Patagonia Nano Air Light Hoody Review

Weight: 7.4 oz (Women’s S)

Pros: Light, breathable, warm for its weight

Cons: Patagonia doesn’t make it any more

Bottom line: The most versatile clothing article I’ve ever owned

Patagonia doesn’t currently make this item, but you might be able to find it through their Worn Wear program. This is a great option to support in order to keep useable gear in circulation while reducing the demand for new materials.

I’ve had the Nano Air Light Hoody for a little over two years and put it through two winters of working at ski areas, six months of caretaking on Camel’s Hump with the GMC, three months of caretaking on Mt. Adams with the RMC, and the Northeast 115 Traverse. It has a few holes, but it otherwise holding up well through all that.

It’s the best piece of active insulation I own, with a better warmth-to-weight ratio than a Polartec fleece, as well as more wind resistance. The Nano Air Light Hoody is a synthetic piece made of Patagonia’s FullRange stretch insulation, which means that unlike down, it retains it’s insulative properties even when wet. I no longer use any down articles of clothing for backpacking for this reason.