User Review: Patagonia Men's R1 Hoody

After an uncomfortable, cold, drafty night on the trail in my 35-degree bag, I realized that sometimes my best sleeping bag will not prevent drafts in my ultralight tent from spoiling a good-night's sleep. I thought about turtle necks and warm hats, and balaclavas, and cringed at the thought of overlapping garments. That's when I realized that for sleeping, a snug hoody fleece would be the warmest and most-comfortable. When I got home and searched the web, I was lucky to find the Patagonia R1 Hoody top.

My first test was a camping trip to north Florida over the new year 2010, and so thought my 35-degree bag was all I needed. Needless to say, I didn't expect it to be quite so cold, and boy, was I unpleasantly surprised! Thank goodness I had the hoody!!! With my wool socks, long-johns top & bottom and the R1 hoody, I slept well and was comfortable all night. The hoody stopped drafts from hitting my bare skin and was the margin of warmth that kept me comfortable all night long.

Researching the hoody, I read that the R1 is sized snugly, so purchased my natural size--a large. The fit is perfect. The hood fits snugly around my neck and head, with a comfortable amount of elasticity. Besides sleepware, I found hoody is also extremely versatile, keeping me warm during cool days on the trail. It has replaced my Denali Jacket, relegating it to suburban duty while saving a half pound in weight.

Easily worth the money, the R1 Hoody is my new most-indispensable piece of gear.

Love it!!!