Patagonia Triolet Jacket

Patagonia Triolet, Blister Gear ReviewPatagonia Triolet Jacket

Reviewer Info:

  • Height: 5’6’’
  • Shoulder to Wrist: 21.5”
  • Spine to Wrist: 29”

Weight: 538 g / 19 oz.

Size Tested: Women’s Large

Front Zipper Length: 28″

Color: Black

Features:

  • Gore-Tex 3 Layer Pro Shell
  • Helmet-compatible, 2-way adjustable hood w/ laminated visor
  • Harness-compatible pockets: 2 hand, 2 chest, and one inner pouch
  • Pit zips from the elbow to waist
  • Microfleece on collar and chin
  • Waterproof zippers

Test Locations: Juneau, Alaska; Grand Targhee and Teton Pass, Wyoming; Squamish, British Columbia; Whitefish, Montana

Days Skied / Hiked: 150

Days Worn: ~200

MSRP: $429

If there were a single word I (and Patagonia) would use to describe the Triolet jacket, it’s durable. This technical shell is designed for the backcountry skier and alpinist who needs a reliable piece of outerwear for protection against wet and raw elements.

In the two years I’ve used this jacket, for everything from Pacific Northwest bushwhacks to glacier ice climbing and mid-winter ski mountaineering, it has exceeded my expectations of waterproofness and durability, even compared to very good jackets like my Arc’teryx Beta AR shell.

Fit / Sizing

When looking at shells, my deciding factor for which size to go with is based on layering. I usually wear a size medium, but have purchased size large shells in the past (like the Arc’teryx Beta AR) just to allow room to layer a thick fleece or puffy underneath.

The size medium in the Triolet would have allowed sufficient layering space in the torso, but I purchased a size large because the arms of the medium were too skinny for me—layering underneath would not have left enough loft space for insulation.

Patagonia Triolet, Blister Gear Review
Iris Neary in the Patagonia Triolet Jacket.

Granted, my arms are thicker than many other women’s arms, but I was still surprised at the sleeve proportion. This isn’t uncommon for me with normal fitted shirts, but was a new issue for me in the world of jackets: the arms of the size large were still a bit skinny for accommodating very warm, high-loft layers underneath, like my Patagonia DAS Parka. But purchasing an XL would have meant I’d be swimming in the torso.

(Note: if you don’t typically layer with bulkier, high-loft mid-layers, then the sleeve width of the Triolet will also be less of an issue.)

I did, however, find that the torso runs true to size—the back dips down to my inseam, and the front is roughly six inches below the top of my hipbones (my iliac crests). The shape of the Triolet’s torso is comparable to the shape of my previous Arc’teryx AR. That is, well shaped for an athletic person who requires full range of motion for anything from ice climbing to navigating rocky alpine scrambles.

The Triolet has gusseted underarm panels, and the arms and shoulders have been ergonomically stitched to mimic the resting angles of elbows and shoulders, which allows for a greater range of motion without hitting resistance from the fabric. I still noticed some movement of the jacket when moving my arms, but no more or less than with my Arc’teryx, and not enough to be an annoyance.

Patagonia Triolet Touch Point System, Blister Gear Review
Patagonia Triolet Touch Point System

The draw cord cinching systems in the hem and hood are functional. Patagonia replaced the traditional pinch toggles found on many a drawstring with a flat button that is hidden inside of the fabric. This change creates a sleek mechanism (coined the Touch Point System by Patagonia) that functions as well as a tradtional toggle.

I was never able to manipulate the peanut-sized toggles on my Arc’teryx AR shell with gloves on, and I can’t do so with the Touch Point System, either. However, I am not a big fan of using hoods over helmets unless I have to. This means that I rarely ever expand the hood via the draw cord system, instead opting to keep the hood cinched down to use as a general rain jacket.

Hood

My favorite component of the Triolet’s hood is the visor. It’s stiff, so it maintains the shape of the hood and facilitates a clear line of sight, even when used over a helmet or when my head is down to hide from driving rain or snow—or both.

The hood is quite large, which is great for those who love to pull up the hood over climbing and ski helmets. Whenever I do pull my hood over my helmet in wet weather, it comfortably fits over my ProTec ski helmet and I feel as though I am invincible to the elements. I have never had a problem with any headwear being too large for this hood to cover while also not choking me.

But because I don’t generally use hoods over helmets, I don’t need such a large hood; I mostly use the hood when hiking in the rain or walking around town. In such cases, the hood is too large for me, and my only complaint is that there are only two directions of draw cords in the hood: one around the edge of the hood that is manipulated at the jawbone on both sides, and one which is manipulated from the center of the back of the head.

Patagonia Triolet Hood, Blister Gear Review
Patagonia Triolet Hood with two adjustments

On my previous Arc’teryx AR shell, there was a third draw cord that ran from the top of the hood toward the base of the skull. This was very helpful in downsizing the hood for adventures without a helmet or for casual use. With the Triolet, I wear a ball cap to keep the visor of the hood from drooping into my vision.

 

3 comments on “Patagonia Triolet Jacket”

  1. Thank you for your review.
    Curious to hear about how little you have washed treated your jackets. what is the longest a jacket has lasted for you? have you had success treating any? It seems that frequent washing is becoming more the recommendation, with treatment once it stops beading water. I am glad to hear the triolet is still waterproof for you though no longer beading up.

    another question, what jacket do you turn to on 50 and 60 degree days for waterproof rain protection?
    ~nicholas

  2. Thanks for your inquiry, Nicholas! During the lifetime of this Triolet jacket I think I only washed and dried it twice, each time with GoreTex soap. I have also heard we are moving towards cleaning our shells more frequently, but I have to admit I’ve actually become a little cynical about how we can stay dry while exercising in a shell in warm and wet conditions. I’m definitely a proponent of pulling my arms through the pit zips to vent. I also have started to use an umbrella. Or, when it’s 50-60 and raining, I literally don’t wear a rain jacket – I leave it dry in my pack and save it for when I stop moving, and I keep a dry layer in a dry bag in my pack. Sorry I don’t have a silver bullet!

  3. Thank You Iris, as I read more into the world of rain jackets I am needing to reassess and determine which uses I need a rain jacket for (Finally replacing my de-laminated 2.5 layer shell). Here in the northwest there is a lot of cool weather with rain. Temperatures I don’t really want to get wet in. But in other places, where a quick shower might come through, getting wet can be ok – or having an alpine houdini that will block the brunt of a storm for a time but eventually soaks through.

    What I am recalling from my experience is that my extremities get cold and take forever to warm up, especially if they get damp or wet. That makes changing layers and setting up camp to become dry difficult…

    more reading and thinking for me! Happy Adventures!

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