Patagonia Guide Hoody - Women's Review

Likes
The Patagonia Guide Hoody is a comfortable, stretchy jacket that is great for climbing in, with similar features to the Arcteryx Gamma MX Hoody - Women's. It is wind-resistant, water-resistant, and easy to layer under and over. Even after over a year of frequent use downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, ice climbing, and snowshoeing in variable conditions, this jacket still remains highly water resistant, with moisture immediately beading up and rolling off the Polyester Double Weave fabric.

It is relatively lightweight, (598g) and has a helmet compatible hood with a brim, both nice features for a jacket to climb in. It is versatile and slimmed down with no unnecessary features like the Marmot Reyna. This is also one of the most flexible jackets and easier to move in than the stiffer windproof jackets like the Apex Bionic.

Dislikes
The only complaints about this jacket are the non-adjustable cuffs and the positioning of the hand pockets. All the other features of this jacket, such as its light weight, helmet-compatible hood and flexible ease of movement, make this an ideal choice for climbing. However, the hand pockets are not easy to access while wearing a harness or pack, but are obstructed by the waistbands. Also, the cuffs are stretchy but not adjustable, so they are not ideal for wearing with gloves. It is preferable to have Velcro cinches over the cuffs of the gloves, such as those on the Marmot Reyna.

Personal Stories
This jacket was worn on a snowshoeing adventure in a really wet, heavy snowstorm. Even though for the most part this jacket is very water-resistant, by the end of the day it was soaked completely through. The Guide Hoody is a fantastic protective layer for most occasions. However, don't expect miracles in extremely wet conditions. That was a situation where a hard shell would have been a wiser choice.

Best Application
The Patagonia Guide Hoody is well suited for alpine climbing. It is very breatheable and can easily be used for other winter outdoor activities. Also, due to its flexible fabric and light weight it is also one of the best choices for climbing.

Value
At around $179 this is the second least expensive jacket in this review, after the Apex Bionic. This is a fabulous deal for a very useful and comfortable climbing soft shell, and is half the price of the similarly featured Arc'teryx Gamma MX Hoody.

Other Versions
The Patagonia Guide Jacket - Women's is the same jacket with no hood. There is also the Men's Patagonia Guide