It's already started snowing where I am way up north, and due to the major increase in my salary for moving up here, I thought I'd treat myself to a new Parka.

I've never owned a FF before but at the moment, they're who I'm looking at. The winter temps here in the Canadian north (tip of Northern Quebec, just south of Baffin Island) got down to apparently a chilly -93 degrees centigrade last year (with wind chill). I don't usually run cold but then again, I've never had close to a 100 below zero.

I guess I'm just looking for any help in choosing which of the two. Yes I'll be very active outside but I've got plenty of fleeces, layers and hardshells/softshells to strip down too so this is for more of a downtime Parka to keep me warm as I hate sitting around inside even on the really cold nasty days. I'm surrounded by extint open pit mines with absolutely beautiful/sheer walls that fully ice over in the winter and I plan on making use of those untouched walls.

For future uses, I'll definetly be wanting to bring this Parka on Denali in a short time, and I've been invited along on a expedition into the Khumbu region in 2 years. Leaning towards the Rock and Ice personally, but hoping it isn't "too warm".

By the way, how roomy are they for the extra layers? I'm a solid medium in every company it seems, but should I get the large, just in case I need the room?

FF is a very good company and their products are bomber. The Rock and Ice parka is very warm. I hesitate to say this because I'm a bit unusual in that I function well in cold temperatures and suck in the heat, but the R/I parka was too hot for me in Alaska. It was way too hot to climb in and only worked well while cooking etc. (not moving) so I never brought it again after my first trip there. I only brought good (300 pile) jacket and a Goretex (usually one piece suit). I had the R/I in the BC in the Himalaya the few times time I went but I never climbed in it. It was simply too warm. So, unless you are looking for a combo, living in a severe winter weather place and also hoping to have something warm in, say April or May on Denali, I think as a climbing garment, it is a bit too hot.

I ended up going with and ordering a Icefall Parka.

Just got it in the mail today. As close to weightless as anyone could imagine, incredibly built jacket all around. Can't wait for the weather to get even nastier and colder just to wear it more. Fit is fantastic (Medium) and as I was worried about the detachable hood... the hood buttons are beastly and will take more then high speed winds to detach unexpectedly.

And what about fit? How's medium with plenty of layers underneath?

Im a solid medium in most companies. FF were really helpful on the phone as well (spoke with Charlotte). She compared the fit to be closest with Patagonia for sizing, and as it's one of their 2 high end warmest parkas, comes with the most room for layering underneath.

Due to the stormy weather I was in today (high winds and mix of snow and rain) I actually had a dress shirt on (just got in from a full day's of teaching), r1 pullover (med) and a MH beryllium shell overtop in medium as well. I was so excited to open the box (took 11 days in the mail to reach me in northern Canada as it had to be flowin in) that I didn't even take off anything and it fit nicely overtop everything and wasn't tight - it's so light you dont feel it, and very comfy with no bulk.

The hem drawcord is nice but there's also one at the waist (not advertised on website) that does a good 3/4 closure as well to tie in the extra if needed. Considering the price which I don't find too steep at all, feels like a major deal. (even after I paid the 80$ duty/customs fee for importing to canada). And the yellow colour is just beautiful!

Lolli, I didn't buy it to be the warmest parka out there, I knew it had some drawbacks in that regard but thats what I wanted. I usually run pretty warm and far too often I'll be found in the dead of a cold snap in winter with pit zips fully open and tryin to air out to cool down some. So when it does drop to the extreme temps here, I didn't want the jacket to be too warm as it's easier for me to layer less or more underneath then be unable to wear a warmer parka , ie: rock and ice due to the sheer warmth of it. That was my ultimate deciding factor.

Then again, I'll be more apt to discuss its actual functionality for me later in a month or so when the deep snow is here to stay for the next 10 months.