The CORE alpine wardrobe: by Patagonia

R1 Hoody. When you find yourself soaked with sweat after sprinting up an easy section, don't worry, this piece will dry faster than any other. N face of Mt. Temple in Summer.
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I have been working (as an ACMG guide) and engaging in a multitude of harsh alpine conditions over the past 17 years. A few of those years included upwards of 200 days a year in the alpine. -40C days ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies (stupid, I know). Wet, open bivy's in winter conditions. Snowfield sprints, IE: wet, followed by 2 hour belays. Multiple days in an icy single wall tent.

The most important thing I have learned in terms of a clothing system for alpine climbing is that synthetics are a must. Down sleeping bags or insulated jackets are useless when wet and also more vulnerable when you get a hole in the shell material. Also, merino wool takes too long to dry. Both Wool and Down are acceptable when you know for certain you will be able to stay dry, working at a moderate level, and sleeping in your home. If you are getting committed or striving for an objective it is necessary to go with synthetics.

I have been working with Patagonia for a year now (sleazy sales guy, I digress) and feel I have discovered the best clothing system yet. It is not always easy to know what is the best clothing system when looking online or even trying on clothes in a store.

Here is my recipe for summer and winter alpine climbing:

Top:
- Capilene 1 t-shirt: Silky smooth, fast drying and layers nice.
- R1 hoody: offers lightweight insulation that is super fast to dry, super light, and crazy breathable. It is longer in the torso so it stays tucked into your pants when ice climbing. The best insulation for moisture management.
- Houdini Jacket: A paper thin, nylon jacket with a functional hood. Very windproof and often all you need for a day of alpine climbing in winter or summer. Also kicks ass for mountain biking and nordic skiing.
- M10 jacket. This is the most breathable waterproof jacket Patagonia has ever made....and it stretches! It is super light weight and minimalistic. I find that 95% of the time my rain jacket is stowed away in my pack which means I need it lightweight and packable.

The above items are often what I use in all 4 seasons when heading out into the bigger peaks. +20C to -20C. I recently used these exact items while rock climbing on Yamnuska, the North Face of Temple, and all last winter while ice climbing.
What changes with the seasons is what I bring as an insulated jacket/belay jacket.
Summer= Nano puff pullover or hoody (60g of primaloft 1)
Winter= Micro Puff Hoody or DAS Parka (100g and 170g of primaloft 1)

Bottom:
- Capilene 1 or 2 in the summer. Capilene 3 or 4 in the winter.
- Rock Guide pants in the summer or if minimal snow. Alpine Guide pant in the winter.
- M10 pant. Optional. I usually don't take waterproof pants in the winter but often take them on committing climbs in the summer.

The above clothing system works for rock, ice, alpine, expedition climbing as well as ski touring.

If you want to save a few dollars you could go with the Rainshadow pants and jacket instead of the M10. It would be slightly heavier, not quite as breathable, and not 3 layer but still totally acceptable in terms of weight and functionality.

As a representative for Patagonia, as a guide, and as a climber I get a lot of questions about 'what I recommend' from store employees, clients, and my climbing partners. Well, this is what I really think. Of course there are many other options but these are the CORE Patagonia items that every climber would see benefit from having in their quiver.

Links:
Capilene: http://www.patagonia.com/us/search/capilene-baselayer/?k=6x&te=capilene-baselayer
R1 Hoody: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-r1-regulator-hoody?p=40072-0-616
Nano: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-nano-puff-pullover?p=84020-0-803
Micro: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-micro-puff-hooded-jacket?p=83974-0-984
Das: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-das-parka?p=84101-0-614
M10:http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-waterproof-m10-jacket?p=84170-0-804
Rainshadow: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-waterproof-rain-shadow-jacket?p=84474-0-614
Rock Guide:http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-rock-guide-pants?p=56635-0-176
Alpine Guide: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-alpine-guide-pants?p=83700-0-671

Mike Verwey climbing while wearing his DAS Parka. You don't do this with a down jacket.
Temple North face in Winter.

Patagonia's Footprint Cronicles: the offgassing of Polyester

I must say I was impressed the other day when I sent in a question to Patagonia's Footprint Chronicles. Last summer I started working with Patagonia as the Western Canadian Sales rep. I was quite aware of the companies reputation for environment stewardship but am continually amazed by how much energy and money the company puts toward decreasing their environmental footprint and also educating and inspiring others to do the same. I can admit I am a skeptic when anything sounds too good to be true and am often guilty of being overly critical of those that claim righteousness. The thing that really gives Patagonia credit is that they readily admit their faults. Consumption of anything material is going to decrease the resources of the planet; often far more than we would expect. There is a lot to learn about the 'true cost of goods' we consume through spending time on Patagonia's Footprint Cronicles: http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/footprint/index.jsp?slc=en_US&sct=US

When I wrote in the other day I had a response within the hour. I was posed a question from an employee at a store that sells Patagonia. The question had to do with the off-gassing of polyester. I had no clue. Here is what I got back:
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This is from our Environmental Assessor Of Raw Materials:

Off-gassing is a good issue to bring up. Most things off-gas, but what
is of concern is the amount or rate of off-gassing, and what chemicals
are coming off. For example, the "new-car smell" that people really like
to breathe in when they buy a new car is really the mixture of VOC's
from all the brand new plastic components and adhesives in a new car.
VOC's are the small-chain organic compounds that make their way out of
the product and into the air. This process increases with heat. And it
decreases over time. So a 10-year old car is still off-gassing, but not
very much, and that's why it doesn't smell like a new car anymore
(besides the dirty clothes in the back seat!) Recently there have been
studies about the toxicity of these chemicals, and their concentration
in an enclosed vehicle, and now concerns have been raised about the
health effects of the much-loved new-car smell!

What does this mean for Patagonia clothes? Well, first we choose
environmentally-friendly raw materials. And we choose manufacturers who
are making materials with the best-available technology environmentally.
We are using recycled polyester and other recycled materials, and
designing our clothes to be recyclable into new clothes. We are striving
for true recycling -- not just downcycling. In the case of this recycled
polyester, the off-gassing is no different than that of virgin
polyester. And polyester has extremely low off-gassing potential. And
the chemicals in polyester are extremely low in toxicity. But no
material is perfect! The two possible issues with polyester are antimony
(a catalyst typcially used to polymerize PET polyester) and disperse
dyes (the type used to dye polyester). We take care to focus on these
components and eliminate or substitute chemicals that have a high EHS
(environmental, health, and safety) potential.

So the short answer to your question is that recycled polyester (or
virgin polyester) fabrics do not really off-gas. But when Michael
Braungart talks about off-gassing, he's talking as a doctor of chemistry
and we have to understand that almost EVERYTHING around us is
off-gassing something. So he's trying to highlight the potential danger
of having toxic substances in products, even product we don't "consume,"
because those toxics are potentially coming off the product and being
absorbed into our bodies. And so we need to manufacture all products in
the most environmentally conscious way possible, particularly
eliminating toxic substances from manufacturing and from the final
products. And this is what we are striving for in all our Patagonia
products.

Have a good day!

Kevin
Patagonia Customer Service
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