Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket

Versatility “I hardly took the Nano-Air off during almost two-months on Everest,” reports one tester, who wore it as part of his layering system as high as Camp 1 (before the tragic, season-ending avalanche). “It’s like three jackets in one,” he says. “I found myself packing less because this one piece seemed to do everything well.”

Stretch Built with new, super-elastic polyester fill and a four-way stretch nylon shell, this jacket has freedom of movement rarely found in a lofted insulating layer. “No binding or pulling, even when I was reaching with my ice tool or sliding my jumar up the fixed lines in the Khumbu Icefall,” he says. “And the whole jacket is soft, not crinkly like so many other puffies.”

Fit Both male and female testers appreciated the generous arm and torso length, but everyone found the volume slightly too generous. “Because of the awesome stretch, Patagonia could have knocked off a few inches of fabric, reducing packed size [it ’s a little bulky, about football-size] without any penalty in freedom of movement,” one says.
$249; 12 oz. (w’s M); patagonia.com