The Dive Watch Connection

JP Chestnut wrote:I'm a big fan of Patagonia. It's expensive but the return policy makes it worth it for me. I wore a jacket for a year, wasn't totally satisfied and swapped it out for something much warmer.

Yup. Patagonia for me. I'm very happy with it.

Patagonia is also the shit, but they keep fucking with their sizing. For some pieces what used to be technical fit is now sized for the masses. Nothing wrong with that, but it loses some functionality for the application it was originally designed for. Their R1 fabric is probably the best light fleece ever made in terms of warmth:weight, but the new version fits me like a flag.

Chocodove wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:44 pm

Patagonia is also the shit, but they keep fucking with their sizing. For some pieces what used to be technical fit is now sized for the masses. Nothing wrong with that, but it loses some functionality for the application it was originally designed for. Their R1 fabric is probably the best light fleece ever made in terms of warmth:weight, but the new version fits me like a flag.

I picked up the Delta LT recently over the R1 because of this. But I'm 9/10 Patagonia on most my other tech gear. Mostly due to their CSR and other Corp. Policies.

Chocodove wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:44 pm

Patagonia is also the shit, but they keep fucking with their sizing. For some pieces what used to be technical fit is now sized for the masses. Nothing wrong with that, but it loses some functionality for the application it was originally designed for. Their R1 fabric is probably the best light fleece ever made in terms of warmth:weight, but the new version fits me like a flag.

You're right about the sizing. I have an... R2 I think... fleece that's size small. The thing is like a second skin. All my other size small stuff is a really generous fit. My nano puff jacket is easily my best clothing purchase ever. That thing has flown around the world with me and shows barely any wear. A flight attendant dumped coffee all over it on an international flight. I washed it in the bathroom, wrung it out, and had them hang it for me. It was perfect by the time we landed.

There is a reason it’s called pataguchi


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The Patagonia R1 hoody and the down sweater are pretty much my favorite technical outerwear pieces. I think that combo would keep me pretty warm in Antarctica. And as said, the Patagonia warranty is unbeatable.

My favorite cold weather combo is a Patagonia or Smartwool merino base layer, the Patagonia Down Sweater and the Arc Teryx Beta shell. Freakin’ impenetrable.


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JP Chestnut wrote:

Chocodove wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:44 pm

Patagonia is also the shit, but they keep fucking with their sizing. For some pieces what used to be technical fit is now sized for the masses. Nothing wrong with that, but it loses some functionality for the application it was originally designed for. Their R1 fabric is probably the best light fleece ever made in terms of warmth:weight, but the new version fits me like a flag.

You're right about the sizing. I have an... R2 I think... fleece that's size small. The thing is like a second skin. All my other size small stuff is a really generous fit. My nano puff jacket is easily my best clothing purchase ever. That thing has flown around the world with me and shows barely any wear. A flight attendant dumped coffee all over it on an international flight. I washed it in the bathroom, wrung it out, and had them hang it for me. It was perfect by the time we landed.

Nano Puff is fantastic. Classic example of clothing engineered for perfect function and Patagonia makes it look good as well.

The cool thing with Pata and Arc’teryx is they get exclusives on fabric. Arc’teryx more so with W.L. Gore (Gore-Tex variants) and Pata with Polartec (fleece and other insulation type fabrics). While other brands may have similar products, they really aren’t the same at all.

(The only thing I geek out about more than watches is technical outdoor clothing).

toxicavenger wrote:Their shit is was to expensive for me. Maybe if was outdoors all the time I would buy it. I only wear Helly Hanson and Mountain Hardware if I can find it on sale. I have a ton of Gerry stuff right now and some Alpine gear (Sports Authority inohouse brand before they closed).

Yeah these are expensive duds. I've got a closet full of stuff I've been wearing for 20 years. Most hikers look like magazine ads compared to my rag tag style. Haha I think I spend more on beer than clothes.

My new obsession is Westcomb. They are all former Arcteryx employees who started the brand when they felt that Arc was going too far in the lifestyle direction and away from their roots. Recently picked up their Shift LT shell made from Polartec Neoshell.

That said, my last purchase was for a Patagonia Down Sweater. Crazy 50% off prices right now on Campsaver and other places due to end of season.

What's nice about some of the top brands like Patagonia, Arcteryx, and Westcomb are the lifetime warranties and repair policies. Barbour is the same although probably more of a pain in the ass. If you break shit or wear it down with "normal" use, they'll either replace it, or fix it for a couple of bucks. Makes you feel better about dropping hundreds of dollars on garments. I've recently way overfilled my closet with Dead Bird Arcteryx shit but all of it feels like it'll last a lifetime if you take care of them. Nothing damages garments more than an improper wash.

OTTE Gear has been my go to for a decade for overseas work. Anyone looking for good gear for that environment should check them out. I think the CEO is Doug Fairbairn, if I remember correctly. He’s a great guy. Pretty sure they were all North Face guys that left after 9/11 to be more responsive to .gov and .mil clients.


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FlyPenFly wrote:My new obsession is Westcomb. They are all former Arcteryx employees who started the brand when they felt that Arc was going too far in the lifestyle direction and away from their roots. Recently picked up their Shift LT shell made from Polartec Neoshell.

That said, my last purchase was for a Patagonia Down Sweater. Crazy 50% off prices right now on Campsaver and other places due to end of season.

What's nice about some of the top brands like Patagonia, Arcteryx, and Westcomb are the lifetime warranties and repair policies. Barbour is the same although probably more of a pain in the ass. If you break shit or wear it down with "normal" use, they'll either replace it, or fix it for a couple of bucks. Makes you feel better about dropping hundreds of dollars on garments. I've recently way overfilled my closet with Dead Bird Arcteryx shit but all of it feels like it'll last a lifetime if you take care of them. Nothing damages garments more than an improper wash.

If you like Barbour you should check out Filson. Great products and lifetime warranty. Made in USA.


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