Patagonia Dragonfly

[MedicineMan]

I have looked at this garment for some time before plunking down the big bucks needed to aquire it....3oz and this past Monday I walked for 5 hours in a downpour wearing it. Is it worth the 135$ My answer is yes considering the fact that I was comfortable in a monsoon wearing it. The fabric seems durable despite its weight but there is the question of how dry was I considering the many climbs and the amount of sweat I was putting off--underneath was Peal Izumi biking jersey (longsleeve) and under that a Pearl Izumi sleeveless jersee....I never felt wet or clammy, even on the uphills when I was putting out a lot of joules/daltons.
I truthfully can only wish that Patagonia puts out pants in the same material---granted not for bushwacking but for AT use it is an incredible garment----3oz is something to think about over and over again like I did before retiring the Lowe Alpine Hydrenaline for a net savings of over 7oz.
Oh, almost forgot, used an OR Sobrerero the Sahalla on the head with the hood of the Dragonfly over it, and was comfortable....carried a Golite umbrella but never used it---cant part with the poles esp. on a slick rainy day.
Sim-

[highway]

And, there is even a further advantage....stuffed into its own pocket you can squeeze it down to a golf ball sized package. Now you can carry your "rain parka" in the front pocket of your shorts. Mine weighs(on a very accurate scale, 3.68 ounces) and its worth everyone of them!

Still dont know how it will stand up to long periods under the shoulder straps of 25 pounds but ,, in retrospect, I find that I now carry my parka in my pack far more than I wear it so it may not even be an issue. After closely examining the Dragonfly's excellent stitching, it certainly want pull apart at the seams!!

[Grimace]

I'm still undecided about my Dragonfly. I have worn it in below freezing weather for snow shoeing and for 40 degree weather in jogging. Both times w/o precipitation. Although I was comforatble there was a alot of condensation inside. I could actually see water droplets in the sleeves. I'm a pretty big guy and tend to fill up the coat pretty well. I wonder if I prevent enough air to move around inside.

It is super light and packable. I was thinking I would use it for Summer hikes as an emergency.

[RagingHampster]

I use the 2oz "Ozark Trail" Emergency Poncho available at walmart for $1. It's incredibly breatheable (the design, not the plastic), and I'm much drier with it than with my Gore-TEX Pac-Lite LL-Bean Parka, or Gore-Tex XCR TNF MountainGuide Parka. Can't say I'd take it to Denali or K2, but it's great for any stormy weather you could safely hike in. In fact I used it this morning for a 5mile loop in the rain. You can also wear it to bed as a quite effective vapor barrier if your stuck in a situation like that. Carry two if you want extra security and plastic to wrap leftovers with :D. I have 3 or 4 spares in my glove-compartment. It fits in it's own little zip-lock bag (included in above weight), and is roughly the size of 2 decks of cards.

[steve hiker]

So how does the Dragonfly compare to the Marmot Precip? Especially in durability, does it seem like it'll last awhile?

One immediate advantage I see is the 9 oz. weight savings (just confirmed that the Precip top weighs 12 oz.).

[Grimace]

apples and oranges in my opinion. The Dragonfly is considered a soft shell: Water resistant, supposed to be totally breathable, wind resistant.

The precip is a shell. Water proof, wind proof. Kinda breathable but the zips really help.

I wouldn't feel safe in near freezing weather with precipitation with a Dragonfly. The pecip would be fine. Dragonfly is great for warmish weather, day hikes, jogging etc. IT weighs almost nothing

[DebW]

Originally posted by Grimace
apples and oranges in my opinion. The Dragonfly is considered a soft shell: Water resistant, supposed to be totally breathable, wind resistant.


What's with almost every shell on the market these days being water-resistant? I've got a simple nylon anorak that I bought as wind protection only, and I get tons of condensation inside this thing on clear days. Likewise a cycling jacket. They market these things as breathable, but they're not (well maybe they breath OK if you're standing still). I want my raingear waterproof and my wind gear breathable (not partly breathable under some conditions). I see all these people winter hiking without shells because they get coated with condensation inside the shell. Then they get their fleece coated with snow, and when they get above treeline and really need the shell, they put it on over snowy fleece and get wetter. Meanwhile my non-waterproof non-water resistant mountaineering parka keeps me windproof, snowproof, and dry all day. Just my opinion on the latest trend in shell garments.

[steve hiker]

How much does the Anorak weigh? Don't see specs on their page:

http://www.clothingwarehouse.com/002-0130.html