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Product Review The Stretch Triolet Jacket from Patagonia®
By Marco Johnson
Reprinted from The Leader, Fall 2000, Vol. 16, No. 1
Wet weather is part of our job description when working in
the field. While I believe I can suffer with the best, there
is a direct correlation between my enjoyment of the field
and how wet my body is. Drying out wet or damp layers is work
and crawling into still damp layers is just not that exciting,
no matter how good your mood is. Drier is better!!
From May to September of this year I have worn a Stretch
Triolet Jacket from Patagonia®.
I have used the jacket in Alaska and Wyoming for 90 field
days in conditions ranging from 0 degrees F with blowing snow
to 60 degrees F and pelting rain. The bottom-line, I was drier.
The jacket is made with H2NO® Storm
HB (waterproof/highly breathable) material. I was pleased
with how waterproof the jacket is while still allowing for
some sweat/moisture to breathe out of the jacket. In the conditions
that I experienced, the jacket performed better in the colder
temperature range. H2NO® Storm HB is as waterproof as
any Gore-Tex® that I have used though it does not have
as good an overall ability to breathe as Gore-Tex®. (Patagonia® Mountain
Book 2000 pg. 22.)
Because the Stretch Triolet breathes less than Gore-Tex,
it makes for a warmer layer. Warm enough that I was able to
leave a layer of poly-pro home. When the jacket got overly
warm I would vent using the pit zippers and the zippers on
the front of the jacket. This worked well. Two things I have
concerns about are; the lack of a zipper pull on the bottom
front zipper, (This has been addressed with this year's model)
and being unable to unzip the pit zippers while wearing a
pack. I never seemed to be able to zip or unzip the pit zippers
fully while my arms were through the shoulder straps of my
pack. I would have to remove one of my arms from a shoulder
strap to reach the opposite zipper to open or close it.
So far the jacket has held up very well. I have seen no wear
and the jacket performs as good after several washings as
it did out of the wrapping. In terms of weight, the Stretch
Triolet is on the heavier end of their jacket line. If you
are shaving ounces you might want to look at another jacket,
if you are looking for a solid and dependable workhorse for
just about any condition this is your jacket.
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