World's first recyclable Nylon shell jacket has been designed with UK conditions in mind. We try it.
Patagonia's new for this autumn Shelter Stone waterproof shell
jacket is notable for two reasons, one is that it's claimed to be the
world's first recyclable Nylon jacket, the second is
that - for the first time - the brand has developed a jacket
specifically designed for our nasty, gnarly UK climate, hence the
name.
We've
got hold of the first Shelter Stone in the UK and we'll bring you a
full-on test in due course, but we thought you'd appreciate some
first impressions courtesy of OM's routes editor, Dave Mycroft.
Tough Feel...
Dave's first impressions of the jacket are that despite weighing
in at a respectable 644 grammes, it still has the sort of tough,
durable feel you'd expect from an all-round mountaineering shell.
Patagonia's own H2No membrane takes care of waterproofing duties,
while reinforced sections and pocket placement are designed to work
specifically with a pack.
The twin handwarmer pockets, in particular, are huge, running
right up to armpit level and easily swallowing maps and other small
items, there are also two chest pockets for even more stowage. The
jacket also gets double-ended pit-zips for venting and cooling duties
and Dave reckons breathabilty is up with other top-end waterproof
fabrics.
Narrow Zips
As you'd expect from Patagonia, the detailing is spot on. Dinky
zips are a mere 5mm wide for a neat loook that also reduces weight,
the Velcro patches on the main storm flap feature die-cut holes for
more weight savings and zip-pulls are all corded for glove-friendly
use.
We're particularly intrigued by the helmet-compatible hood - it's
three-way adjustable with the usual outer shock-cord supplemented
with an unusual strap volume adjuster that actually sits inside the
hood instead of outside. It gives a cleaner exterior, but we're not
sure yet how useable it will be on the hill. The hood is stiffened, but still quite flexible, so we'll have to see how that copes with strong winds. Watch this space.
Recyclability
Polyester is relatively easy to recycle, but Nylon has always been
problematic, however the fabric parts of the Shelter Stone are
recyclable via Patagonia's innovative Common
Threads recycling programme.
It's another ground-breaking initiative from the company which has
long been a standard bearer for environmentally sound practice and
was the driving force behind the 1% for the Planet programme.
Summing Up
Previous Patagonia jackets have always felt, well, a bit
'American' to us. All slick, streamlined, blond-haired, short-cut
Californian alpinism. The new Shelter Stone is every bit as nicely
made, but feels tougher, gnarlier, more UK friendly. It's priced at
£240, so in the same ballpark as other top-end shells and
we'll be bringing you a full review in due course. Just watch this
space.
More Patagonia information at www.patagonia.com
