User Review: Patagonia DAS Parka

Patagonia DAS Parka
Above: The current DAS Parka, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed September 10, 2006 by Olaf Johnson

Rating:
Fabric: Shell is too soft and sensitive to snags and dirt
Fill: Very warm
Price Paid: $265

I shopped around for a while for a synthetic belay parka and it was a quick while because everyone directed me to two jackets that set the standard of belay parkas: The North Face REDPOINT OPTIMUS ($199) for its minimal weight and great packability and the Patagonia DAS PARKA ($265) for its superior warmth, and function.

After playing around with the very flimsy OPTIMUS in The North Face store I decided to spend more and get the obviously warmer DAS PARKA. After a cold weekend in the woods, I found the DAS sleeves in my size (Small) fitted too short and narrow so my wrist would be exposed between the gloves and the cuffs while belaying. After I exchanged it to the next size up, I found the cut was overly big, loose fitting and too bulky--limiting alot of movement, adding apparent weight and subtracting from the economy of packing less.

Also hiking the approach on a 20-30 F degree morning in a bigger-oversized DAS was miserable because the silk-soft exterior-shell was easy to pick up dirt and seemed that it would shred under any type of snag or sharp branch. Plus the tiny zipper pulls and imppossibly miniscule hem cinchcord were not glove friendly at all.

Another gripe about the hem cinchcord pull tabs is that they are placed right under the main zipper in the center so when belaying with the lower zip naturally zipped open/up, it's difficult to cinch or adjust the hem without first zipping it back down over your harness. Then because the cinch bunches up in front next to the zipper it creates alot of extra bunching and puffing out where your harness's belay point is even if the lower zip is open. This was very distracting for me plus if you are wearing gloves forget about it. I felt having the hem cinch tabs at the sides would have been better for adjusting and the hem tension would bulk the jacket's hem at the sides away from the zipper, and your belay point (The MAMMUT STRATUS jacket I wear now has it at the sides and it does make a lot of difference).

So I took the DAS back for good when I found a great deal on the much better MAMMUT STRATUS synthentic belay parka (on sale for $95)at a local shop.