Patagonia Nano Puff Review: Gobi Desert Field Test

Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket

In recent months we’ve been writing a heck of a lot on the subject of winter clothing, and with veeeery good reason. If you’ve been following along at home you’ll know that for the last few months we’ve been working out of a winter clothing store in downtown Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (yes, it is a real place).

What you may not know is that Mongolia becomes, in winter, one of the coldest countries on earth, with night time temperatures regularly dropping below the minus 40 Celsius ‘oh my God my finger just fell off’ mark. This is truly one of the least hospitable places on the planet, and I can’t think of a better place to test winter clothing than here.

In the last couple of months, then, as the winter draws in, we’ve been taking parkas, puff jackets and all sorts of gloves, scarves, hats and trousers out onto the steppe on week-long jaunts down to the Gobi Desert, where we’ve been lending a hand in the construction of a mining compound.

Today, then, we present our review of the Patagonia Nano Puff insulated jacket…

 

Specifications

“Windproof and water-resistant, the Nano Puff® Jacket is warm, incredibly lightweight, highly compressible and can be worn as insulation or outerwear in cold climates.” – Patagonia blurb

The Nano Puff jacket is an updated, extended version of the Patagonia Nano Puff pullover (i.e. pretty much exactly the same, with the addition of a full length zipper).

Shell: Lightweight, recycled 1oz 15 denier polyester with a Deluge durable water repellent (DWR) coating.

Insulation: Lightweight 60g PrimaLoft One polyester.

Lining: 1.4oz 22 denier polyester with a Deluge durable water repellent (DWR) coating.

Total weight: 354g (12.5oz)

Available colors: Black, fennel, lagoon, lemon lime, mango, forge gray, alpha green.

 

Field Test

We spent four days out in the Gobi Desert with the Patagonia Nano Puff jacket, during which time we enjoyed a little sightseeing around the dunes of the northern edge of the desert between shifts at the mining compound.

The weather during our stay was a little warmer than usual, dropping to -27 degrees Celsius (-16 Fahrenheit).  That’s still cold enough to make you wish for the indoors, but when you’re accustomed to -40 Celsius it’s quite a pleasant temperature, at least relatively.

Our average outdoor time each day was around 3 hours, with a maximum of five hours on our sightseeing day.  I wore the Nano Puff above a thermal vest and my trusty winter go to sweater, a Woolrich Navigator zip neck, along with the usual hat, scarf and gloves, all Mongolian cashmere.

 

Impressions

There’s a couple of things I’d like to say about the Patagonia Nano, and I hope you take them in context.  First – and this was my own fault for not considering it – the Nano isn’t designed to protect against exposure to temperatures of -27 Celsius for long periods – not as an outer layer, at least.  Its intended use is in cold climates in sane parts of the world; parts of the world where a day at -27 degrees would finally convince everyone that climate change will kill us all.

What really surprised me was just how well it performed, despite my stupidity in testing it in such extreme conditions.  While a big, chunky parka with a luxurious fur hood would be ideal (I’m thinking Canada Goose Expedition, for preference), I was blown away by just how effective the Nano was at keeping out the cold.  A little more protection around the neck would have been nice, sure, but even at -27 I was never truly uncomfortable.

So, would I take the Patagonia Nano Puff out to the Gobi Desert in mid-winter again?  No, that would be ludicrous.   For temperatures as low as those of the Gobi you’d want a huge, Yeti-sized parka, given the choice.

However, while working on the mining compound or relaxing at the bar (each heated to a balmy -5 Celsius) the Nano Puff was extraordinary.  The lightweight construction allowed absolute freedom of movement with none of the tradeoffs you get with a large parka.  While my friends were struggling in huge, bulky jackets I was free and comfortable.

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Nano is a great compromise.  It offers enough protection to keep you warm and comfortable down to (by my rough estimate) around -10 Celsius, and it lacks the restrictive bulkiness of a parka.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Can be rolled and stored in its own pocket
• Inexpensive ($88-179, depending on size and color)

Cons

Overall Rating

★★★★★