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Patagonia Down Sweater Vest

Vacation is over, and once again it's the time of the season. The time to find anything with a feather, shave it, and stuff the proceeds into a DWF polyester sack with holes for your arms and head.

Patagonia has made a damn fine start of it with the Down Sweater Vest, a minimalist 7oz wonder packed with 800 fill down from pampered European geese; you know the kind, they're fat and happy from their socialized medicine and extended vacations. The fit is slim enough to go under a shell or inside a sleeping bag, or you can layer it over a mid-weight top. The versatility of a fast and light down vest like this is hard to overstate. We tucked it under a Gore-Tex Pro Shell while on the move and it kept us cozy while venting efficiently.

Features include two zippered hand pockets, an interior zippered stash pocket with carabiner loop that doubles as a stuff sack, elastic arm holes, a drawcord waist and full length zipper flap with chin protector. The neck is just right, cozy without being too tight. The finish quality is quite high, and after weeks of daily wear we noticed not so much as a feather leaking out. Even better, the polyester shell is 50% recycled.

$150.00 at REI

Patagonia R1 Hoody

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits. Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean. Chuck wears the Patagonia R1 Hoody when it's time to go ninja.

Want to get your inner Chuck on? The R1 is a base layer with a few really nice alpinist-friendly touches. First is the integrated 'clava-style hood, eliminating cold spots 'twixt neck and noggin. Second is the extra-long hem, which will stay put under a harness. Third is the thumb-hole on the end of the sleeves, which keeps your cuffs in place when you're sliding gloves on. There's a single zippered chest pocket in case you want to wear the R1 as its own piece for high-output aerobic activity.

The R1 may be the ultimate mid-weight layer. It fits like a second skin and moves effortlessly, thanks to Capilene 4 stretch panels under the arms. The checkerboard style interior weave picks up sweat and moves it out extremely efficiently. The face is smooth enough that layers will slide over it. And it's made of 60% recycled Polartec Power Dry. I think I need another one, because I'm going to wear this one into the ground. Thanks, Chuck!

$125.00 at Backcountry

Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket

Patagonia has really got the backcountry crowd dialed in. If your idea of a good time involves grinding up the steeps and/or winding down the vert, Patagonia has you covered in the material of your choice.Random thought: I remember when Patagonia was a Southern California startup, and I've always wondered: is there a company in South America called SoCal? 

But that's not important right now. What's important is their new Ascensionist jacket, which is a technical showpiece. For starters it's light at 19 ounces, thanks to stitchless seams and a minimalist design. It's alpinist-friendly with a 3-way adjustable roll-back helmet-compatible hood and an athletic cut with the arms and adjustable hem cut slightly long, great for those of us who spend a lot of time reaching up. Rip and stick cuffs, zippered hand pockets with mesh backing double as vents and a small inner zipped security pocket round out the features.

Performance is absolutely top shelf: breathability is superb, weather resistance hard care and the whole piece just feels moves with you. If you do manage to get this piece wet, never fear as the dry time is warp speed fast. The only minor quibble with this stellar jacket is that the hand pockets are not above the harness line as advertised; moving them about four inches would do the trick. An alternative would be to include a two-way zipper so the jacket could be worn over the harness. That aside, it's hard not to love this jacket, especially given the rockingly reasonable price.

$225.00 at REI

Patagonia Alpine Guide Pants

Patagonia does their own thing with their soft shell material; mostly they mix in a little spandex to make those of us who came of age in the 1980s feel right at home. But there's nothing old-fashioned about the way the material moves: it's tough yet supple, and highly weather resistant yet breathable.

The rest is up to the design, and in the Alpine Guide pants the execution is top-notch. The Guide pants have evolved over the years into different versions, and if you don't need crampon guards or suspenders the 21oz Alpine will do you right. The back half of the waistband is elastic, the two-way zippered fly is harness friendly and there are a plethora of pockets: two deep hand warmers that double as vents, two welded thighs and single back, all zippered.

Patagonia puts more thought into their cuff design than some manufacturers do with the entire pant. The gussets lie perfectly flat inside until called into action by unzipping the 10 inch zipper and releasing the outer snap. Snap again to the inside and you're good to go around big winter boots. But wait, that's not all: you also get an elastic gripper strip around half the cuff and two tie-down loops. All this and smooth like buttah too. Nicely done.

$150.00 at Backcountry

Patagonia Rash Guard

Despite its name the Patagonia Rash Guard won't clear up that 'thing' you picked up in Buenos Aires. What it will do is prevent you from becoming an accidental organ donor by leaving half your epidermis on the water, ground or wherever it is you're abrading yourself.

Great for surfing, kayaking, backpacking, Brazilian jiu-jitsu or any sport where you want to minimize the chafe, the silky-smooth Patagonia Rash Guard slides on easily thanks to just the right blend of earth-friendly 84% recycled polyester and 16% spandex. The second-skin fit will help you get your superhero on as you charge off on your next epic.

The mock turtleneck design is available in short and long sleeves and even as a hoodie, so you can choose your degree of 30+UPF sun protection. Patagonia's usual attention to high quality details in their clothing shows: the flat seams make the whole piece feel like a single piece of material, and the front hem has a loop that will secure it to your board shorts. Very cool. Especially when you're very hot.

$55.00 at Backcountry

Patagonia Minimalist II Board Shorts

If you're the kind of guy who just doesn't get the whole baggy shorts that go down to your calves scene, Patagonia's Minimalist II board shorts are for you. It doesn't hurt the planet that they're made of 100% recycled polyester either.

The Minimalist II has a close fit and a short 8" inseam that let you swim efficiently, and the ultra thin material lets them disappear in your bag as well as dry in a heartbeat. The single zippered side pocket has a grommet for draining and a cool little shock cord loop for securing your keys.

The shorts have a flat fly with three buttons and a two-hole tie. In a really nice touch you can secure compatible tops like the Patagonia Rash Guard to the upper button using the top's hem loop. These very lightweight and comfortable shorts won't let you down; be sure to order a size bigger than your honest waist - quit suckin' it in, man - as they run a tad small.

$55.00 at Moosejaw

Patagonia Down Sweater

Cool chillin' at the mall belay station, lookin' for some (tr)action. If all those damn hippies at Woodstock had put their free love into one little 11oz package, this is what it would look like.

It's pricey, but it's harder than it should be to find well-made, low-profile down gear like this. It's got a ripstop shell and small outer pocket for heating up those jawbreaker energy bars.

An excellent fleece replacement, plus it stows the size of a nerf football so you can huck it at your partner when she's snoring too loudly.

$175.00 at Patagonia