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Patagonia – New Gear For Spring 2016

Patagonia – it says here – is ‘up for anything’ in spring 2016. More specifically it’s a little focussed on ‘the 80 per-center who excels at shifting gears between multiple outdoor sports from day to day’ – in other words, the brand has a collection of gear that you could use for anything from running and cycling through to climbing and just bumming around in the outdoors.

‘Up For Anything’ Range

As an example of all that, check out the Houdini Jacket on the right of the main picture above. First introduced in a few years back, it’s a slim-fitting, versatile, hooded windproof jacket with a single chest pocket and a simple, but useful hood. It’s fully windproof, but also treated with a DWR so it should shrug off most showers, says Patagonia. It’s light too, just 102 grammes says the spec sheet and it sells in the UK for £85.

There’s also a heavier duty Alpine Houdini for gnarlier use, again it’s fully windproof with a 10,000mm HH water-resistant treatment, but adds reinforced shoulder areas and a YKK Aquaguard Vislon zip – a little heavier at 187g, but more water resistant and all round tougher.

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Other items in the range include the super breathable Nano Air insulated Hoody, the light R1 micro fleece hoody and various lightweight shorts, pants and baselayers.

If you want a waterproof to complement all that, which you just might in the UK at least, Patagonia’s Torrent Shell is a 100% recycled Bluesign-approved Nylon2.5-layer H2No jacket that sells for £110 and may have had its cut tweaked for next spring. Weighs 345g complete with adjustable hood and hand-warmer pockets.

Black Hole Duffles

Also upgraded for spring is the range of Patagonia Black Hole Duffles. Let’s be honest, they look ace thanks to some neat colour choices and come in a range of 45, 60, 90 and 120-litre sizes.

For next year they get tougher fabrics using a 100% polyester/TPU laminate construction, detachable shoulder straps for easier hauling about, reinforced grab handles and, a really nice idea, include a ‘self stuff’ pocket for storage of the duffle when not in use, which doubles as a store for grubby stuff the rest of the time.

Most of the components are Bluesign approved including the main shell fabric and hardware like buckles and, erm, tri-glides and D rings.

Worn Wear Hits The UK

Finally, we’re huge fans of Patagonia’s Worn Wear programme which celebrates the kit that just keeps on going and getting repaired, used and repaired again – the most sustainable way of making gear is simply to make less of it, right?

This year the brand’s had a mobile repair wagon touring the States and either repairing used kit from any brand for you or showing you how to fix it yourself. The good news is that in 2016, we may be seeing the same thing on this side of the Atlantic so us Brits and Euros can get our old kit repaired on the road.

Hopefully that’ll include the venerable editorial Stretch Speed Ascent Jacket, which is having chronic pocket-zip closure issues these days, but otherwise still going as strong as a rampant rhino…