Torrentshell Jacket – Performance

There’s something reassuringly unfussy and reliable about the Torrentshell Jacket. Patagonia themselves say ‘unpretentious’ and that feels about right.

For starters, it’s decently light at 310g, but the recycled Nylon face fabric gives it a gently rugged feel, unlike most 2.5-layer fabrics. Then there’s the conservative design, no posh zips or clever, clever lamination, just good old storm-flaps and a two-way adjustable hood that will also roll away using the rear cord pull as a hook closure. Cut is medium too: medium volume, medium length, medium sleeves.

‘No posh zips or clever, clever lamination, just good old storm-flaps and a two-way adjustable hood’

In use it works pretty well. The fabric’s not super breathable, but it does okay and the pit-zips – yes, pit-zips on a £100 jacket from a big name brand – give you some extra venting options. The hood, if it were British, would probably have a wired peak too, but it doesn’t.

That aside it works pretty well, seals you in nicely and moves with your head. As a further bonus, it will take a climbing helmet in its stride. Not as well as a full-on high mountain shell admittedly, but certainly well enough to cope with rock climbing downpours when you’re sat on belay.

Flaws? We had issues with the main-zip snagging on the internal one of the two mini storm-flaps slightly at chest level. It always cleared with a gentler approach, but it was a little irksome and, erm, the pit-zips could be longer. Finally the smooth inner surface of the fabric feels a bit meh against bare skin, but there you go. How much?

Torrentshell Jacket – Verdict

It’s not the lightest, flashest or most packable waterproof jacket out there, but for a combination of no-nonsense all-round performance, the unfussy Torrentshell is hard to beat.

It’s ‘light enough’, ‘packable enough’ and, good grief, it even manages to cool your arm-pits and swallow a climbing helmet if you need it to. And while it’s not super breathable, it’s not bad and we’ve found it both reliably waterproof and durable too.

All that and it comes complete with Patagonia’s impeccable ecological credentials. Bargain lightweight waterproof all-rounder for walking and climbing.

More Information

See eu.patagonia.com