Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket Evaluation: Set It & Overlook It

Everyone knows the shoulder seasons are the place it’s at. Excellent climbing temps, stellar trail-running climate, and phenomenal backpacking circumstances mix to maintain outside athletes perpetually lively. Nevertheless, discovering the appropriate layers for these idyllic months can current some problem. Excessive-intensity actions typically grow to be a juggling recreation of base layers, midlayers, and puffies in an ongoing battle with temperature and moisture buildup.

You’re chilly whereas standing round, and you warmth up quick when cranking once more. It’s uncommon to discover a jacket you barely ever take off over the period of an journey, however the revolutionary Nano-Air seeks to ease this dilemma.

Patagonia stuffed this layer with the distinctive FullRange insulation, a 60g polyester materials that delivers stable heat and unprecedented air permeability, dumping extra warmth throughout exercise.

This insulation, mixed with an exceptionally breathable polyester plain-weave shell cloth, makes for a super-ventilated combo that means that you can put on the Nano-Air at some point of your journey.

In brief: Whereas the Nano-Air ($249), accessible in males’s and ladies’s choices, isn’t the warmest layer yow will discover, it’s noticeably extra breathable than most of its competitors. This makes it one of many extra fashionable lively midlayers you should buy. If you’re searching for a flexible, extraordinarily breathable jacket for a mess of high-output actions, it’s laborious to discover a higher possibility on the market.

Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket Evaluation

Testing the Nano-Air

Since breathability is one in every of its major promoting factors, I examined the Nano-Air with this on the forefront. Along with how properly it regulates temperature and moisture buildup, I examined the Nano-Air for its resistance to wind and light-weight precipitation, packability, and general sturdiness.

After taking it on a number of tasking journeys, together with weekend pushes on the Appalachian Path and lengthy multipitch climbs, I can say with a sure diploma of confidence that this guarantees to be one of the crucial comfortable and dependable lively insulation jackets available on the market.

Breathability

The key to the Nano-Air’s stellar air flow lies within the stretchy, heat, breathable FullRange artificial insulation Patagonia used.

Designed by Toray Mills in Japan, FullRange is a multi-denier artificial insulation comprised of a number of several types of polyester fibers. This isn’t the warmest shell — and is sort of skinny — but it surely works wonders throughout high-intensity exercise on chilly missions.

As a standalone outer layer for sluggish or static adventures, it might be greatest to search for one thing hotter, because the Nano-Air is designed for use whereas producing loads of physique warmth throughout exercise. However as a versatile jacket that you just don’t should shed once you actually begin shifting, it makes an amazing selection.

I discovered it to be one of many extra snug lively layers I’ve tried. It additionally grew to become one in every of my favourite shells to put on on lengthy multi-pitch climbs in shoulder season temps. I hate having to continuously pull jackets on and off whereas managing ropes and equipment a whole lot of ft within the air. So one thing I can carry on whereas each climbing laborious and belaying is nice by me.

For climbing, mountain climbing, and even gentle path working in chilly circumstances, the Nano-Air delivered an acceptable quantity of heat after I wanted it, and dumped extra warmth whereas pushing laborious. If I finished for too lengthy, or wore it as my solely insulating shell whereas organising camp or sitting across the hearth, I typically discovered myself including one other layer.

The draw back of most breathable jackets is wind can simply reduce by way of the material and insulation. In stormy circumstances or on windy ridge walks, pairing the Nano-Air with a windbreaker or rain shell helps with that situation.

Out of all of the insulating jackets I’ve tried, the Nano-Air’s lining most likely has the most effective next-to-skin consolation, which makes it really feel extra like a fleece midlayer than an artificial puffy. I consequently wore it extra with only a T-shirt beneath than I normally do with an insulating layer, which additional elevated airflow and helped cut back moisture buildup.

One damaging I seen, nevertheless, was that the cuffs of the sleeves match fairly tight on my wrists. This made it troublesome to roll the sleeves up my arm, which is tremendous useful once you need to dump warmth quick.

Water Resistance 

As is predicted with artificial insulation, the Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket did a superb job of retaining its loft and heat when moist. The DWR end on the outer cloth considerably repelled gentle precipitation, however I felt like water absorbed quicker into this jacket than another materials. Perhaps it’s due to how comfortable it’s.

If unhealthy climate is within the forecast, I might undoubtedly suggest bringing alongside a devoted rain shell, because the air-permeable cloth and insulation permits wind to maneuver proper by way of the jacket.

With that mentioned, the Nano-Air does dry out quick, so after I did discover myself in sustained drizzles it wasn’t an excessive amount of of an issue.

Heat

Whereas shifting quick on climbs, hikes, and runs, I stayed tremendous heat on this jacket however didn’t overheat like I may need in much less breathable shells.

As acknowledged earlier, in case you are searching for most heat in a jacket, the Nano-Air isn’t for you. It’s going to hold you toasty as you generate warmth whereas lively, however in the event you’re going to be standing nonetheless in tremendous chilly temps or mountain climbing by way of laborious wind, you’re going to need to not less than pair it with one thing else.

I discovered this to be an nearly good midlayer for backpacking and climbing excursions in the course of the shoulder seasons, or as a standalone puffy for hotter summer season journeys. I liked sporting it after I knew I used to be going to be exerting loads of vitality.

Sturdiness

There have been studies of previous Nano-Air fashions sporting down quicker than traditional on account of its extremely comfortable cloth, however I actually didn’t discover that to be a difficulty with the newer replace. The material shouldn’t be rip-stop, however I’ve but to place any holes or tears in it to see if that will likely be a giant situation.

After some fairly heavy use, it nonetheless appears to be like pretty much as good as new. I additionally didn’t really feel prefer it was too fragile to do some off-trail bushwhacking whereas scoping out new climbing areas.

Except for some small picks and stains, it has held up fairly properly over months of use and has proven no indicators of untimely pilling in high-wear areas.

Weight and Packed Dimension

At 11.2 ounces for a males’s medium, the Nano-Air is on the lighter finish of the spectrum for artificial jackets. For me, given how snug and comfortable the material is, this appears fairly nice.

The jacket stuffs into its chest pocket, and has an built-in carabiner loop for attaching it to your harness whereas climbing. This was an acceptable weight and measurement for throwing into my pack on nearly each high-activity journey I went on, and it didn’t really feel unwieldy whereas dangling from my harness.

I most likely wouldn’t carry it as a standalone insulating layer for longer backpacking journeys like a thru-hike the place chances are you’ll be trekking by way of a number of seasons and climates, however for summer season and shorter journeys on the path, this discovered its method into my pack.

Given how comfortable and breathable it’s, I’d say Patagonia did a superb job of holding it competitively light-weight.

Key Options

The Nano-Air is sort of minimalistic however nonetheless has a practical design. Stretch cloth and insulation combines with strategically positioned, low-profile quilting that gives an ample vary of movement.

Nevertheless, I did really feel a little bit constrained whereas reaching at my restrict on climbs or making an attempt to seize one thing from my backpack behind me.

It’s a “slim-fitting” jacket, which makes it troublesome so as to add further layers beneath, and it does really feel considerably tight and constricted. That gripe apart, I personally like a extra athletic match, and it didn’t maintain me again an excessive amount of throughout most actions.

Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket: Conclusion

For start-stop cardio mountain pursuits, the Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket received’t sluggish you down by having to continuously regulate your layers. Whereas not the warmest jacket available on the market, in case you are searching for a flexible shell with top-of-the-line breathability for sustained exercise, this can be a stable possibility.