Patagonia

Frozen Range 3-in-1 Parka - Men's

Nice coat

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

Large

Height:

6' 3"

Weight:

180

I wore the complete shell and inner coat on a 45 degree day yesterday with a tee shirt. The jacket is fairly heavy, has a slight chemical smell from the Goretex, and the pockets are kind of (but not too) small. The jacket looks and feels very rugged and stiff with the 3 layers of Goretex and it would have no problem keeping you dry and fairly warm in very cold wet weather. I zipped out and wore the inner jacket today in 50 degrees and it?s pretty warm and utilitarian-looking with a nice snug hood and fleece-lined side pockets. The zipper and loop and hooks that hold the jacket in the shell are easy to deal with, in taking the inner coat out. Reinsertion of the jacket into the shell is also easy and takes about 5 minutes. The shell alone is big but not too big. I?m not a real fan of these component jackets but I figured having a bulky one could be advantageous in the winter. I wouldn?t use the complete coat on a hike, it?s too stiff and heavy. The inner fleece coat would be fine for hiking in cold weather. Lastly, the Frozen Range is a much more substantial and quality coat than, and has lots of advantages over, the Marmot Minimalist Component coat. If you can get the Frozen Range at a substantial discount, I recommend it. Otherwise, buy a quality 3 layer Goretex shell and wear it over your favorite down coat. Much better way to handle wet cold. Edit: In reassembling the jacket today before putting the jacket into storage for the warmer weather, I realized this is a better coat than I originally felt. It?s still heavy but the quality is top notch.