Patagonia Merino 3 or R1 hoodies?

Hey all,

I just got a merino 2 top from Patagonia and I LOVE IT. The next piece of kit I'll be looking for is a hoody to go over it as a layer dealio. I know about all the wonderfulness and the mystique surrounding the R1, but I was wondering if the Merino 3 hoody would be a good alternate. I really like merino, and I know all the benefits over synthetic. Does anyone have any real experience with the merino 3 hoody?

linky for merino 3 hoody: patagonia.com/us/product/me…

Gracias,

Joe

R1's definitely going to be warmer. And less prone to holes. The real question is R1 vs Cap 4 hoody. The Cap 4 is a little bit lighter and has different style thumb loops. I have the R1 right now, but want 1 of each.

go for a R1 hoody and a Cap 4 hoody, you will not be disappointed

I was weighing the R1 vs Dead birds Korseal. I ended up going with the later because of the built in balaclava and I like how it zipped better. I have loved it for trail runs. I will be pretty much living in the thing for a week, maybe I'll write something up.

if youre in canuckistan

MEC t3 hoody ... works just as well as anything else functionally (though not for yuppie bars)

half the price at ~70$, made in CANADA, MEC total warranty, etc ...

mec.ca/product/5026-604/mec…

if you want the cap 4 MEC equivalent ... the mec T2 hoody ~50$, made in CANADA ...

and unlike the current cap 4 hoody which has doubled fabric over the shoulders and head, the T2 has a single layer ... slightly less "warm" but quicker to dry in those areas and more breathable there

mec.ca/product/5023-663/mec…



IMO if you had to buy one piece of MEC gear these would be it ... made in CANADA, half the price of patagucci, just as functional, and MEC even gives 1% back to the planet

;)

An R1 Hoodie and. Houdini jacket will take care of you through most weather.

The Blueprint Part Dank wrote:An R1 Hoodie and. Houdini jacket will take care of you through most weather.

I'd say this is pretty much right on.

Thanks for all the input! I'm not in Canuckistan (though I did live in Detroit for a while, so that's close, eh?)

I think I'll go with the R1 then, seems like it's the consensus and it's probably a good idea to go with something proven like that.

FYI I love my R1 but I find wearing anything long-sleeved under it is annoying. Fortunately it's so warm that I usually only want a t-shirt underneath.

The cut of the Merino Hoody is different than the R1 Hoody for some reason. It seems baggy and drapes instead of form fitting. I also though the material felt cheap compared to other merino I have. I went to a Patagonia store intending to buy the merino and left with nothing. The Merino Hoody is about 1/3 the weight of the R1 Hoody.

There are now a lot of good options in this catagory. First Ascent Bat Hang hoody is similar just a bit lighter weight than an R1 (about 75% the weight? a guess). And the FA comes in TALL sizes! NWAlpine also makes the Black Spider Hoody. I even have a Stoic brand Merino hoody that is terrible colors and looks like a crown royal bag, but performs excellent in use and is about equiv to an R1.