Patagonia Refugitive Jacket and Pants – Winter Review

Patagonia Refugitive Jacket and Pants

If you're into irrelevant features and pastel colours then look away now as the lightweight, durable and no nonsense Refugitive Jacket and Pants are built for serious backcountry business.

The bold colours of the Refugitive combo reflect the purpose of the gear – to facilitate further, faster and more efficient progression in the mountains.

The Refugitive Jacket is a lightweight, breathable, stretchy 3 layer GORE-TEX hardshell with pit zips, large side pockets and a range of backcountry-specific features that will appeal to fans of alpine simplicity.

On a zero precipitation touring day, the Refugitive Jacket tends to stay in our pack until we reach the summit where we tend to pair it with the Nano Puff Bivy Pullover for the descent.

If things are a little chilly out however and there’s significant snowfall or higher winds on the cards, then we generally apply Rule 5 and the Refugitive for the ascent too. Used in conjunction with the Nano Air Light Hybrid, the Refugitive Jacket is sufficiently breathable to allow for efficient temperature regulation whilst offering the necessary protection against the elements.

We particularly like the cohaevisve technology which may be ridiculously hard to spell but enables you to adjust the hood and hem with one hand, leaving your other hand free to take selfies. Joke. Kind of.

The Refugitive Pants have become our go-to pants for every type of ski mission. Light and stretchy, breathable and robust, the waterproof and breathable Refugitive Pants will appeal to skiers who like long pants with a loose fit. Whilst we wouldn’t describe them as particularly ‘baggy’, they’re definitely roomy which is ideal if you’re looking to add layers underneath and/or value freedom of movement when skinning and bootpacking.

The navy colour of the Refugitive Pants is super smart and the side vents and large thigh pockets demonstrate their backcountry intent. The ability to vent is key on long hot spring skins and the easy access thigh pockets are perfect for carrying snacks and phones etc. Here at PG HQ, we like to carry our avalanche transceiver in our thigh pocket as it’s far easier to access than buried below multiple mid layers so are always on the lookout for large thigh pockets with attachments that don’t restrict movement. The Refugitive Pants deliver on all fronts.

Away from the skin track, the Refugitive Combo can also be used for regular alpine skiing when used as part of a well thought out layering system. We wore the Refugitive Jacket and Pants on a recent resort ski trip to the Dolomites where we spent 7 days ripping lift accessed terrain.

Having wondered whether the lightweight kit would be warm enough for resort skiing with it's associated long cold lift chairlift rides, we were pleasantly surprised by the performance and how well it stood up to a slightly different kind of challenge.

Again, layering was key and when paired with the Nano Air Light Hybrid (check out our pick of insulated mid layers for winter 2018), Nano Puff Bivvy Pullover and some decent merino baselayer leggings, we were kept warm, dry and comfortable all over. Having said that, if you're anticipating a combination of super low temps,stormy conditions, riding long lifts and/or skiing at a 'relaxed' pace, then you might want to bulk up a bit more. 

Initial Conclusions

The Refugitive jacket and pants are a super impressive and well thought out combo built for the backcountry that can also be used in resort with the appropriate layering system. Lightweight and robust, we've used the Refugitive jacket and pants in a variety of conditions and are yet to find any fault with the gear. No frills and fit for purpose - just how we like it.