Going to buy a synthetic jacket, should I get one with or without a hood?

Why would you not get one with a hood!? At least with the hood, the option is there if you need it. Plus, if you are using it in wet and cold conditions, a warm dry head is much better then a wet and cold head.
 
When you say using it in cold and wet conditions that is fine but are you going to be using it for active sports? Do you wear a hat instead or are you comfortable wearing a hood? Since approx 20% of body heat escapes through your head if you are in properly cold conditions then you need some form of head covering (I seem to recall you saying that you are thinning on top so I'd imagine it to be accentuated if you don't have a thick head of hair) but it is up to you whether you feel comfortable with a hat or with a hood of course.

Personally I have hoods on my jackets because they were the most suitable jackets for me in terms of performance at the time, however I almost never wear the hood up as I've got quite thick hair anyway and if it is really cold (~-10C or worse including windchill) then I'll wear a hat since a hood restricts my vision too much for snowboarding properly. :)
 
Already got Goretex and down?

Ventile next then. http://www.west-winds.co.uk

Ventile is by far the best material I've ever come across for working in the outdoors. The antarctic smock and the double ventile parka are both excellent jackets, I've got the parka and managed to get it for £100!!

And yes, have a hood.
 
semi-pro waster said:
When you say using it in cold and wet conditions that is fine but are you going to be using it for active sports? Do you wear a hat instead or are you comfortable wearing a hood? Since approx 20% of body heat escapes through your head if you are in properly cold conditions then you need some form of head covering (I seem to recall you saying that you are thinning on top so I'd imagine it to be accentuated if you don't have a thick head of hair) but it is up to you whether you feel comfortable with a hat or with a hood of course.

Personally I have hoods on my jackets because they were the most suitable jackets for me in terms of performance at the time, however I almost never wear the hood up as I've got quite thick hair anyway and if it is really cold (~-10C or worse including windchill) then I'll wear a hat since a hood restricts my vision too much for snowboarding properly. :)
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Top advice, and in most circumstances I think you are right.

In my mind I am thinking "Scottish Winter" which can be a bit slushy wet and also Alpine. Any serious Alpine I would use the down for.

I don't think there is any way I could use a hood whilst climbing, and it's not going to be for hardcore alpine so it wouldn't be used in harsh, freezing conditions.

Perhaps I need to get a synthetic and some decent headwear
 
cleanbluesky said:
In my mind I am thinking "Scottish Winter" which can be a bit slushy wet and also Alpine. Any serious Alpine I would use the down for.
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Scottish winter can definitely be a bit miserable for outdoors activities, like I say I don't normally wear a hat but if the weather is cold I wear a sort of fleecy scarf around my lower face which makes a massive difference - it is basically just a complete tube of fleece so I never have to worry about the ends untucking as I would with a scarf but it ends up looking like a bandit mask and is brilliant in cold weather.

I think your best bet is just to buy the most comfortable jacket you can find and don't worry about the hood, if you have one and use it then great but your uses sound more suited to a hat also.
 
Well, ventile is not synthetic at all. Believe it or not it is 100% cotton, made from the fibres found in something like the top 2% of the world's cotton crop.

The performance of Ventile® fabrics results from the properties of cotton fibres which expand when they come into contact with water. The combination of fibres, yarns and weave causes expansion in a uniform manner. This allows the interstices within the fabric to close up, preventing the further passage of water.
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In other words, when it rains the Coat stiffens and forms a pretty much impenetrable barrier to wind and rain, especially with double ventile layering. The only problem is when it gets too wet i.e. falling in a stream wet, it can feel like you wearing a coat made out of cardboard as it stiffens up quite a bit when submerged.

It is advertised as breathable, waterproof, 100% natural, durable, quiet etc..

It's also been around for years, much longer than goretex, and I am extremely happy with mine. Ventile is favoured by a lot of people I know in the forces and who work in the outdoors industry.

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