When they’re not scrambling up icy cliff-faces, tentatively crossing rope-bridges or grappling with Portuguese Man O’ War in the depths of the ocean, the free living souls at Patagonia somehow find time to make clothes — and damn good ones at that. Designed with the sort of details that only true outdoors-folk could come up with, their gear is functional, sustainable and more colourful than Bernard Manning’s language.
Since we started stocking them last summer Patagonia’s Torrentshell jackets have become a bit of a staff favourite — lightweight, waterproof, breathable and fully packable, they’re designed for trudging through dense rainforests, making them ideal for our rainy season.
But there’s more to Patagonia than just jackets, and whether they’re making high-tech polo shirts or canvas tote bags, everything they put their name to is carefully considered to make sure it’s right for the job. As they say themselves, “We can’t bring ourselves to knowingly make a mediocre product.”