Best Hunting Coat/Parka

When you go hunting you know that having the right hunting clothing is a big part of your success. Either you go hunting in the wintertime and you need a good insulated jacket, either you go on hunting on a rainy, windy with a waterproof, windproof jacket, having the right piece of garment is essential.

To have or not to have a hunting parka…

For some, a jacket is a jacket and everything that is your last layer might be named a “jacket”.

But, some do talk about and appreciate the hunting parka and are quite familiar with its qualities and details.

A hunting parka is in fact a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. The hood gives you good protection against the cold weather and the windy. As this kind of coat was created in the cold Arctic, it’s only natural that it’s supposed to keep you warm in the coldest conditions.

A parka is not an “anorak” as typically an anorak is waterproof, hooded and is in fact a pull-over jacket with no front opening.

The parka is knee-length cold-weather coat that keeps you warm as it’s fill with down or synthetic fiber and a fur-lined hood.

One thing is sure: when you go hunting a good hunting parka or a jacket might do you good!

Why a hunting coat and not a jacket?

The terms “jacket” and parka are used very often interchangeably, though they are different types of outwear designed to keep you warm when hunting.

In order to know what to buy for your perfect hunting experience, you need a better understanding of the terms and of the means of these two types of clothing.

The Parka is a hooded outer garment with a knee length and very often has a way to pull the hood in and around the head and face, protecting you from the cold outside.

The jacket is also supposed to keep you warm and might get to your knee…So, how do you tell them apart? The hunting jacket is typically lighter when it comes to thickness and material. The jacket is a good choice for a cool, and not very cold weather and gives you more freedom on the move since it’s lighter.

On the opposite, the hunting coat is thicker and gives you better protection against the coldest weather.

How a good hunting parka looks like

There are several things to look for carefully when picking your hunting parka.

Your hunting parka needs to have a main zipper, along many other zippered compartments. The best hunting coats out there come with heavy duty zippers, but easy enough to use when wearing gloves. Look for storm flaps that cover pocket openings and the main zipper. When you are planning to use the hunting coat on a windy weather, you might want also storm flaps with clasps, for more efficiency.

Your hunting parka should definitely be hooded. Some hoods have fur, some drawstrings for better adjustment or clasps for better isolation. Either it’s a removable hood or not, a hunting coat should feature one.

When you go hunting you have many small items to store so your hunting parka should give you plenty of pockets for storage. When the pockets have zippers or at least buttons for closure, it’s obviously they also give secure storage. The larger the pockets they are, the more space you get for your small gear.

When it comes to the sleeves, some appreciate Velcro or buttons that tighten them. Take a better look so that the sleeves are long and large enough to give you the right fit even when gloves on.

A good hunting coat is also breathable. Some feature zipper under the armpits for better ventilation and you can also find hunting coats with vents on the back or sides.

Your hunting parka may be multi-layered and come with a detachable liner. In case you find this kind of parka, don’t sit on a fence and get it as this is a good feature for your hunting coat to have!

Last but not least, have a good look to the seams of the hunting coat as they are the weak points of any clothing. The seams may be sealed to stop the water from entering so craftsmanship is also highly important when buying the hunting coat. Or any other piece of garment…

Final tips

Before buying your parka, take a good thought on where and when you’re going to wear your hunting parka.

Your hunting coat should give you some freedom when you move, with or without many under layers. A snug fit isn’t always the best idea.

You’d want also a waterproof hunting coat in most cases. Breathable is also important as any hunting means some physical effort.

It might look like a parka is just a parka, but you can find hunting parka that are stylish and look nice. Practical doesn’t necessarily mean ugly, right?

Your hunting coat might keep you very warm or…not. But having the choice to detach the insulation is the best option anytime.

Best Hunting Coat Reviews

 As you want to go hunting all year long and you want to invest just once in a god hunting coat, an insulated waterproof parka might be a good buy for you. This Yukon Gear Men’s Mossy Oak 3N1 Insulated Parka Jacket comes as a practical and efficient hunting coat and here are the pros that got us:

• This parka is made of polyester
• The 240 Gram Brushed tricot keeps you warm
• This parka is both breathable and waterproof
• The detachable hood is practical
• You can store your items in the cargo and breast pockets
• The Gear Mossy Oak Infinity camo pattern gives you a good hide when hunting
• This is a 3 in 1 parka hunting so you win 3 jackets with one buy
• The parka is machine washable, but do not bleach and tumble dry
• The fabric is soft to touch and the parka is quiet
• The coat keeps you warm and is lightweight
• The hood gives you good protection against wind, snow or rain
• There are also zipped upper pockets for more storage
• The elastic draw string gives an easy adjustment
• The front zipper is heavy duty
• The removable liner makes the coat versatile
• The hunting parka is comfortable
• You can also machine wash the liner

Even though this hunting parka is a good buy, some things that count as cons need to be mentioned:

• The parka needs to be more quiet than it is at the moment
• The hood is not insulated so it’s not very efficient in the coldest weather
• Removing the liner is a bit tricky

All in all, for the money you pay, you get an amazing 3-in-1 hunting parka, versatile, waterproof and …so many other good things.

Another great choice for a waterproof hooded Parka is this 10X Men’s Insulated Waterproof-Breathable Hooded Parka.

This hunting parka is also breathable but there are other good features that caught our attention. Here are our pros:

• The parka is made of 100% Polyester
• You can machine wash this coat
• The parka is made of 100% waterproof and breathable polyester brushed tricot shell
• There is seam seal construction for this jacket to give a perfect isolation
• The diamond-quilted insulation gives you comfort and keeps you warm
• The Scentrex scent control lining helps you on hiding when hunting
• There are nice, stylish black accents
• The concealed storm cuffs come with hook-n-loop adjustable tabs
• The two-piece sleeves with articulation darts have articulation darts at elbows for easier movement
• The 3-piece hood comes with locking drawstring, front and back adjustments for better fit
• The exposed front zipper is waterproof
• You can store your items in the two chest pockets and two lower pockets
• The pockets zippers are all waterproof
• You also get an interior storage pocket at left chest
• There’s a hook-n-loop closure for the interior storage pocket
• The coat has a good overall length
• The parka is not bulky
• The coat keeps you warm and retains your body heat
• The price is amazing

As for the cons, here they are:

• The coat runs a bit small
• The sleeves could be longer
• When you overlay, the forearm in the wrist area gets a bit bulky

But, all in all, you get an amazing parka that comes with many great features and only few down sides.

For the women who hunt and really like to wear a hunting coat,  a great choice it this Rocky’s Women’s Realtree Ram Parka.

This is made of 100% Polyester and comes with many other good features:

• There is a polytricot lining that keeps you warm
• The RealTree Xtra Camo gives you a perfect blend into surroundings
• The hood is removable
• There is Rocky waterproof technology used for this parka
• There are two zippered waist pockets to store your small items
• The cuffs are also adjustable
• The parka keeps you both warm and dry
• There is 3M Thinsulate Insulation used on this coat which makes it great for winter hunting
• There is 150 grams of insulation in the body of the coat and 100 grams in the sleeves
• The parka features also Rocky Scent technology that eliminates human scent
• There are several pockets for your small items
• There is also an inside pocket
• As this model is brand new, it has also a pocket with touchscreen compatible for smart phones
• There is also a harness slot, very useful when hunting
• There are two chest pockets, two waist pockets and one inside pockets
• The pockets use zipper as closure

When we think about the cons, we only need to mention that there is no removable insulation.

This hunting parka is a great  buy for any woman hunter.

When you want to stay warm and comfortable when you go hunting, this Drake Waterfowl Strata Coat is the sure thing.

Here’s our pros:

• This hunting coat keeps you warm and comfortable
• This goes amazing in a mid season and late season just as well
• The outer material is 100% waterproof and windproof
• The torso area has fleece liner to keep you very warm
• The coat is not bulky
• The hood is removable
• The extended stand-up collar keeps you warm
• There are deep water handwarmer pockets
• There is a Magnattach Chest call pocket
• There are many pockets and pouches for your items to store
• There are adjustable neoprene cuffs
• The hunting coat is also breathable, waterproof and windproof
• There is taffeta lining in sleeves so it’s easy to take it off and put it on
• There are taped seams for a better isolation of your body heat
• The coat comes with neoprene cuffs
• There is angled easy entrance on the pockets
• The coat features also a key pouch
• The magnetic chest call pouch is secured with magnetic clasp

When it comes to this hunting coat, we could speak on and on about its ups and only for 1 second about the downs. Because it’s not a great thing that this coat has no detachable liner and you can’t wear it all year long. Not a prefect balance, right?

As you want to only buy once a hunting parka, this Browning 4-in-1 Dirtybird Parka might be the best choice for you.

This is a parka designed in our USA with high quality materials and there are many other good features related to it:

• This parka is long lasting and heavy duty
• It features a Pre-Vent waterproof breathable shell
• There is X-Change system zip-in liner with PrimaLoft Synergy insulation
• The parka keeps you warm without being bulky
• There is great flexibility in this and big freedom on the move
• The fully seam seals keeps the warmth inside and doesn’t let the cold/rain get inside
• There is also soft microfleece chin guard
• The hood is adjustable and detachable
• The full-length YKK zipper has internal and external storm flaps
• There is angle-entry pocket design for an easier access
• You get many pockets to store your items
• There are upper zip hand warmer pockets, two zip chest pockets
• The lower bellows shell pockets feature magnetic closures
• You also have lower handwarmer pockets
• The Raglan sleeve design eliminates top shoulder seam to give you a more waterproof design
• The arm gusset arm pit and the articulated elbow gives more freedom on the move
• There is internal zip security pocket for the valuable items
• There are overlay forearm patches to prevent wear
• The laminated cuffs are adjustable and touch-fasten watertight
• There are molded shoulder strips for more durability when carrying a pack or gun
• There is a mesh moisture barrier between shell and lining
• You can obtain a perfect fit with the internal draw cord waist
• The camo fleece of the liner reverses to solid-color woven fabric
• The insulation is long lasting, water resistant and compact
• There are elasticized bottom and cuffs for the liner
• The rib-knit collar keeps you warm
• There are two slash hand pockets on each side of the liner
• The Mossy Oak Duck Blind camo helps you blend into surroundings

As you can see, this is a great hunting parka and the only thing we can complain about (even though, considering the high performances on the parka, it’s totally justified), is the steep price.