Backcountry Winter Picks: Patagonia, North Face, Sorel

Last weekend we brought Nori to her grandparents’ house for a little escape from the city. There’s a trail right in their backyard that changes beautifully across the seasons – it makes for a memorable jog during fall foliage months, and I loved seeing it looking a little magical coated in fresh powder!

For today’s post I’m partnering with Backcountry to share their semi-annual sale this month, with discounts on a huge range of brands for the family (mens & kids too!) including Patagonia, North Face, Sorel, and a couple others I’ve featured over the years. They also have a price matching policy, free 2-day shipping on orders over $50.

Sale Picks: Patagonia (Also see MENS & KIDS)

A few sustainable, ethically-produced Patagonia finds (some on sale for nearly half off!). I’ve personally tried all of these on for fit except the Down Sweater Jacket.

– Patagonia Better Sweater Marsupial Pullover (pictured in this post)- This is one of my favorite Patagonia pieces and I just got Nick the men’s version after his multiple requests! Compared to their signature Better Sweater zip up that I tried on here (which is pretty fitted), this has a similar material with lightly fleeced interior, but a more relaxed fit with kangaroo-style zippered pockets and piped trim along the sleeve and bottom hems. XS is a casual fit on me (but not oversized) and this also works well as a warm mid-layer for outdoor activities.

– Patagonia Prarie Down Parka – Thick organic cotton canvas outer with a shearling fleece lining. See the fit of an XS on me.

– Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket (or Hooded version) – starts in size XXS. Non-hooded version is 800-fill down (hooded version is 600-fill down) both with water resistant outer all made of recycled materials.

– Patagonia Jackson Glacier Jacket – I tried this on in store in XS, and found it to be one of the warmest and more wind-resistant feeling options out of their short coats. 700-fill down with water resistant outer all made of recycled materials. Pockets are lined in fleece and there’s an interior zippered pocket too for valuables.

– Patagonia Divided Sky Fleece Jacket – Retro inspired feel from the cut down to the contrast trims. It’s medium weight with a warm, textured sherpa fleece outer and a smooth interior lining. Button tabs at the wrist and waist if you want a slightly more tapered fit there. Fit of an XS on me overall is loose casual but not too oversized.

– Patagonia Organic Quilted pullover – One of Patagonia’s signature pieces, made of organic cotton. Several reviews mentioned that the torso ran short, but on me it fits pretty standard (see below in XS). Sleeves are a little long on me due to regular sizing, but you can flip the cuffs up once.

Sale Picks: waterproof Sorel boots

– Caribou boot – Starts in size 5 with great reviews.

– Slimpack Lace ii boot – Starts in size 5 (runs a little small).

– Winter Fancy Lace ii boot – Starts in size 5 (runs a little small). Very similar to the Slimpack but more rugged feel and rubber heel vs wooden. I’ve had my pair for about 5 years now, and while the boots are warm, if my feet are submerged in snow for more than 15 minutes my toes will still feel cold (wearing wool socks definitely helps though).

sale Picks: North Face (Also see MENS & KIDS)

After trying on a couple different winter coats on sale, I found the fit of this North Face Gotham II Parka to be more petite-friendly than their typical sizing (several of the reviews mention this runs on the smaller side). It’s also more shapely than the average parka with elasticized side panels at the waist, which gives a bit of a flattering hourglass silhouette. There is also a jacket version of this coat on sale called the Gotham II Hooded Jacket, which has a shorter hip length and removable faux fur hood trim.

For fellow ladies with short arms I found the sleeves to still be long but not bothersome (as pictured in this post), and you can fold some of the length underneath. There’s a 2-way zipper which is always helpful when sitting down or taking long strides in a more fitted coat. One thing to note is some of the down feathers on mine have been sticking out, which has unfortunately been been common with my down pieces.

Thank you to Backcountry for partnering on this post.