Patagonia Rain Jackets: What's the best?
Photo of the Patagonia Rain Shadow Jacket from patagonia.com
With all of the rain we've been getting in California lately, I've been thinking about picking up a new rain jacket. Currently I'm using the Mountain Hardwear Typhoon Jacket that I purchased at REI for half-off a couple of winters ago. It does the job (Gore-Tex PacLite) but has a lot of flaps and velcro.
I used to own a Patagonia Dimension Jacket and though it was a softshell and I ultimately eBay-ed it because it wasn't waterproof, its simplicity was nice. That's why I've been considering the Rain Shadow (at the top of the post). I like its water-resistant zipper in front and the fact that there are no flaps over the center zip or any of the pockets. Basic, clean rain protection.
Another jacket I've considered is the Patagonia Stretch Ascent. It's $300 price tag has put the brakes on the idea of actually getting one, but its stretchiness and streamlined design are reminiscent of my old Dimension Jacket.
Photo from patagonia.com
Then there's the Patagonia Torrentshell which is a nice, basic option (and well-priced too). I may have to try one of those on when I'm in San Diego this weekend for Christmas.
Photo from store.apolisglobal.com
By the way, Apolis (a company I've previously mentioned) is offering the jacket on their website and also has some great "fit shots" if you want to see what it looks like on a real human being.
Labels: Apolis, Collaborations, Patagonia Stretch Ascent, Rain Shadow Jacket
posted by Patagonia Community at
12/21/2010
4 Comments:
Sorry to throw another jacket into your decision-making process, but my girlfriend has the Storm Jacket and loves it. What sold her was the mesh lining (it makes a huge difference in the warmer months/locales) and the pit zips.
Ha--no problem Richard. Good to hear the experiences of others with Patagonia items. I actually tried the Storm Jacket on a couple of years ago. I wasn't sure about the mesh lining, but it sounds like she likes it, huh? Okay, well another good Patagonia jacket in the mix. I guess there are worse problems in life! I'll be in San Diego for a few days coming up--I'll have to try all of these on when I'm there. Hopefully the Cardiff store will have more than board shorts.
Thanks for the input!
Hi, I'm a new reader to your blog.
I'll second the storm jacket. I have one that I bought in 98 and it's just started to lose it's waterproof-ness (Sadly, the nikwax spray isn't doing the trick). I like the mesh inside because it helps wick and am a big fan of it's length - it goes past my pants pockets, protecting my phone and wallet.
Interesting, another Storm Jacket supporter. I guess there's a reason Patagonia makes that jacket year after year--apparently it does the job. I've never thought about how important the length of the jacket is when it comes to keeping my pocket contents dry. I wouldn't want water draining right into my phone. Hmm, something to think about! Thanks for reading.
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