly cold temperatures. The parka jacket is the fashionable version of the original Inuit pullover - ideal for keeping the chilly-chills out, regardless of how cold it gets this winter.