Gear Review
Specifications:
Shell Material: 1.3 oz 20 Denier 100% Nylon ripstop
Insulation Material: 60 g FullRange™ 100% Polyester stretch insulation
Lining Material: 2 oz 50 Denier 100% Nylon plain weave
Fit: Slim fit
Layer Type: Mid Layer, Outer Layer
Weight: 12.4 oz
Pick up a Patagonia Nano-Air Hoodie at evo.com: Patagonia Nano-Air Hoodie
***
The Patagonia Nano – Air hoodie was carefully designed for seamless transitions during stop and go aerobic activities like climbing, ski touring, splitboarding, hiking, mountain biking, walking your dog, and just running your errands. This thin layer can keep you surprisingly warm in a variety of climates, from cold to warm and dry to humid.
Construction
The Nano – Air hoodie has 2 high chest pockets and 2 hand pockets that are compatible with a backpack. The stretch hood easily pulls over your head if you’re wearing a low profile beanie and the stretch cuffs seal out the elements while stretched out over or scrunched under your gloves. The jacket also comes with dual hemlock cords to keep you warm in breezy conditions. The nano brick pattern on the side stabilizes insulation in high abrasion areas, the loosely quilted body allows for comfortable movement, and a no quilt shoulder area has maximum stretch.
Tech
A soft 20 denier (1 denier = 1 gram of mass per 9,000 meters of thread) rip stop nylon shell and liner sandwich a layer of 60g synthetic insulation (meaning that a 1 meter by 1 meter square of insulation weighs 60 grams and a higher weight provides more warmth.) The fabric is soft to the touch and has four way mechanical stretch, which makes the jacket feel like a comfy sweatshirt. At 40 cfm (meaning 40 cubic feet of air flow through a square meter of this jacket per minute), the Nano – Air is amongst the most breathable layers on the market. Breathability is key because it keeps you both warm and cool during intermittent activity; warm because your base layers aren’t getting saturated with sweat and cool because sweat only chills you if it can evaporate.
The jacket is coated with a DWR or “Durable Water Repellant” finish that causes water to bead up and roll off as opposed to becoming saturated and blocking the breathable membrane. Breathability is inversely proportionate to the windproof capability, so the Nano – Air isn’t warm in a strong breeze. Patagonia designed the Nano – Air to be perfectly compatible with their Houdini Jacket, a windproof shell that weighs only 3.6 oz and stuffs to the size of a orange.
Breathability
I’ve been testing the Nano – Air in Jackson, WY, known for it’s cold temps and extreme inversions. The hoodie did extremely well at expelling moisture and keeping me warm and dry throughout various conditions. Jackson recently experienced one of it’s infamous cold (–20° F) spells with a warm (+20° F) inversion layer above 9,000 feet. I managed to stay comfortable while touring 4,000 vertical feet from the cold valley floor up to the “balmy” summit in the Nano-Air. At the summit, I took my phone out of the chest pocket and was surprised to find it covered with a layer of moisture! Showing just how efficiently this layer breathes.
Durability
Although the soft outer shell does not inspire confidence to carry firewood or rub up against unfinished wood, I haven’t noticed any pilling or snags from everyday hiking and skiing. This is a layer you have to care for, but it holds up well under reasonable demands.
Along with ski touring, I practically live in this shell. I wear it under my outerwear while skiing the resort, walk my dogs in it, run errands, and even wear it inside sometimes. The Nano-Air is a really great and versatile layer for almost every sport and season!
***
Pick up a Patagonia Nano-Air Hoodie at evo.com: Patagonia Nano-Air Hoodie
