User Review: Patagonia Super Guide Jacket

Patagonia Super Guide Jacket
Above: The current Super Guide Jacket, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed January 11, 2009 by Jon.C

Rating:
Price Paid: Sale

I'm pretty sure this is the jacket that I have (it doesn't say inside what it is) and I'm also pretty sure they no longer make it. But it is a very stretchy, non-insulated soft shell type of material.

However, I wasn't really familiar with this type of garment when I first purchased it, having only used pile/pertex type jackets. In hindsight I would say this: NEVER BUY A SOFT SHELL JACKET WITHOUT A HOOD. It will just drive you crazy when you top a mountain and the cold wind starts freezing the side of your face. It doesn't lose half a point for that however, as that is the buyer's responsibility, as is the need to ignore the sales pitch about a 'shell' not having a hood yet being functional in winter.

The good points are: it breathes well because Patagonia don't put membranes in their 'soft shell' line up of jackets; it is durable; it sheds precipitation well; it can be worn longer (in winter) than a simple pertex windproof on its own because it's warmer; being a stiff material, the pockets open and close one handed easily; it fits great (but see below); the collar draw cord is good.

The only downside (apart from not having a hood if you see it that way) is the lack of elastic or velcro opening in the sleeves so that you can vent your arms; it can get a bit clammy there but nothing as bad as a membrane would.

The jacket can feel a bit tight under the arms and across the chest, I find (once wearing a pack however, this problem disappears and the close fit comes into its own). I think that a close fitting soft shell with a hood makes sense with minimal pockets, perhaps a single large chest pocket, and no or very little insulation (sounds like the original micro-pile/pertex, doesn't it?). If more pockets are added and the cut is longer, it starts to function as a hard shell more and more, so the cut needs to allow a thin layer underneath. Therefore, this jacket falls somewhat in between two ideals, as I see it: lots of pockets but no hood and not long enough and narrow cuffs and so on.

Put a hood on it, open up the sleeves, leave only one or two technical pockets, give it more room in the torso and it may be the (above zero) soft shell to rule them all. For below zero, see the wonderful Winter Guide Jacket!

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