How much does brand matter when buying a jacket for wintertime?

[kelp]

I've heard that Polartec is the best kind of fleece you can buy, but Campmor and Cabela has generic Polartec that way cheaper than the popular brands:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=21856672
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...Nty=1&Ntt=polartec&noImage=0&_requestid=85194

Why not just buy these instead of paying $50 for the same thing?

 

[RIDEr]

Guarantee quality by buying a brand name. Buying a fake only causes the possibility of not working the way you want it.

 

[ctenidae]

You're paying, to a certain level, for the design that goes into the product. I have a Campmor fleece and a Columbia one. They're both equally warm, but the Columbia's zipper opens a little further, making it more functional for temp control. Columbia uses longer pulls, making it easier to zip/unzip; the pockets stay closed a little better, that sort of thing. You also get durability- sure, you can buy two Campmors for one Columbia, but you have to buy two for one.

Naturally, this doesn't hold for all products or brands, but it's important. You also have to apy for the label.

 

[kbroderick]

To a large degree, you get what you pay for. As ctenidae noted, there are a lot of design issues going into technical clothing beyond the materials used; I'd put workmanship near the top of the list. If that Campmor fleece is particularly appealing, I'd also consider the LLB Bean Trail Model fleece if you aren't particularly attached to the full-length zipper; it's still Polartec 200, but it also has a lifetime warrantee.
Personally, I've gotten a fair amount of cheap stuff from Campmor, particularly synthetic t-shirts and underwear; in generall, it's been functional, but it's not nearly as nice as the more expensive stuff I've got from the same genres (e.g. Eider first-layer stuff). The more expensive stuff feels nicer and, when push comes to shove, provides better function. I'd say this is even more important when considering outerwear, as I've never found water-resistance on cheap stuff to hold up very long. If you intend to put a lot of use on a piece of gear, buy gear that will hold up and allow you to have a more pleasant experience.

 

[Sky]

I'm very tall....so I've gone to Cabella's repeatedly with excellent results. Their extra-tall sizes are fabulous. Excellent quality and customer service. I can't wait till they open a regional store..One coming to Hartford, CT next year...and one to Hookset NH after that.

I will say this....it's true you get what you pay for. Cabella's "Dry Plus" is certainly not Gore-tex (although it's not totally crap either). Nor is it priced like gore-tex. However, C's Gore-Tex line of clothing is the real deal.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

you get what you pay for not only in design but in the company backing and standing behind its product. LLBean is a perfect example, they have some of the best products and THE best customer service in the retail industry. TNF, Columbia, Marmot etc are all excellent produt with great service....you can go cheaper on other things like zip tees (i found at old navy for $10.00, the same exact SPYDER one was $100.00...same 100% poly tag on both of em) but when it comes to outerwear, dont skimp

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

For serious weather, whether cycling or skiing, or whatever, I usually buy what I know works the best for me, Pearl Izumi, Shimano for cycling, Columbia, Northface, Patagonia for skiing. The time worn adage that you get what you pay for is very true. I had a Patagonia light jacket with fleece for well over 20 years and only in the later years did it start to pill.
I love my Columbia jacket, it's got great ventilation, waterproof and breathable. But if something else works for you, cool! Hell I had a pair of the Pearl Izumi lobster gloves for well over a decade that rode through rain, sleet, snow and absorbed alot of runny nose gunk, they were warm as hell, and the design was really cool. I wish I still had them...

I check Steep and Cheap daily (several times) and you never know what you'll see there, there was a pair of really nice Oakleys for 60.00 that retailed for well over 120.00, and I'm still kicking myself for not getting them...