Thursday, August 12, 2010

Patagonia Nano Puff Pull Over?




This is a great piece of clothing but up front I am not a big fan of Patagonia. I think they are over priced, and the fit is generally terrible. The fit has always been off...and nothing seems to have changed in 30 years. Arcteryx is a good comparison...high priced but a great fit in almost every single piece of clothing they make. The Atom Lt is one of my favorite pieces of cold weather clothing because of the fit.








Atom Lt in the Icefields in Nov.


I bought two of the Nano Puff Pullovers on sale this winter. One for a buddy's BD present and one for myself. If I had known just how good they were I might have given my buddy a decent bottle of wine instead of the Nano!



The best thing I can say about Patagonia is they have a stellar warranty and refund policy. So no question what you buy will either live up to your satisfaction or you can get you money back or do an exchange. I've done both in the past but generally stay away from Patagonia clothing because of fit.



In the last year I have had two different pairs of Micro puff pants...neither size fit. One of the other pieces from Patagonia I used this winter was the Hooded Down Sweater. Which I liked a lot except for the fact t was down.



I wouldn't be writing this one up if I didn't think the Nano Puff wastrulya stellar piece of kit.



Like almost any light weight piece of clothing I use the Nano Puff as part of my layering system. With the Nano it is generally used as a wind shell orover layer. When it is warm enough I'll use it as an wind and insulation layer over a thinR1 hoody or collaredR1 layer. The R1s are another excellentpiece of kit from Patagonia. They also fit much better than the norm.









Nano Puff Pull over used with aR1 pullover.



In cold weather I'll use the Nano Puff as a wind shell and additional insulation layer over an Arcteryx Atom Lt hoody. Awesome combo that gives me 100g/m worth of insulation while still keeping the extra breathability of the Atom Lt side and under arm panels. Easy combo to climb technical ground with.










-20C and windy @ 10K feet...a Atom Lt Hoody used with aNano Puff as the wind shell layer.







There were only a couple of clothing items I wore almost every day in Chamonix late this winter and into spring. We had temps of 0 and -25C between storms and brilliant sunshine. The Nano Puff pullover was one of the few pieces of clothing I had with me that was versatile enough to use at both ends of the temperature extremes.







Sadly the Pull Over version doesn't fit me the same as the full zip or hooded full zip. The Pull over is the only one that I think fits well enough to buy. I'd own one of each of the others if they did actually fit. Even in my XL size this pull over jacket packs up super small and adds way more warmth than expected for the thickness of the insulation. I really like climbing in this rig. It breaks the wind and adds enough insulation to make even a cold day in the sun super fun. At the moment I own one...the bright greenshown here. But it won't bejust one for long. They don't take the abuse of rock or sharp objects well. Next time I get the chance I'll find and buyanother on sale. This is a piece of clothing anyone can use and one worth throwing in the pack anytime you head above treeline.




Not many pieces of clothing I get really excited about. The Nano Puff and the Atom Lt make an unbeatable combination for alpine climbing...and other fun, cold weatherthings as well!




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