17-11-2006

Patagonia Micro Puff Zip Vest

Gold medal in its category

Patagonia Micro Puff Zip Vest

The idea of wearing a second jacket in order to facilitate movements without loosing any warmth isn?t new. Not new but a bit innovating with Patagonia's Micro Puff Zip vest. At least this is what we keep in mind from 4 days of intensive test over the past months.

Day 1: I go to Freyr. First this about the jacket in two words 'strength by simplicity'. The concept is well known: take differents materials, cut them in a nice way. Put on it a resistant zipper, two exterior pockets with the same zipper, an elastic in order to avoid wind under the jacket and you?ll get a very nice product.
Why complicate things when they can be simple... The heat of this test day couldn't prove it?s efficacy in extreme conditions. It was even very hot by moments !

Day 2: the Rochers du Calvaire at Bomal on our program. This crag known for its resistant routes seems perfect to get back to Belgian climbing conditions. The many reports we had about it show the very nice place of this spot. The cold and the clouds are with us but not any rain. I therefore make a test of optimum isolation and the jacket gets a very good note!

We go back to Bomal on the third day. The occasion for me to try the movements in an unachieved project that I liked. This time the sun is here with us. The jacket isn?t put away and maintains my body temperature between the runs and when I?m belaying. Really nice!

Day 4: we fell in love with Bomal and thus we go back there. The weather is rainy: showers are at the rendez-vous. The wall is damp at some places but the strong wind has an advantage it dries the wall quickly, even if the temperatures go down at the same occasion. The jacket once again proves us its wind stopper properties. The showers during the return also show a good impermeability. Easy, put it under a shower, shack it once and put it back in your closet: it?s dry.

For wearing it quite many times the Micro Puff Zip Vest appears to me as a real pearl in its style and a good companion very useful during cold climbing day. I also thought that its advantages where even more marked when bouldering. I took it at the beginning of November in one of my trips to Bleau. My thoughts were confirmed: the jacket was welcomed and its qualities appeared even better. It?s your turn to test it.

Technical details

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