Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody

I bought this jacket for the Manaslu Circuit Trek in Nepal and could not have been happier.  In fact, I have been using it for many other things once I returned home as this is easily one of the best purchases I have ever made.

They boast “A piece of high-tech magic from Patagonia.” and I have to say that it definitely lives up to that statement.  It weighs about the weight of a chocolate bar but is probably one of the warmest jackets I own, aside from my Spyder Ski jacket.  How this works is way beyond me, but I can attest to it effectiveness.  Additionally, it can be packed and folded up into one of the jackets pockets for easy storage and packing.

How light is it actually?

I bought the Balkan Blue Medium jacket and it weighs a total of 289 grams, after using it for a while.  Can you believe this!  This thing kept me completely warm even when I was at the top of the Larke Pass which is approximately 5,160 meters.  I have worn it skiing, hiking, and just generally around.  I was even out the other evening in it for a night hike and it was -15 Celsius.  I actually found myself sweating at times.  This thing is crazy good and I cannot say enough good about it.

If you are considering a new jacket for an Alpine trek, I highly recommend this jacket.  I will definitely stand behind my recommendation with the statement that it one of the best purchases I have ever made.  I admit, it is pricey, but the technology behind it and the effectiveness is beyond crazy.  I know, I know, I have raved enough about it and no this is not some sales pitch.  I just wanted everyone to be aware of a jacket that is great for the outdoors and will not disappoint you at all.

Here are a few shots of me wearing the jacket on my trek and also how it packs up.

I bought mine at MEC but I have found it is sometimes available at Amazon as well.  Click here for an Amazon search for this jacket.  I have found hat it usually just the women’s version that shows up on Amazon, but sometimes the men’s shows up.  It wasn’t available on Amazon when I needed it, so I was really glad when I found it at MEC.  🙂

About the author: Hiking World

My name is Tom Thayer and I love hiking and have built this site to record my many hikes and adventures. I am currently a trail captain for the Bruce Trail Conservatory and I am very glad I can give back some of what the Bruce has given me. I also sit on the board for the Dufferin Bruce Trail Club and was recently awarded the Volunteer of the Year award by the Bruce Trail Conservancy for my work on the developing their new Hike Schedule.

I have many hobbies other than hiking, such as music, drones, skiing, robotics, computers, all kinds of sports, etc….

I really hope you enjoy this site and feel free to drop me a line if you have anything you wish to add or discuss about the site, or just plain say hello.

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