User Review: Patagonia R1 Hoody

Patagonia R1 Hoody
Above: The current R1 Hoody, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed January 16, 2007 by r_k

Rating:
Fabric: R1 / Polartec® Power Dry®
Price Paid: 75€

While not exactly a fashion item, the R1 Hoody is very nice when it comes to lightweight hiking or climbing in cool or cold conditions. Actually, for the people who rarely bother to bring a second shirt to a trip, this is a gift from heaven. The hood replaces neck gaiter and hat or balaclava, making your kit list a little shorter, the long sleeves that end in thumb loops mean that you can survive with lighter gloves.

This shirt is thin compared to typical fleeces, and warm when compared to base layers. It can be worn either over a base layer or as a baselayer. If my hoody was not the last one in a sale, I might have gone for a bigger size - the fit is really snug and so my only option is to wear it as a baselayer, which I don't mind at all. Only when wet it is not as nice against skin as dedicated base layers, but once sweating stops, it dries off to a comfortable level fast enough. If it gets hot, the long zip is very effective for cooling.

To say something negative, the normal price tag might scare you away. And sad news for all the ladies out there: there is no women's model.

When going on a trip I bring two base layer shirts: a Hawaiian shirt for those lazy days in the sun and looking good in the pub after a day in the mountains, and R1 hoody for all other purposes.

A more thorough review by a well-known gear geek climber can be found here:
http://psychovertical.com/?r1hoody