Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt for Cold Descents

The Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt packs so small that it fits into a cycling jersey pocket, making it a viable choice for those cold descents from high sierra summits. It could also go into an underseat bag, or be velcroed to the seat post, etc.

While I get a lot of use out of my Mountain Hardware Nitrous down jacket, the Nitrous packs to about 3X the volume of the Patagonia ultralight down shirt (see comparison below). It also weighs half as much as the Nitrous— at 161 grams, it’s a no-brainer for cold conditions where one has to climb and descend.

Negatives of the Patagonia offering including no pockets and only a half-zip. But for staying warm on a cold descent, the zipper is not an issue. Still I would have liked at least one small chest pocket.

The Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt has made winter rides far more comfortable than ever before. It functions like a wind-breaker and adds warmth besides. It’s a BIG DEAL when dropping into a canyon and the temperature zooms 10° - 20° F lower. Or simply descending 1000 feet, such as on Old La Honda Road. It can keep your teeth from chattering, and maybe save your butt from hypothermia.

See Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt @AMAZON.

Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt

Mountain Hardware Nitrous (left), Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt (right)