Patagonia Stretch Ascent Jacket
May 22, 2009
Patagonia was kind of a sleeper for me. I know that all the cool kids wear it, people who can’t afford it call it “Patagucci”, it’s the gear of choice for many serious climbers, etc. etc. But I never really got into Patagonia until they very wisely sent me a pile of stuff to check out for Geargals. Now I’m a convert.
Their latest offering to Geargals, the Stretch Ascent jacket, is a great follow up from our last love, the Ice Field Jacket. The Stretch Ascent is a non-insulated shell; perfect for varied weather days and shoulder seasons. It’s got the Patagonia Magic Pockets – oh, doesn’t anyone else call them that? – that can pack an immense amount of gear but somehow don’t add bulk to the jacket. It was my favorite feature of the Ice Field and the Stretch Ascent has the same portals to other dimensions behind the pocket zippers. It’s cut much the same way as other Patagonia jackets, with a little more room in the waistline and with a mid-hip length. It’s not as body-conscious as other jackets, but now that I think about it, that is probably the secret to the Mystical Pockets.
Since climbing is not my first avocation, I get a little tired of the giant hoods on everything; they’re meant to fit over climbing helmets which for climbers I’m sure is just fabulous. I kind of prefer a more head-size hood on a jacket or two, but I can live with it. Of course, “helmet-size” doesn’t mean ALL helmets; I gave my ski partners a good laugh as I struggled to pull the hood of the Stretch Ascent over my ski helmet. No, incidentally, it did not work. But for everything else involving helmets smaller than ski ones, the Stretch Ascent is a great companion. It packs down pretty well so there’s no reason not to tuck it in your pack just in case the weather goes south. Its H2NO fabric repels all precipitation and cuts the wind, too. Paired with light layers, it’s a formidable shield from the elements.
