Description of Patagonia Ice Field Jacket - Men's:
The Patagonia Men’s Ice Field Jacket helps when you’re reluctant to leave your warm, dry hut or car for the cold, wet outdoors. Pull on this weather-resistant, lightly insulated shell, pull up the hood, and leave civilization behind for a winter hike or ski tour. Patagonia gave this shell two-layer polyester reinforcements on the shoulders, elbows, lower arms, and waist for added durability. The H2No waterproof breathable barrier and DWR finish fight snowflakes and ice drips, while Climashield Green polyester insulation warms your core and reduces this hardshell’s environmental footprint. And unlike many products, the Patagonia Ice Field is made in Vietnam.
Bottom Line: Leaving the warmth of your car just got easier.
I was looking for an insulated jacket that I could wear around town (I live in Canada, need a warm coat 180 days a year), but also wear into the hills on occasion. I was sick of having to wear two jackets (mid layer/shell) when I was goign to work in 20 below weather.
This is a great coat, pockets are perfectly placed, high enough to get out of the way of a hip strap on my pack, but not so high to make them awkward. Zippers are great and nearly impossible to snag. Casual style is a great change from my usual ArcTeryx shell. And coat is warm and has withstood freezing rain and heavy wet snow. Only complaints are that this jacket is top heavy. Too much fabric up around the neck. The hood is too big (I know, its to be helmet compatible, but honestly... who pulls their hood over a helmet? I've NEVER done it, and never seen it. The extra weight in the hood pulls the collar of the jacket open which makes you have to zip it up more than is natural to keep the breeze out. All in all, its a great jacket. To me, it loses one star because of the price, (I got a super deep discount and never would have justified it otherwise.) and loses another star for the few flaws I've encountered.
This coat really was designed well. I've used it in severe cold (-20) and moderate temperatures and I find you can easily adjust the ventilation to handle the changes.
The coat has ample pockets including inner and outer gadget pockets and an inner pouch. The hood has a visor which I normally flip under the hood, but in driving snow using it has been a nice feature.
Today in 7 degree temperature I had only a t-shirt underneath and felt perfect. I was outdoors over an hour and never felt a bit cold.
One nice feature for me is the neck area doesn't have any silly velcro patches to catch on my beard. When fully zipped up the front can be just above the chin or all the way up to your nose.
But the best feature is the ease of movement. For as warm as it keeps you it feels like you are wearing a windshell, especially in the arm area.
I found this coat's value equal to its price
Wow - I can't say enough about this jacket. Simply the best jacket I've ever owned. First - insulated waterproof/breathable? Genius! Even the hood is insulated! The thing is warm too! Have worn it in 80+mph winds / -10degF - with only a lightweight shirt underneath and been toasty! It says it's not helmet compatible but I've worn a helmet underneath the hood without problems (caveat emptor). The number of pockets is perfect and the inner mesh pocket is a great addition. I guess my only complaint would be the drawstrings to cinch the hood are on the inside - means you have to open the jacket to adjust (a pain if it's miserable outside). BTW: The fit is true - 5'10"/155lbs = Medium with room for layers underneath.
Simply put - this is the jacket I would have asked for if I had had the chance to sit down with the folks at Patagonia and asked them to design me a jacket.
