Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket (Mens) – A Great, Light Technical Shell
Patagonia Men’s Ascensionist Jacket – A Great, Light Technical Shell
The Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket is Patagonia’s lightest technical shell and comes with a stamp of approval from the Gear Destroyer.
Designed for those who like to move fast and light, the Ascensionist jacket allowed me to dump excess heat while blocking out the nasty bite from extreme wind chills in the alpine. The shell material with 3-layer GORE-TEX Active fabric and C-KNIT(TM) Backer Technology holds up well to abuse and stays dry even in nuking conditions.
Aaron stays dry in the aftermath of the Pineapple Express. Photo by Seth Linden
Patagonia Men’s Ascensionist Jacket Review
I found the shell surprisingly softer than expected and comfortable to wear. I’m 5’9″ and 150+ lbs and in between a medium and large in terms of arm length so I tend to go for the large to make up for the hip straps bunching up my jacket and making sure my bottom is covered.
Our big guy Sean didn’t notice any issues when stretching his arms out on the jacket so there’s room for folks to expand without feeling the jacket lift on you depending on the fit.
Aaron with Alex Fruehsamer and Longs Peak in the distance.
On the coldest day of the season so far, I layered up with a medium-weight base layer and the Patagonia R2 Techface cross-layer under the Ascensionist Jacket. I always worry on these type of days because I can be a furnace depending on the layers and I didn’t want to deal with what I call being “clammy cold afk”
The combination worked pretty well to keep me warm without trapping the excessive heat I was generating breaking trail and moving quickly towards my objectives.
Aaron rocking a pow beard and a dry jacket after some explosive turns. Photo by Seth Linden
The pockets were in the right places and I was able to stash my skins or my mittens in my pockets without much trouble. The optimal visibility hood worked well with my ski helmet and my peripheral vision wasn’t necessarily blocked with the hood design.
Michael Sanchez drops a heel into the first turns of the 2019-2020 season in the Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket. Photo by Aaron Rose
The zippers may be tricky to work at first as I was used to fast zipping jackets, but once you realize that they’re bomber zippers that are meant to hold up to a lot of abuse, you’ll appreciate them more.
The concealed RECCO® reflector built into the jacket isn’t noticeable and the jacket packs well when not in use with the lack of bulky seams. The cuffs were easy to open and close with the minimalist hook-and-loop closure.
Aaron Rose doing some snow pit work: Photo by Michael Clemente
At only 371 grams or 13.1 ounces, the Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket works really well for the active outdoor user who wants effective protection against the elements and breathability without increasing the weight load.
You can pick up the Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket for $499 MSRP via Patagonia. Remember, Patagonia has awesome customer service and an Ironclad Guarantee!
Check out Erin’s review of the women’s jacket here.
