>>2111569If you're standing around, walking, or otherwise just spending time outdoors in the freezing cold without doing a ton of strenuous activity, they're absolutely amazing. Back when the state got fucked by that once-in-a-century cold spell, it was 7 degrees outside, ankle deep snow, and I was out there for hours shoveling the drive, gathering firewood to heat the house, etc and the only part of me that was cold was my nose. I wore the greatcoat, a wool M43 cap, Italian surplus wool gloves, and Czech surplus wool socks. Everyone else, even wearing bulky down jackets or leather jackets, cried about how cold it was and couldn't tolerate more than a few minutes at a time. I was out there for hours, and felt great.
If you're hiking on rough terrain, climbing, biking, crawling, etc. then a greatcoat becomes less practical.
I got a ton of compliments wearing it around town during the freeze. It looks cool and it was incredibly handy to have.