Columbia Omni Heat Wader Widgeon Parka Review

When the temps drop during the winter hunting months in Arkansas, a cup of hot coffee, a warm stove and a comfortable recliner all sound pretty tempting. But, as we all know, big bucks and flying ducks aren’t taken while sitting in the living room. You have to be ready to hit the field in even in the toughest conditions, and surviving the elements comfortably all starts with choosing the appropriate clothing for the conditions.

Because November through February in Arkansas brings such a varying array of weather — from cool 40 degree days to icy teen mornings — nothing is more important than apparel that can handle a wide-range of extreme winter weather conditions. From insulated boots to lined-gloves and thermal headwear, lacking adequate attire can ruin a day of hunting all-together.

At the center  of the winter weather wardrobe is, of course, the jacket. If you're unable to keep you’re core warm and insulated, you can bet it won't take long until you're miserable and headed back to the house.

Whether bow hunting for late season bucks or wading in hip-high flooded timber for diving ducks, much emphasis needs to be put on finding apparel that is warm enough, and durable enough, to get us through the coldest temperatures of the season.

Enter the new Omni Heat Wader Widgeon Parka from Columbia.

When bad weather drives most hunters back to the cabin, this super-technical jacket will keep you warm, dry and ready for action. Quiet, cotton-feel Omni Heat® waterproof-breathable fabric is fully seam sealed for protection from the elements, and it features a down liner for added insulation.

Constructed with a removable, adjustable storm hood with ball cap brim to shield your face and underarm venting system for breathable comfort. Six zippered security pockets, two hook-and-loop pockets and 12 shell pockets up front provide ample storage, while quick-loading shotgun shell tubes keep you ready to take your shot.

Omni Heat Technology

The very first thing everybody asks when they find out your sporting a new hunting jacket is “how warm is it?” I can honestly say, this Columbia jacket is the warmest I've ever worn.

"It's literally like a heat

wrap for your torso."

What makes Columbia's Wader Widgeon Parka different from other hunting jackets on the market? It all starts with their patented Omni Heat Technology, which provides  20% more warmth than leading brands.

This thermal reflective technology helps heat your core by utilizing  reflective silver dots on the inside of the jacket, which will remind you of a space blanket, to reflect and retain the warmth your body generates, while at the same time, dissipating moisture to keep you comfortable. Omni Heat features inlude:

• Boosts heat retention by 20% on average
• Dot lining provides heat retention while maintaining a high level of breathability to reduce excess heat and moisture
• Highest heat retention per gram of synthetic insulation in the industry
• Ultra-soft, down like hand
• Eco friendly 50% recycled content

Fit

Specifically designed with duck hunters in mind, the Wader Wigeon Parka is made with a shorter length so it's ideal for wearing with waders, and it stays dry until your waist deep in flooded timber. However, there is a downside to the shorter length. Any time you have to stretch, reach, or really even raise your gun to shoot, the jacket rides up on your back and you'll get tired of pulling it back down into place.

The shorter length was not a bad idea considering many of us often wade while duck hunting. But it would have been more functional if they would have removed the elastic from the waist. That way, the jacket would fall back down into place after stretching or shooting. Instead, it forces you to constantly reach back and pull it down off your back.

The jacket's down liner does not have the elastic, and it is much more comfortable, one of the reasons I often wear it by itself.

Other Features

• One of the coolest features of the jacket is the well-thought-out installation of the shotgun shell holding tubes on the chest of the parka. No more digging through your pockets to find shells. Also, eight separate shell pockets are located under the flap of two front pockets, offering quick and easy loading when you need it the most. More proof that Columbia designed the Wader Wideon Parka with duck hunters top-of-mind.
• What's better than one warm coat? Two, of course. With the Columbia Wader Wideon Parka, you get just that. The comfy zip out liner is a jacket all it's own. When temperatures are in the 30's and 40's, oftentimes the liner is all you'll need. It's equipped with its own down insulation, meaning it's quiet, comfortable and warm.

Other features include:

• Omni-Tech waterproof-breathable and fully seam sealed
• Removable, adjustable storm hood
• Underarm venting
• Multiple cargo pockets
• Fabric: Shell: 88% polyester/12% elastane. Lining: 100% polyester. Liner: 100% polyester. Lining: 100% polyester. Insulation: 50% polyester/50% recycled polyester, 100

Putting it to the Test

I thought it would be fun to run a little experiment to test Columbia's Omni Heat Technology vs another new name brand jacket that I own, the Under Armour Jacket featuring ColdGear Technology, which also claims to circulate body heat and wick away moisture. 

1. To begin, I placed the two jackets side by side on the floor in a temperature controlled room. Next, I dropped 32 oz of packed snow in each jacket.

2. I then warmed up two hot/cold packs in the microwave and placed one on top of the packed snow in each jacket, and zipped the jackets up.

The idea was that the hot/cold pack would represent internal body heat. Whichever pile of snow melted the fastest would tell us which technology — Under Armour's ColdGear or Columbia's Omni Heat — did the best job of reflecting and retaining the heat.

You can see the results for yourself. The snow in the Columbia jacket melted significantly more than the Under Armour jacket. In the latter, the snow in  is still packed fairly tight, which tells me heat did not penetrate nearly as deep as the Omni Heat. One thing to keep in mind is that I only used the Columbia liner, and not the outer shell, yet it still dominated the ColdGear. 

The Columbia Wader Widgeon Parka comes in two camo patterns: Delta Hunter Marsh and Timberwolf. You can find out more about it at Columbia.com.