Materials and Construction

Patagonia certainly wasn’t the first company to publicly announce their intent to move towards a more sustainable manufacturing process, but they’re certainly one of the most committed and visible. In our opinion, one of the coolest things about the Powder Town set is that it’s made using a revolutionary PFC Free DWR.

Durable Water Repellency (DWR) is a coating added to the outermost layer that protects the face fabric of the garment, creating a beading effect to stop the water from seeping through. In general, the DWR used in outerwear contains chemicals that damage the environment and have been touted to be harmful to both humans and animals. Patagonia has moved away from these for obvious reasons, but the process isn’t simple. This isn’t a one size fits all fix, the PFC Free DWR has to be individually tailored to each garment, so it’s quite a time consuming and expensive affair, but Patagonia have commited to rolling this out across the board.

Aside from this leap, the rest of the set is manufactured using 100% post consumer recycled polyester, recycled polyester tricot mesh, Bluesign approved lining mesh and is all FairTrade sewn. So, whilst no jacket or pant is fully environmentally friendly, this has about as small a footprint as you could hope for.

“Repair is a radical act, and one of the best ways to keep your footprint as small as possible when participating in sports like snowboarding”

Fit and Features

The Powder Town Jacket and Pants have a ‘regular’ fit, which just means they’re a bit relaxed in the fit, with a straight pant leg and a slightly longer waist than some. Not too baggy, not too tight, the Goldilocks of outerwear.

There are subtle distinctions between a mountaineering jacket and a snowboarding jacket, and for sure you can mix and match but the features that are specific to snow jackets can be pretty useful.

Open up the Powder Town jacket and you’ll immediately see two goggle pockets sitting inside, of course, these don’t have to be for goggles- do what you want with them, it’s a free country. Underneath this is the snow skirt, again this is completely optional if you want to use it or not, but it’s there should you feel the need or if you’re known to walk away from a day riding with a soggy arse.

If you ride with a helmet (we won’t join the debate on this), the hood is compatible and will fit with pretty much any lid you decide to don. If you don’t rock a noggin protector then it’ll be a bit roomy, but you can cinch it using the toggles to get a better fit.

“Patagonia certainly wasn’t the first company to publicly announce their intent to move towards a more sustainable manufacturing process, but they’re certainly one of the most committed and visible”

Roundup

Patagonia themselves understand that they’re not the cheapest options on the market, and they don’t shy away from this topic. Their ethos on this is ‘Buy Better’, the whole idea is to invest in a good quality, ethically made garment and keep it in circulation for as long as possible.

They’d encourage you to repair rather than rebuy, and they kickstarted a Worn Wear scheme, where they restore older bits of kit that may have once been discarded. Repair is a radical act, and one of the best ways to keep your footprint as small as possible when participating in sports like snowboarding.

Pros:

• Super sustainably manufactured
• Good waterproof rating and durability

Cons:

• A little more expensive than some other options

Buy the Patagonia Powder Town Jacket: £315 at Blue Tomato UK 

Buy the Patagonia Powder Town Jacket: €350 at Blue Tomato EU 

Buy the Patagonia Powder Town Pants: £285 at Blue Tomato UK 

Buy the Patagonia Powder Town Pants: €320 at Blue Tomato EU