Product review: Carhartt Extremes

I purchased my first Carhartt from a small northern MN sporting goods outlet back in 2004. I may still have that jacket if it weren't for a very unfortunate explosion, 1 part car battery, 1 part jumper cables, and 2 parts youthful enthusiasm (never touch the ends of jumper cables to see if they will spark).

That particular jacket may have lasted a few years had misfortune not struck, like lightning, at poor me and my poor hooded Carhartt jacket.

Over the years I have owned their hats, insulated bibs, and lost several jackets to years of use, loss in moves, or outright theft but one thing a carhartt has never done is fail me when I needed it most.

No, they may not be battery acid/explosion proof, but you can even purchase fire retardant ones, which is of course, the next best thing. I worked long hours and months, that turned to years in the oilfields of western ND. Fire retardant clothing was an absolute must, mandated OSHA wear in these terrible, dirty. diesel fuel soaked places you would never in good conscious send your children if you had any idea what would await them. But, if you do, at least get them a Carhartt extremes jacket.

I'm not paid by Carhartt, (at least not at the moment) I just love their work wear. Hell, I have been using and wearing the same pair of work dungaree double front pants for three years, no pants last that long on my body.

But, let's get to the main part of this story...

I had just received a big fat "oil money" check after two weeks of very honorable service (168 hours worth of service) and decided to replace my older Carharrt, It still worked fine but the cuffs had frayed from years of welding and grinding and getting caught on just about anything you can think of. I decided to keep the old warhorse as my work coat and buy a new one to wear if I decided to go out to eat some place and didn't want the waitress to puke in my menu when she smelt where I had been all day.

Well, eventually the defecation struck the oscillation in the oilfield, and in about two weeks, no one had a job. Gas prices dropped to levels unseen since I bought my first Carhartt. To make matters worse, my vehicle broke down on the way to Gillette, Wyoming, and I was forced to leave my vehicle behind , under the care of a man with very ill repute. He stole my car, and quite a few of my possessions, not limited to two firearms, and my pair of Carharrt bibs I had owned for about 10 years that were still in serviceable condition while I was on my way via coach bus to Minneapolis St. Paul.

Just me, my trusty rucksack of survival gear, and 1 Carhartt extremes jacket.

Unfortunately I found myself in a poor neighborhood, surrounded by men of dubious character who relieved me of my trusty ruck, and a few other items, including my pride, but not my Carharrt.

Unable to hail attention of anyone who may even be pretending to be law enforcement I spent the next few days due to extenuating circumstance, running at a pretty good clip from the down town area of the worlds biggest sh*t hole, to a quaint little town named Royalton, MN over 90+ miles North, on foot, in some very nasty weather, just one man, one pair of socks (that was gross) and one Carhartt jacket.

It was just me, and that Carhartt, and without it I may not be here.

From the ND border of canada facing -60 F temps, to west Texas, A Carhartt has been within arms reach.

That jacket, 3-4 years old now is still in nearly the exact

same condition it was the day I bought it. After a wash, it looks brand new other than a small tear in the quilted lining on the inside of the coat.

I swear, every part of this story is true, albeit abbreviated.

In a era where marketing is so often complete crap, that jacket really is built for the extreme. If -60 F toil in the oil, and gang banger muggings is not extreme, I don't know what is.