User Review: Patagonia Down Parka

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

Reviewed October 21, 2007 by Delmarco

Rating:
Fabric: DWR Ripstop Nylon
Fill: 800 Down
Price Paid: $300

INTRO:
Patagonia's only expedition worthy Down Parka and also their least environmentally friendly product will appeal to many urban shoppers for its warmth-to-weight ratio. There are other makers of similar jackets like Outdoor Research's Megaplume ($299), The North Face's Baltoro ($499) and Himalyan ($599) models and Marmot's Parbat ($325), etc that basically sell the same thing for cheaper or sell you a more durable down parka with better protection for the same price and up.

MAIN REASON YOU WOULD WANT TO BUY THIS JACKET:
At 25 ounces this jacket is almost 10 ounces lighter than the next lightest jacket the 650 fill Outdoor Research's Megaplume Down Parka and a whopping 20 ounces lighter than the more popular and most protective of the bunch The North Face Baltoro/Himalyan models. It is also a warm jacket but I doubt if anyone could honestly say it is warmer than other similar downs (I owned both earlier models of The North Face Baltoro and Himalayan down parkas and those were much warmer (down to -40F and beyond) than anything I've ever worn. I've had the Patagonia Down with many layers under it on when temps were between 12 and 16 degrees with 0 windchill and was comfortable at the same rate my old TNF Baltoro(800 fill, reflective radiant lining and GoreDryLoft Shell) had me burning up and zipping open with similar layers underneath in 0 degree weather. But then again my old school TNF Baltoro was a pound and a half heavier than the Patagonia Down.

MAIN REASON WHY YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO BUY THIS JACKET:
The reason I gave this 3 instead of 5 stars is the lack of a fully waterproof shell. The silky thin ripstop nylon that protects the down fill from wet snow and rain is DWR treated which last only so long before water and moisture make your 800 white fill down parka as useful as a bikini on Cerro Torre. Also the ripstop nylon picks up dirt and snags (zippers and otherwise) easier than I'd like. All the other top brand's down jackets sport waterproof shells from Marmot's Membrain to OR Pertex and TNF Gore DryLoft/HyVent. These shells are way more durable and expedition friendly than Patagonia's silky soft one.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FIT AND SIZING:
Another gripe I had with this jacket is the fit. I'm not sure when Patagonia started making "Relaxed Fit" (oversized and baggy on purpose to fit over many layers) expedition garments, but it now makes ordering online a nightmare.

Let's just say I usually wear a Medium to Large in all things Patagonia and otherwise and after questionable advice from the sales rep, 3 returns/exchanges later, and a lengthy in store visit, I finally understood my size to be EXTRA SMALL for this Down Parka. But it didn't end there. After wearing it outside I found the armpits (arm movements) to be tighter with a sweater underneath. So I returned/exchanged once again for a SMALL size which now fits really big on me especially the sleeves being way too long and chest/torso area being wider and much too baggy for my 39-40 inch chest. But alas my armpits now breath easier and I can move my arms better. I'm not sure who stitches the size tags on these Patagonia parkas, but someone in that department needs to review the process.

BOTTOM LINE: If weight is very very very very important to you and you are not going anywhere that is both wet and cold then I recommend this jacket! Everyone else do a little more shopping around...