...What Storm?

By Duncan Poling Ranked #269 - Men's Technical Shells January 17, 2011

A bit pricy for a rain coat, but this thing performs. The waterproofing material, whatever it is, does an amazing job and works just as well as some of my gore-tex gear. In a word, this jacket is DRY. The Storm will certainly satisfy if you are looking for a durable waterproof shell for backcountry skiing, trekking the jungles, or just walking around a rainy town. It is cut fairly loose making it ideal for layering and the hood can easily accommodate a helmet. Admittedly, you wouldn’t be able to stuff a puffy down sweater in there, but I find that I can wear a form fitting base layer with a thin fleece and a thick sweater without any significant restrictions to my movement (5’10” and the medium fits well).

If you are considering this as an option for a ski jacket, you may also want to take a look at the Nano Storm. It is an additional 40 bucks, but you get a bonus insulation layer of 60-g primaloft. The zippers are a little different, and some of the pockets have been changed, but it looks pretty sweet and is better suited for the snow. If I had to do it over, I probably would have purchased the Nano Storm. But I am plenty happy with the plain-old Storm.

Regarding durability, I have had zero issues with this jacket (or any Patagonia gear for that matter). But if I ever do, I know the manufacturer will repair, replace, or refund as necessary.Overall: Pricy, but well worth it. I have yet to find a situation/environment that the Storm can't handle.

View Details: Patagonia Storm Jacket - Men's

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