Patagonia Guide Hoody - Men's Review

This is the OLD review of the Guide Hoody. The new review is here Patagonia Guide Hoody.

The Patagonia Guide Hoody is a solid softshell offering that breathes well while stopping the wind completely and providing moderate rain protection. A clean profile coupled with zipper garages and a one-handed waist drawstring round out the weatherproofing and show good attention to detail.

Likes
The Patagonia Common Threads recycling bit will catch the eye of any label geek. Also, it's nice to wear something that would otherwise have been dumpster bait and look good doing it. Naturally, Patagonia's fit and finish are top-notch, making for a solidly-constructed softshell. Their color palette is nothing over the top but still interesting. A softshell has to have some give to it, but not feel clingy like a jilted ex-lover, and this jacket nailed it. They've created a shell you could wear with nothing under it, the liner is so smooth and fuzzy. The engineering is thoroughly well sorted with reinforcing stitches and fabric swatches in all the right spots and with nothing sticking out.

A big part of Patagonia is the history, manufacturing process, and philosophy behind their gear that is told in Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard. Highly recommended reading.

Dislikes
The styling could be a bit more interesting. Maybe it's the blocky shape or the fact that it seems to be sewn from a wetsuit pattern with a strange collection of seams. Having a hood is great but the drawstring design creates a ram-air intake that feeds cold air straight to your ears. The hood drawstring toggle is quite a piece of engineering — it's totally integrated into the hood and doesn't flop around or smack you when it's windy (well done) — but it's also at the back of the head and difficult to loosen.

Best Application
The red softshell works best when it's either quite cold and dry and you're very active — providing a windbreak and letting sweat and body heat escape at a sustainable level — or cool and misty, where the temperature gradient isn't so great but you want to stay dry during moderate exertion. Think backcountry powder in the Wasatch, day-hiking in early spring, or the very height of summer in San Francisco when it's so cold and crappy out you can't bother to leave the coffee shop.

Stories
My girlfriend and I got some local beta on a ropes course outside town, one of those corporate team-building things where you climb a rope and ride a zipline. You're not supposed to be on the thing when nobody's around, but… It was cool and misting and hovering around 50 all day. We played Gorillas in the Mist for hours, hooting quietly to each other as we swung and dangled through the forest. It was a killer workout. The slackline was epic, the cargo net high enough up to be spicy and the only time I took the shell off was while hand-over-handing up the big rope like I was back in middle school gym.

Value
Patagonia charges top dollar and you get top performance. Sometimes it's worth it to suck it up and get one kick-ass softshell. I have a beat old Marmot from years ago that I've absolutely hammered and it's still rallying — this feels like a similar find.

Other Versions
Patagonia Men's Guide Jacket which has no hood and costs $30 less.

Patagonia Footprint Chronicles: The Technology Behind a Soft Shell

The North Face Apex Bionic - Men's got way more attention, costs $50 less, and offered similar liner comfort and wind protection. Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech Jacket - Men's was smaller and lighter, kept the wind off just fine and wasn't as comfortably lined, while leaving more of your money in the bank. You could also trade some windproofing for better comfort and get their Patagonia R3 Hi-Loft - Men's for the same price.

View our complete Fleece Jacket Review to see how this product compared to others.