PATAGONIA Torrentshell Pullover (£95)

PATAGONIA Torrentshell Pullover (£95)

By John Manning

September 20 2011

TGO Rating 4.5 stars

Honestly, I’m just as surprised as you are to see high-end label Patagonia represented in a bargain-priced jackets review. Like Berghaus, Patagonia’s way in was to submit a smock-style waterproof – smocks being cheaper (and lighter) than jackets. The light and roomy Torrentshell allows for warmer layers to be worn underneath. It’s cut relatively short: it halfcovered my backside but soon rode up, so over-trousers would be a sensible consideration on wetter days.

The hood fits snugly but its cord ends and their toggles are concealed within the collar, making adjustment unnecessarily fiddly. When perfected, the hood provides a protective seal around the face, improved further by the effective volume adjustment. The hood does, when fully tightened, move with the face, albeit in a limited manner. Its unstiff ened peak
provides some facial protection, though wind largely negates that. The test hike generated moisture across the shoulders, which soon cleared in a drying wind.

Technical Spec

Protection: 2.5-layer nylon ripstop shell with H2No laminate
Pockets: one zipped inner
Weight: 294g (L)
Sizes: Men: XS-XXL, Women: n/a
Likes: weight, hood fit, roomy fit
Dislikes: concealed hood adjustment, length, lack of pockets

Patagonia
0800 026 0055
www.patagonia.com

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