User Review: Patagonia Men's Fitz Roy Down Hoody

Summary

Warm, compressible down jacket that's great as a mid-layer or in camp. Ripstop polyester shell is tough as nails!

The Patagonia men's down hoody is a highly breathable, compressible jacket with two zippered handwarmer pockets and one internal mesh pocket the jacket stuffs into. It's great as a mid-layer under a shell when the temps drop below 25°F, or even better as a jacket for those chilly nights and mornings in the backcountry.

The rip-stop polyester fabric is pretty much bomb proof. Not always the most careful hiker, I brushed up against a very sharp rock that should have shredded it.  What appeared to be a small cut in the material didn't go through to the down fill, saving me from a repair job and an ugly patch. Several other brushes with rocks and trees left no marks whatsoever.

There are only two negatives.  First, an MSRP of $250 seems pretty steep although you can find them on sale for a lot less if you don't mind a previous season's colors. 

The other issue comes in the form of water resistance.  Patagonia says the fabric is treated with a DWR finish, but I got caught in a mild snowstorm without my shell and the jacket soaked all the way through within half an hour.  I've been pretty happy with Patagonia's DWR on other products I own so I'm not sure what the issue was. Nikwax Down Wash solved the problem and gave the jacket the water repellency I expected in the first place.

Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this jacket and if I'm ever in the market for a replacement, it would be pretty tough to sell me on something other than Patagonia.