Patagonia Dimension Jacket - Men's Shell Jackets
Patagonia Dimension Jacket - Men's Shell Jackets
USER REVIEWS
[Feb 13, 2007]
Adam
Snowboarder
Great jacket, hands down one of the best I've owned. THis coat has taken a harder beating than probably any other jacket I've ever owned and never let me down. I bought it primarily for ice and alpine climbing, but it ends up seeing more use as a ski jacket. Works great on the frontside, as well as in the backcountry, whether it was glades or deep powder. I was especially pleased with the durability, and I have a feeling it'll be the first jacket out of the closet when the snow starts to fly for years to come. Layers really easy over pretty much anything, and although it's not marketed as waterproof, nothing ever got through. This jacket is one of the number one reasons I'm a diehard Patagonia supporter. Customer Service great as usual |
[Nov 23, 2006]
kali
Paddler
I found this jacket on sale last winter and I think its a perfect alround jacket as long as you wash it and put on new water repellent every once in a while.
Similar Products Used: Grundéns orange jacket and trousers at heavy rain in the boat. Dry-suits and Survival-suits in extreme weathers.
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[Feb 04, 2004]
GC
Day Hiker
I have had this jacket now for approx 1 month so haven't had the chance to see if will pass the test of time but so far I have been very pleased with it. The design of the Demension jacket is fairly simple (adjustable hood, 3 exterior pockets, 1 interior pocket) but my initial impression is that there was a lot of intellignet thought put into the overall design of the jacket. Some of the excellent features include (a) using a stretch fabric means you can buy it a little on the snugger than normal side and it will fit and move with you (b) the 2 large pockets are very large (example - you can fit a box of kleenex in them) and (c) the elastic drawcords which control the hood and waist are intergrated and loop into the front pockets so there are no loose ends. The inside of the jacket is very well finished and I am confident that the construction will last through many seasons. This is a classic example of good technical design without feature overkill. Could the jacket be improved? Sure. I would would agree with a previous reviewer that the hood design could be optimized. Also, I would have liked to have 2 interior pockets and a D ring on the bottom for attaching gloves (I think I will do this myself sometime before next winter) but overall this is a great jacket for almost any inclement condition (Note: I have not yet worn this in a major downpour so we'll see if this "non Goretex jacket" makes the grade for water protection) Overall, a great jacket - a bit pricey but I wanted to once again own a jacket which I loved instead of one that I bought because it was practical and in my price range - Hey, you only live once! Customer Service Patagonia's customer service is excellent. I had a problem with the elastic waist of a pair of shorts and they were promptly replaced Similar Products Used: MEC Goretex jacket and FarWest Goretex jacket |
[May 25, 2003]
Jacket Monster
Mountaineer
I got this jacket for more than one month now and just can't stop using it.The spring here this year looks like monsoon season.Heavy rain during 2 hours,stop 20 mn to start again.And it's lasting for weeks now... Great conditions to test the water resistance level of this jacket. The result is simple,I can't seriously find a good occasion to wear my old others Patagonia Hardshells again. I have some old and recent Patagonia Jackets(with storm level protection) and others Gore-tex brands and you know how it goes with hardshells.... A bit heavy-bulky and when you use them under heavy rain,you need a waterproof trouser too if you want to keep your legs dry (rain drops rolling to the bottom of your jacket and soaking your trouser when walking) so not that great for hiking and street wear(if needed). I looked for good and serious microfiber shells for years now without finding the right one. I do have a Mountain Hardwear Tech Jacket(windproof fleece) that could take a lot of rain without me being wet (quite amazing but heavier then and a bit long to dry) but the lack of hood, and the "poor" resistance of the fleece against rock turned my jacket to a one not looking that great anymore. The Patagonia Infurno system is a definite great idea but the jacket was quite too warm to be worn during the summer and had some serious doubts about the resistance of the external fabric. I decided to give a try at the Dimension Jacket then. And the weather helped my tests. Let me tell you that this jacket takes heavy rain without problem.I hiked in bad conditions weather(rain+wind) in the Alps and the jacket let me completely dry.I was wearing only a light thermal underwear and my jacket while walking so it proves 2 things: 1-Great breathability,even in a High humidity environment 2-Not water-resistant but waterproof. I definitely think the fabric is responsible for it. First,the rain drops don't roll on the jacket but seems to be stucked by the fabric.Like that,you still have a dry trouser... It's a totally different behavior compare to the hardshells. You are not "too wet" inside with them but the external fabric definitely is after a while(even with the best DWR,whatever they say or cost). The trick to think about is to shake sometimes your jacket and your sleeves.Like that,the water don't stay too much on your jacket and don't have a chance to soak it(if it's possible,it was never the case for me).Same applies for hardshells though. The cut is great,longer in the back but shorter in the front(great while wearing an harness),Y sleeves cut,large enough to wear whatever you want underneath(I'm still wondering about the real need of the lateral elastic bands). The fabric is abrasion resistant but do wonder about how long the encapsil treatment will last... Some cons: The hood could definitely be better.Enough room to wear an helmet but Patagonia used to do great hoods with their hardshells but the adjustment of this one definitely sucks. You need two hands to adjust it. The lateral pockets are big but have access to them is not so easy.You really need to put your arm backward. The chin protector is ok(great and design idea ) but could definitely be better(more confortable...) And the fabric tends to go in the zip way so sometimes tricky to close the jacket til the top. If I compare the quality/price ratio of this jacket compare to hard shells,I just feel ashamed to have bought expensive hardshells before...Save your money here Guys. Conclusion:Great all year around mountains activities such Alpinism Climbing,Snowshoeing,Hiking and much more. Customer Service E-mailed them,really professional(but a bit long to answer) Similar Products Used: Patagonia Hardshells |
[Feb 17, 2003]
stefanos
Skier
This is a very comfortable and adaptable jacket; just wear it all the time when temp is below 50, and layer properly under it. I found it a little much for Nordic skiing and road biking in 35 degree weather with light fleece under it. For Alpine at zero degrees and R3 under it, it works great. I can guess that climbers will love it. Picking nits: I had to return the first one because of a defective center zipper. The second one is better, but still a bit tight in one spot. The hood works very well, and over a helmet, but it isn't something I will often use. I'd rather it rolled up out of the way into the collar. I'd buy it again. It grows on you. Customer Service Buying from Patagonia is always a pleasure; you never get that "I wish I'd never bought this!" feeling. |
[Feb 08, 2003]
Colin
Climber
Killer jacket, although not 100% water proof, I use it more than my gore-tex XCR jacket. Since it was not designed to be water proof, with more importance placed on breatability it is more useful on a wider range of conditions. It is bomber tough, I love the light weight, and the shorter length. The water beades up and rolles off. The jacket is so simple and strait forward it is hard to find something wrong with it. The only thing that could think of might be to change out the neoprene stops which sinch down the hood (I was originally sceptical of these, but they work fine) Customer Service Fine Similar Products Used: The North Face |
[Jan 24, 2003]
Matt
Skier
I love this coat. I use it ice climbing 10-15 times a month and I have yet to soak it even if the ice opens up. The length is perfect. I've also XC skied in it several times and it worked perfect. Customer Service n/a Similar Products Used: north face ascent |
[Aug 29, 2002]
KSM
Mountaineer
This is my favorite jacket if it aint raning all day. I have used it for hiking, climbing and skiing and let me tell you this jacket can do it all. It is short enough to work with a harness and then i love the stretch and the watherproof zippers. Similar Products Used: There is nothing like this product!!! |
[May 19, 2002]
Veloce
Backpacker
For years I have been disapointed with Gore-Tex shells and their lack of breathability. I have been messing with microfiber shells for a few years and prefer water resistant jackets that won''''''''''''''''t steam up. Patagonia has designed a jacket that is almost the perfect shell. It is super breathable and repels all but the harshest downpours (in which I tend to take cover in anyways). The encapsilated fabric is pure genius! It cannot soak up any water so it dries in minutes. It sheds light rain and snow like a duck''''''''''''''''s feathers. It is also extremely durable and the stretch fabric moves well without binding. I got it pro-deal, but would be willing to shell out retail for a jacket this good. Bravo! Customer Service Have always enjoyed dealing with Patagonia Similar Products Used: Moonstone Momentum Alpine Jacket LL Bean Gore-Tex Mountain Jacket |
[Apr 22, 2002]
sdejong
Mountaineer
Great all round Mountaineering Coat. I have been a Patagonia client for many years for several reasons. They make great quality products, they stand behind those products with no exceptions that I have experinced and I live in a city that has an outlet store with great prices, and an occasional sell. Previously I purchased a Strecth light Jacket, which I wore for Mountaineering advenures, ''Raineer, Hood, Wasatch Mtns. It very light, in the pack, gave great wind and snow Protection, but was not as breathable as I would like. I mentioned this to our local outlet and they suggested I try the Dimension Jacket. Ive only had it 1 week but tried it out at Alta, UT. over two days, during a Spring Snowstorm/blizzard. With temps. 20 to 25degrees, a slight breeze, and heavy snowfall the results were excellent. 1. I thought I would give it a good breathabilty test by cross country skiing in it. It was warm but seem not to get to damp inside from body moisture and breathed very well. After about 3/4 of an hour, I took it off because I was getting to warm going up hill, and put on a Integral Pullover by Patg.which is much lighter weight. When I skied back down the slope, I put back on the Dimension and it kept my body temp. just right. 2.Next day, I put on BC Skis and headed up the slopes at 6am in a bigger storm than the day before. The jacket worked great, kept me dry form outside snow, and kept the mositure inside to a minimum for the effort I was putting out into getting up the hill. Headed up for 1 1/2 hours before skiing down. Very pleased with the comfort/ temp level. At the bottom after 2 hours of hard snow the shoulder material was getting a little damp, but not enough to soak into my fleece shirt. Though Ive used it for skiing as a test I look forward to climbing in it both Mountaineering ( will try this weekend) and Ice climbing, because I believe it will keep body temp inside very comfortable based on the above experiences. I will use this jacket in most conditions but will switch to the Strecth Gravity for most wet or sevear conditons. Customer Service Great, I purchased this product based on Customer services recommendation when I was returning another Patagonia jacket which didnt do all that I would have liked it to. Similar Products Used: Patgonia stretch light and Stretch Gravity, North Face Shells w/goretex, Arc teryx soft shell jackets |