Travel Jackets

[James Daniel]

I recently returned from a trip to Normandy, France. I was in a quandary as to what would be the most useful, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with heavy denim and leather. Great call. It rained many of the days I was there, but I found that my old Orvis leather jacket paired up with a tshirt/Pringle wool pullover, heavy denim jacket (Bravestar 21 oz) worked phenomenally.
It was cold and wet on multiple days, but with those layers I was ready for anything. It rarely dropped to below 32F, but if it did, this scheme would've worked fine. The wind was noteworthy on our Viking riverboat from Paris up to Rouen, and that scheme also broke that wind big time. Enjoy your Winters folks.

JD Tulsa, OK

 

[zebedee]

I find a well-pocketed Aero and a chore jacket are ideal. I was really impressed by a Saint James 'bleu' which is often my secondary jacket. It's lighter but well-constructed. If I travel to Eastern Europe over Christmas, I'll probably take my old brown HH Highwayman and the SJ jacket- it's also relatively cheap and is fairly smart for evenings out. Footwear has got to be Loakes Bedales in tan. I still haven't found comfier boots.
https://www.thenauticalcompany.com/navy-blue-french-chore-jacket.html

 

[James Daniel]

I recently returned from a trip to Normandy, France. I was in a quandary as to what would be the most useful, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with heavy denim and leather. Great call. It rained many of the days I was there, but I found that my old Orvis leather jacket paired up with a tshirt/Pringle wool pullover, heavy denim jacket (Bravestar 21 oz) worked phenomenally.
It was cold and wet on multiple days, but with those layers I was ready for anything. It rarely dropped to below 32F, but if it did, this scheme would've worked fine. The wind was noteworthy on our Viking riverboat from Paris up to Rouen, and that scheme also broke that wind big time. Enjoy your Winters folks.

JD Tulsa, OK

 

[James Daniel]

I was asked to place the memorial on the Commonwealth Cross in the Ranville, Normandy cemetery. That is a Bravestar 210Z jacket. Heavy enough to break the wind, and tough enough to withstand rain. I didn't feel a thing in it. Trying to break it in, so that rain was great, even though it still needs to loosen up, it's damn stiff. The jeans are NOS Jack/Knife stacked, and you cannot see it, but I added a leather back cinch, that I'm pretty proud of, it looks rugged and arcane, which I'm good with. The other thing you cannot see is that I sewed a 66th Infantry patch on my left shoulder prior to going over there, in honor of the group that tore through the Northern French towns clearing the place of Nazis after DDay. The patch itself is a badass black cat.

 

[James Daniel]

I find a well-pocketed Aero and a chore jacket are ideal. I was really impressed by a Saint James 'bleu' which is often my secondary jacket. It's lighter but well-constructed. If I travel to Eastern Europe over Christmas, I'll probably take my old brown HH Highwayman and the SJ jacket- it's also relatively cheap and is fairly smart for evenings out. Footwear has got to be Loakes Bedales in tan. I still haven't found comfier boots.
https://www.thenauticalcompany.com/navy-blue-french-chore-jacket.html

Great link! Thanks for posting. I have this interesting Levi's Donkey Jacket made from blue wool, with leather patches on the elbows and chest/back that did see a little bit of wear, but it is fairly thin for hard rain or very cold conditions unless I had that Bravestar jacket underneath it. If so, it worked well. My Filson Double Mackinaw would've been fine but would have likely been heavier than I wanted for carrying around.

 

[Bfd70]

I find waxed Barbour Jackets ideally suited to travel. Lots of pockets. Rain proof. Cut generous to allow layering.

 

[zebedee]

Great link! Thanks for posting. I have this interesting Levi's Donkey Jacket made from blue wool, with leather patches on the elbows and chest/back that did see a little bit of wear, but it is fairly thin for hard rain or very cold conditions unless I had that Bravestar jacket underneath it. If so, it worked well. My Filson Double Mackinaw would've been fine but would have likely been heavier than I wanted for carrying around.

Yes, the SJ chore coat isn't that thick- mainly it's comfortable. If I was to stick to a warm long jacket and a warm short one, an Aero Maxwell and a Carhartt Detroit would do it. I travel a lot between extreme climates; when it's max 37C and min 10C in one place, the chore coat and Highwayman are the go-to.

If it's temperate, I take a blue waterproofed Tyrwhitt overcoat (it's formal, but not as heavy as a wool overcoat) and an Aero Cafe Racer that I sized up in. I'm well-enough practised in packing and travelling light that I can often do a two-year stint on a total of 35kgs of luggage. I found that I got used to this over the years and don't like either buying more stuff or packing too much. I reckon that, if you buy some cheap, disposable canvas shoes, you can pretty much get by on one pair of sneakers, a pair of Loakes and some hiking-type shoes/boots in most places, with 'home/slop clothes' being a pair of old sweatpants and a denim shirt.

 

[James Daniel]

Yep, those are good choices. The Aero is a sharp-looking leather jacket. The Carhartt is durable. I've worn them all my life and they wear hard.

 

[JMax]

For business travel where I need to layer a thick sweater, my SB Roadster. If layering not required, my Aero Chips. All my other stuff is for riding.

 

[Cornelius]

I have a vintage Filson cruiser made from a thin but very durable wool, woven like denim (possibly old US Forest Service surplus?). It's an odd green color, nearly Feldgrau, size 40 with black snaps/press-studs down the front and on all pockets. A thriftscore from years ago, I don't believe these have been manufactured for decades, or at least I've never seen a wool fabric woven this way made in my lifetime, which is a true shame. Anyway, it's perfect for traveling - pockets everywhere, but cut fairly trim & presentable in many settings; much lighter than the Mackinaw wool, but still comfortable across a broad temperature range and not bothered by a light rain. Folds up smaller than a pair of jeans. On a 2.5 week trip this autumn to Ireland (cities & countryside) I brought that along with a waxed cotton Filson raincoat loose enough to fit over the cruiser on the truly rainy days. A perfect combo which kept my luggage to carry-on size. And of course the company no longer makes either model.

The wool jacket is similar to this

 

[Seb Lucas]

I find leather pretty useless for travel. It's too heavy and cumbersome to carry around when you're on the move and doesn't pack small. Thin layers are best. I tend to wear fleece and a duck cotton Carhart or a corduroy blazer. Lighter weight is always my focus when travelling. Which means my many leather jackets rarely leave town. I also dislike lots of pockets as I keep losing things if there are too many pocket choices. Everything goes into a very small shoulder bag.

 

[Will Zach]

^^
All true, but I sometimes miss my leather jacket when travelling. I look like a hokey tourist as opposed to a cool local.

 

[Corky Corcovado]

Filson's forestry cloth is basically wool gabardine I think.

 

[JMax]

I find leather pretty useless for travel. It's too heavy and cumbersome to carry around when you're on the move and doesn't pack small. Thin layers are best. I tend to wear fleece and a duck cotton Carhart or a corduroy blazer. Lighter weight is always my focus when travelling. Which means my many leather jackets rarely leave town. I also dislike lots of pockets as I keep losing things if there are too many pocket choices. Everything goes into a very small shoulder bag.

On point, but living in south Fl I have to take every opportunity to wear my leather lol.

 

[Edward]

I find leather pretty useless for travel. It's too heavy and cumbersome to carry around when you're on the move and doesn't pack small. Thin layers are best. I tend to wear fleece and a duck cotton Carhart or a corduroy blazer. Lighter weight is always my focus when travelling. Which means my many leather jackets rarely leave town. I also dislike lots of pockets as I keep losing things if there are too many pocket choices. Everything goes into a very small shoulder bag.

I'm definitely all about carrying a bag when I travel - my Brady is perfect for that. My other half actually has the same model, which she uses as a handbag (had to buy it for her, only way I could get my own back ). Definitely a plus for all the bits I don't need just quite so to hand as go in a pocket, and makes life a lot easier when out and about in a territory just too damn warm for a jacket, which is a lot of my work travel (on the rare occasion I manage a proper holiday away, I typically try and avoid the peak of hot weather).

^^
All true, but I sometimes miss my leather jacket when travelling. I look like a hokey tourist as opposed to a cool local.

I hear you.... I can't take any joy in going somewhere my clotheswould beso compromised. Course, given I'm pale and Irish and most of my long haul travel is to Beijing anyhow, I've gotten used to 'keep head down, pass for local' not exactly being an option.

 

[Deacon211]

Great pics!

I just picked up this Barbour after seeing one in a small bespoke shop in Providence, for just the purpose of traveling:

Borrowed from the Net

It’s the Bond jacket, which initially put me off a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I like Bond in general and Daniel Craig’s Bond style in particular. I just don’t generally like to present the image that I’m dressing up AS something rather than just dressing IN something if you take my meaning.

But, as I was looking for something that dressed up nicely like a blazer or leather jacket, but with some packability and weather resistance, this thing is perfect.

It’s close fitting, but very versatile




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Will Zach]

I was just in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Lisbon, all full of stylishly dressed locals, and I wished I had my well-worn HD Sportster CR to throw on when going out for dinners with wife. A small thing, but packs a lot of style right off the bat.

 

[red devil]

I have found the Lost World Suburban to work really well during travels, I can also layer under it.