Ok, I only glanced at most of the jackets you listed. I have to be honest....I think your crazy to be spending that kind of money on a jacket. I have been winter hiking for 6 years now, but by no means would I claim my opinion is the right one or the only one. But I have been using an LL Bean softshell like this for about 4 years now and it is PERFECT! I have not re treated mine since I bought it and it still remains water resistant. It is durable...I have used it whacking in winter....and it is wind resistant to a surprising degree. For days when the winds get really high up above treeline....like 40 or 50MPH....I throw my $30 rain jacket on top of everything, the same one I use is summer. What is more is it is nice a breathable, one of the greatest selling points of a softshell.

Spending $200 on a winter jacket does not make you a better winter hiker. Save the cash, get only what you need, and apply the saved money on other gear.

Brian

I thought the Helix was a great deal for $175 in a market that can get up around $500 for a top of the line shell. In general I go for the happy medium and I can only speak to what I've done. Until I bought the Helix I also wore my summer rain shell. I can honestly say there's a difference I felt between the two.

However many a person has ventured off in to far worse conditions than I in a wool coat. My friend scores some sweet deals at the Goodwill but it's very hit or miss. So in the end you have to go with your budget and your own personal needs. I still feel the Helix is an excellent bang for the buck and I am hoping it will provide years of performance.

I pretty much only buy stuff on sale. I finally got a Columbia hardshell last year for $60, and it's more than adequate. In fact, I hardly wear it, except in high winds, extreme cold, or where I'm getting snow dumped on me a lot. Usually in winter I'm hiking in a base layer, a microfleece shirt, and a fleece once I get going.

My 30" Tubbs Couloirs were $146 with shipping.

I have a pair of plastic boots, but they ended up being slightly small (at $30 for Lowa's, I'm not too worried about the money). I wear leathers in the winter, and despite getting some cold feet in extreme conditions when I stand still, they do the job well enough for me.

Basically I buy good (not necessarily the best) products at steep discounts. I may not be "ideally" outfitted, but I trust my knowledge and experience will make up for any shortcomings.

Hope this is of some help.