Ah, Patagonia. One thing you can say about the company (aside from the fact that they make some of the most bomber outdoor apparel in the industry) is that they sure aren’t afraid to design new and unusual outerwear. None is a better example of this than the Nano Puff Hybrid Jacket. I got to test out this puff/fleece genetic hybrid while backcountry skiing in the real Patagonia on a recent trip to Argentina, and it quickly became my go-to layering piece for the whole adventure.
Patagonia says the Nano Puff Hybrid is the combination of their best-selling Nano Puff Jacket and R2 Fleece. The puff is located on the upper body, to keep you warm where insulation is needed, while the fleece wraps around the bottom of the torso and arms where more breathability will keep users cool during aerobic activity, and allows for greater range of motion. Other features of the Nano Puff include:
- Two Napoleon chest pockets (harness and pack compatible)
- Microfleece-lined neck and chin
- Full-length, reverse-coil front zipper that’s backed with a low-bulk wind flap and treated with a Deluge® DWR finish.
- Lightweight recycled polyester ripstop shell with a Deluge® DWR
- 60-g PrimaLoft ONE
- Polartec Thermal Pro
Upon receiving the Patagonia Nano Puff Hybrid, the first thing that struck me was the brilliant sunset of color. Bright hunter-orange clashed with Big Bird yellow in a jacket that I would feel safe wearing in the middle of the Utah deer hunt. Other versions of the jacket have similar eye-searing colors that wouldn’t be out of place on a cotton candy stand at the state fair. You’ve got to give Patagonia credit for thinking outside the normal color-spectrum for technical wear. Despite my misgivings of the jacket clashing with my ginger-kid hair, I was anxious to get it into the mountains of the jacket’s namesake, Patagonia.
My first stop on the ski tour was at Alta Catedral Patagonia in Bariloche, the largest ski resort in South America. The day was meant for cruising groomers to shake off those summer legs, but the weather had other plans as cold temperatures came in under cloudy skies, and freezing rain drizzled on us all day. I layered the Nano Puff Hybrid beneath my Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket, and it kept me warm and dry. Even as the rain started to soak through my outer layer, the Nano Puff’s polyester ripstop shell with a Deluge DWR finish kept the water from getting any further.
The next day was a real test of the Nano Puff’s capability, as we traversed a rocky ridge above Valle Van Titter for a descent and ski tour to the legendary Refugio Frey. The jacket was perfect to wear alone with a base layer as the activity of hiking never overheated me. At times my upper body got a bit too warm, but then a cold wind would blow through the fleece sections and cool me off. It was a nice balancing act between insulation and breathability that danced around my body the whole time. The jacket was also comfortable under pack straps without any hot spots beneath seams or zippers.
Paired with a shell on the ski down, the Nano Puff Hybrid kept me warm, but was never bulky underneath. As we reached the bottom of the valley and began to skin up to the hut, the weather got warm and we shed layers down to our skivvies. Another great thing about the Nano Puff Hybrid? It’s very light and thin, which means it packs down small and doesn’t take up much room in a pack.
But light and thin doesn’t mean the jacket isn’t warm. I tested that out at night after dinner at The Frey. We went outside to sit on a boulder and look at the immense night sky above Cerro Principal in temperatures that dropped to the low 20s, and the Nano Puff Hybrid kept me plenty warm as we attempted to decipher foreign constellations under a Hoth sky while painting the hut with light from our headlamps.
Happy Patagonia Nano Puff Hybrid:
Warm, versatile, breathable, and light weight, this mid-layer can do it all from the skin track to alpine climbs.
Sad Nano Puff Hybrid:
The color options will draw stares from folks who think you just escaped from the circus. (There is a black on black version for those who are not brave enough to rock the rainbow)
Final Word:
The Patagonia Nano Puff Hybrid Jacket isn’t as warm as a full-on down or insulated jacket, but is a good compromise if you’re looking for a versatile, do-it-all mid layer that performs whether you’re sweating up a storm on a steep ascent, or chilling on a rock in the Andes while sipping on a tall boy. As far as technical features, construction, and overall feel, Patagonia wins the muy bien award.
For this and more, check out Patagonia online.