Need help deciding upon winter clothing (getting confused between all coats, shells, fleeces)

Greetings,

Not sure if all three scenarios are related for temperature purposes or not but here’s my $.02.

Scenario 1 – Unless there are weight/storage capacity issues then Carharts for no other reason than durability and general resilience to cow dung. Stick with a base layer made of wool for funk reasons.

Scenario 2 – Where in South America? Big difference between northern Columbia and south Chile. I lived in Panama for a while so if you are going to be near the equator and in the jungle then I can give you a more in-depth opinion.

Scenario 3 – Opening a can of worms and personal preference comes into play here. If I’m active (e.g. hiking, alpine skiing, etc) then I’m good with just a thin base layer and lightweight waterproof “breathable” shell with pit-zips down to 32* and keep a mid to light weight fleece vest handy for rest breaks. I don’t overheat and I never suffer from the cold.

I find doubling up my torso base layer with the same gear will get me to 10* without discomfort. For whatever reason, my legs never get cold so I’m usually good with just a base layer and appropriate pants (e.g. trekking pants hiking). People I travel, backpack, ski with seem to dress similarly.

As a general rule, I find that if I keep my hands, ears (head in general), and feet warm then I’ve won 80% of the battle with another 15% going to the torso and 5% to arms/legs.

Here's my setup for winter:

Above 32ºF- Merino Wool or Synthetic base layer and a Softshell jacket

20ºF- Baselayer, Fleece, Softshell

0º- Baselayer, Fleece, Down Jacket, Softshell

Below 0º- Baselayer, Fleece, Large Ski Jacket

I usually hike in just the baselayer and softshell, even below 32º. If it is windy at all, I add a shell (raincoat) on the outside of any of these combinations (the Ski Jacket has a built in shell)

The nice thing about this setup is that the fleece and raincoat are good year-round (like cool weather in the spring) and I'm never cold. Get a great raincoat and a great fleece, because those two items will see the most year-round use out of all your clothing.

For South America remember they are south of the equator, so September to April is actually their summer.

Because of the farm work, durability is probably the biggest requirement and I would second carhartt (standard work wear across the western world for a reason).

If you want something more outdoor/technical oriented and for above freezing I would go with a usual 3 or 4 layer approach.

Wicking base layer, wool for stink control synthetic for drying time. A light grid fleece (anything from Patagonia to walmart brand will work well enough) will keep you warm while active (or too warm depending on person). A light synthetic puffy for when still. The Arc'teryx Atom is a personal favorite and many like nanopuffs from Patagonia. Something in the 60g to 80g. Finally any waterproof and breathable rain shell for when the weather does turn really wet will work.

Essentially that setup is the same as a three in one setup only more customized. If you just one a single purchase solution, a 3 in one won't be light but will serve your needs and teach you how to layer effectively for future activities.

Great tips guys.
Ian, i plan to be mainly in argentina, chile and bulivia, but i guesse that i would find myself in the north of the continent too.
Max, when you say 'fleece', can you give an example of exactly what kind of fleece you mean..? Should it be watrt resistent?
Dustin, isnt there any water proff shell that would serve me as the nanopuffs would?
Because thats an extra jacket that i would have to buy..
Thanks again