The Patagonia Stormstride is a backcountry ski jacket made for high-output ski touring.
The Patagonia Stormstride series is the brand's most breathable jacket and pants for ski touring. The Stormstride jacket offers a three-layer waterproof fabric that provides ample stretch for moving uphill. The no-frills features are purpose-built for ski touring. We find that the Stormstride excels at regulating heat and moisture during strenuous activity. And while we'd look elsewhere for a do-it-all jacket or if you spend most of your time on the chairlift, the Stormstride ranks as one of the best backcountry ski touring jackets we've tested.
Pros
- Fit - The slim fit eliminates bulk and flapping during activity. The close-fitting hood is just enough for a helmet without getting in the way.
- Zippers - The zips run smooth and we've had zero issues with snagging.
- Pockets - The pockets are thoughtfully designed. The exterior chest pockets are large enough for a radio or ultralight skins. Handwarmer pockets are eliminated so they don't interfere with your ski pack.
Cons
- Not your one-jacket quiver - The Stormstride is narrowly focused on ski touring, and it does a fantastic job at that. While you can certainly wear it for mild days at the resort, it lacks features like a full powder skirt, pass pocket, and handwarmer pockets. The slim fit (including shorter torso length) is going to be apparent if you are trying to wear anything but a thin midlayer.
- Hood adjustment - When not wearing a helmet I find that the adjustment needed to keep the hood out of my face makes my ears uncomfortable.
Patagonia Stormstride Jacket
Patagonia Stormstride women's jacket in Smolder Blue
Patagonia Stormstride men's jacket in Smolder Blue
Patagonia Stormstride jacket. Size: Medium. Color: Burnished Red.
Patagonia Stormstride jacket fabrics
The shell fabric on these jackets is a three-layer, 4.8-oz 40-denier Pertex® Shield 100% recycled nylon stretch plain weave. The backing is a knitted recycled polyester. Pertex® is a Japanese textile manufacturer, and you'll find their fabric on some of the top-performing jackets in the outdoor industry. You can read more about Pertex® Shield here.
Shield is made for protection from precipitation while allowing for exceptional breathability. Pertex® describes the breathability of the Shield fabric as dynamic, meaning that the moisture transmission rate increases as the output of the user increases. My experience touring in this jacket in both cold (just above 0 degrees F) and mild temperatures (high 20s F) is that it breathes very well. In the colder temps I had the underarm vents closed and was wearing a Patagonia R1 Thermal as my baselayer. In the warmer temperatures I definitely wanted the pit zips open, especially when wearing a pack.
Water Resistance and Breathability
Water resistance
Like much of Patagonia's product line, the Stormstride backcountry ski jacket is tested to meet its H2No® standard. This standard aims to provide a benchmark of durability for waterproofness and breathability. The article linked below gives more detail on their approach to testing. That said, Patagonia does not publish ratings of either metric for their outerwear. The H2No page (linked below) indicates that all H2No products are tested to 20,000mm in the water column test. This puts the Patagonia Stormstride on par with the Stio Environ jacket, which Stio refers to as "Peak Proof." Stio also has a great guide to features of a waterproof ski jacket.
Check out this great page from Patagonia on the H2No performance standard:
https://www.patagonia.com/our-footprint/h2no-performance-standard.html
This table from Evo provides a good overview of generally accepted guidelines for waterproof ratings.
Source:
www.evo.com/guides/outerwear-waterproof-ratings-and-breathability
Waterproof Rating (mm) | Water Resistance provided | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
0-5,000m | No resistance to some resistance to moisture | Light rain, dry snow, no pressure |
6,000-10,000mm | Rainproof and waterproof under light pressure | Light rain, average snow, light pressure |
11,000-15,000mm | Rainproof and waterproof except under high pressure | Moderate rain, average snow, light pressure |
16,000-20,000mm | Rainproof and waterproof under high pressure | Heavy rain, wet snow, some pressure. Think PNW. |
20,000 mm+ | Rainproof and waterproof under very high pressure | Heavy rain, wet snow, high pressure |
Breathability
Patagonia uses both the moisture vapor transfer rate (MVTR) and Resistance to Evaporative Heat (RET) for its breathability testing. MVTR is a measurement of how much water vapor (i.e. body moisture) can pass through a fabric in a given time. RET is the opposite, measuring how much impediment there is to evaporation. Specifically, MVTR measures the vapor transmission rate in grams per square meter every 24 hours (g/m²/24h), though Patagonia don't tell us exactly how this jacket performed in the MVTR test.
While Patagonia doesn't publish the results of this testing for the Stormstride, they say this on their H2No information page:
"We test this by measuring a fabric’s Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) and Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer (RET), tests that measure how effectively vapor and air can pass through a waterproof material under different conditions, from fly fishing to alpine climbing. We then retest breathability after Killer Wash to ensure that the material performs all of the above after simulated prolonged use."
In addition to the breathability of the fabric, there are large 2-way zippered vents under each arm.
The underarm ventilation on the Patagonia Stormstride features two zipper pulls for flexibility in how you vent.
Warmth & Insulation of the Patagonia Stormstride
The Patagonia Stormstride jacket is a shell only, meaning it has no insulation. I've skied in frigid temperatures and stayed warm and well regulated using a couple of different midlayers. As a reminder, the Stormstride has a slim fit and is specifically designed for ski touring. That said, I've used it at the resort and it's certainly functional in that environment. One thing I noticed is that my Patagonia R1 Thermal midlayer stuck out from beneath the Stormstride when sitting on the lift. This is a result of the slim fit not being as roomy or as long in the torso as a relaxed-fit ski shell.
Here are a few of our favorite Patagonia midlayers for skiing. All of these links are to non-hooded versions, which is what we recommend for wearing under a shell.
Check out our in-depth article comparing the R1 Vs. R2
- Patagonia R1 Air: This is the lightest and most breathable fleece midlayer from Patagonia.
- Patagonia R1 Thermal: Still very breathable, but provides more warmth than the R1 Air. Check out our video review of the R1 Thermal.
- Patagonia R2 TechFace: Breathable, but not quite as much as the R1. I really like the TechFace outer and find it to be more versatile on its own than the R1s.
Rocking the Patagonia R2 TechFace as a midlayer under the Stormstride. I'm using the R2 TechFace Hoody here because that's all I own. A non-hooded midlayer is more comfortable under a shell.
Fit & Feel of the Patagonia Stormstride Jacket
This is one of the best-fitting ski touring jackets I've worn. The slim fit is perfect for really active movement and wearing a pack. The stretch of the Pertex® Shield fabric is felt during use, and I have never felt constricted by the cut. The polyester knit backing is not exactly brushed but nonetheless provides a softer feel than the outer layer. It helps make sure you don't feel clammy and sticky when sweating.
While not quite as versatile as a regular or relaxed fit, one thing I like about the slim fit is that it works well with jeans and pants. Most ski shells are way too baggy to wear around town, but the Stormstride actually looks great as an everyday jacket.
You can find Patagonia's full size and fit guide here:
https://www.patagonia.com/guides/size-fit/
The cut of the Stormstride and the stretch of the Pertex® feel great when touring.
Hood
The helmet-compatible hood is also purposely designed for ski touring. It's as small as possible while still fitting over my helmet (granted I tour with my freeride helmet and not a dedicated skimo helmet. The brow of the hood is laminated to make it stiffer, which creates a nice brim. You'll also find the Recco® reflector tucked under here, with a smartly designed rubberized logo to help the hood stay in place on your helmet.
There are two points of adjustability on the hood. At the neck are two drawcords for controlling the height of the face opening, and on the back is a single adjuster for pulling the hood down and back on your head. Both use the Cohaesive® cord-lock system, which is patented hardware this is laminated or sewn directly into the material, giving a very clean look. The Cohaesive tension release hardware is hardly visible even from inside the jacket.
In practice, I found that adjustment is not needed when wearing a helmet because the hood is already maxed out. Without a helmet, the rear adjustment is helpful to cinch the hood down so it isn't in your face, but I find that the angle of the cord ends up uncomfortably crossing directly over my ears at a 45-degree angle.
The hood is very close fitting compared to a typical helmet-compatible ski hood.
The Cohaesive® adjuster on the rear of the hood is sewn under a storm flap for a clean look. I find that this adjustment point is uncomfortable when tightened if I'm not using a helmet.
The Recco reflector is tucked under the brim of the hood and has a rubberized logo that acts as a helmet gripper.
The Cohaesive® tensioner is attached in between the fabric layers and is barely visible by my thumb.
Powder Skirt
Dedicated touring jackets rarely have a powder skirt - and nor do you want the bulk of one getting in your way. The Stormstride has a unique solution with what Patagonia refers to as a "low profile powder gasket." This thin strip with a rubber gripper is just enough to prevent windblown snow from sneaking under your jacket, all without adding weight or restricting movement. I can't say that I have really put it to the test, but I do find that it provides a decent seal with my pants when the jacket is zipped closed.
You can see the powder gasket as well as the pockets on the interior. The Cohaesive® hardware is slightly more visible on the waist adjustment.
Pockets
The Stormstride has two exterior chest pockets. On the interior is one drop-in pocket (aka dump pocket) and a zippered chest pocket. Notably, exterior handwarmer pockets are eliminated as they get in the way when touring with a pack. The external pockets are tall enough that I can fit my ski skins in them. I can also fit skins in the dump pocket. My skins are cut to 94mm underfoot, and I think you can get up to 105mm in the dump pocket. The chest pockets are also designed to be fully accessible while wearing a pack. This may go overlooked, but details like this make the Stormstride a killer touring jacket. Both the exterior and interior chest pockets can fit a radio. Check out our article on the Rocky Talkie 5 Watt radio, which is ideal for backcountry skiing.
You won't find an RFID sleeve pass pocket on this stripped-down touring jacket.
The chest pockets are thoughtfully designed to be fully accessible while wearing a backpack.
Zippers
I love the zippers on the Patagonia Stormstride. Zippers, especially the water repellent ones found on ski jackets, are often a point of frustration for me. It's one of my only complaints about the otherwise superb Mammut Stoney HS jacket. The Patagonia Stormstride nails it with appropriately sized (i.e. not tiny ultralight) zippers, nice metal pulls, and a one-way main zip. Even the zippers on the underarm vents run smooth and are easy to operate with gloves on.
The zippers on the Patagonia Stormstride are a real treat.
Final thoughts on the Patagonia Stormstride jacket
Similar to the importance of using the right tool with any job, using a dedicated jacket for ski touring has big advantages. The Patagonia Stormstride jacket has the fit and features to allow you to focus on getting up the skin track or breaking trail in the backcountry. The H2No tested Pertex® Shield is comfortable and stretches as you move. At nearly $500 this won't be your do-it-all winter shell, but it can at least double as an around-town snow jacket when not going uphill. The Stormstride truly excels at its narrowly focused niche of ski touring. Barring my minor complaint around the hood adjustment, I'll be reaching for the Patagonia Stormstride a lot this winter for backcountry adventures.
