The Goose has finally flown north for the winter...

Guess what arrived yesterday? All wrapped up in its vacuum seal and stashed in an unmarked envelope. I expected my order from Chapters (I got a confirmation from them), but it wasn't quite shaped the way one of those 'Dummy' books fill out a package.

Yay! The Goose has arrived! I was a bit worried about where it had disappeared to...I received no confirmation from altitude-sports.com that my order had even been processed and numerous attempts at getting them on the phone were unsuccessful. All is well now. Look at me in my coyote ruff collar...

I ended up getting the Kensington and, I have to say, it's awesome. The style fits me perfectly. I've seen some of the other ones and they're just too bulky for my liking.

This style, in the past, wasn't completely down-filled; it is now. Wow that stuff keeps you toasty! Actually, it took me only about 2 minutes to take all these pictures and, by the end of it, I was beginning to sweat. I am still paranoid about how it's going to hold up in the middle of the long winter chill, but the science involved promises it will work.

Things I've learned...

1. Hang the jacket upright one week and upside down the next. Alternating this way uses gravity to keep the down even.

2. Don't wear the thing inside!

3. Buy one size up. I'm not a big person and a small is my standard choice. I bought the medium and it fits perfectly (allowing for a sweater underneath).

4. Bomber styles aren't really a good choice unless you are, well, a pilot (or someone who is regularly sitting in a chair-type device).

5. Coyotes have awesome fur...soft and warm.

6. The full front shot of the fur ruff looks unnecessarily bizarre. Remember that there's actually a fleece-lined black hood there as well.

Awesome. My next quest is to find the perfect boots...