Product Description
These Northern Outfitters Polar Blast parkas are a bit of a mystery to us. The only online resource we’ve been able to find is a blog post from 2010:
I’d been given one of the special “Science” parkas, a closer-fitting green outfit. I’d remembered Beth saying something about those, that they weren’t quite as warm, and that some folks had had trouble with the zippers. I asked Dan and Ben, my patient mentors, and yeah, they agreed with Beth: Big Red was going to be warmer. But the Science parkas were considered very cool – they were the only ones that actually said “South Pole” on them.
One of the ‘Science’ parkas still had the name tag, and we were able to get in touch with the last person who wore it, to allow him the first option to purchase it. As he tells it, his Big Red broke a zipper the day he arrived at the south pole, and the people in charge of supplies took him deep into storage, where he was able to find a ‘parka from years past’ which was the right size.
If you know anything about the history behind these parkas, please reach out and let us know!
Condition:
These parkas are in very poor condition. The vast majority of these parkas are not remotely wearable wearable, and they would need a lot of work to be made so. The gallery contains labeled photos of each parka. Please feel free to reach out via our contact page for more pictures.
Parka 2:
Too many rips tears and holes to count on the front, back, sleeves, & interior, as well as some field patches. It is very dirty and stained, especially the interior lining. The largest hole in the exterior lining is beside one of the front pockets, as well as on the arms.
Parka 3:
The parka has many small holes all over, but primarily on the hem, sleeves and the bottom pockets. The most extreme damage is a large slice down the back of the left sleeve, near the cuff, revealing the interior insulation. There are also some small bits of damage and signs of repair, such as field patches. The parka is dirty and needs to be cleaned, with stains both inside and outside.
Parka 4:
There are many small rips & holes throughout, along with field patches and other signs of repair. The left breast pocket is torn out and has marker writing below it. The parka smells like smoke (half burnt cigarette was found in one pocket). Some of the pocket velcro is not attached properly and needs to be fixed.
This parka is actually one of the best condition we have, and is theoretically wearable (IE no holes that go all the way through & no extreme rips in the lining).
Parka 5:
The velcro is coming loose on one pocket, and another is completely missing the flap. Major section of parka completely removed and cut out including stuffing. It is completely missing the zipper mechanism.
Parka 6:
The parka is in very poor condition and requires a lot of repair. The right sleeve is absolutely shredded, with large swaths of exterior lining cut away, multiple smaller tears and many old repairs. The other sleeve is in better condition, but there are still multiple holes in the exterior lining. A smaller rip on the front of the parka goes all the way through to the insulation, and two of the front pockets are completely torn out.
Parka 7:
Both sleeves have multiple small holes in the outer lining, and there are several small tears or patches on the front of the parka. The largest and most obvious damage is to the area around the bottom-right pocket. The exterior lining here is completely ripped through, down one side and below the bottom of the pocket. This area can be completely lifted away to reveal the insulation beneath.
