Patagonia Piton Hoody?

A Euro like conversion in the Cascades for winter use? TLT Ski boots with crampons, Dynafit ski-mo lycra tights and a bright '80s retro colored Patagonia Piton Hoody. The perfect combo for that day!




I've likely had more info requests about this sweater than any one piece of clothing recently. As a reference this one will likely become just as popular at the Atom Lt imo. It is that good. Mind you I originally thought the Patagonia video was purely hype by paid actors. It is not. May be I shouldn't always be so cynical. These guys are not kidding you in the video. The Piton is everything they are saying it is..









I really like and almost always use the R1 Hoody. Have since the first versions. Part of me really accepting a garment is finding a place in my system of winter clothing where the garment easily fits in. The Piton is so versatile it immediately fit in. The Piton sat on my gear table in a bag for a few weeks before me actually trying it out. Once I did it has now gone every where with me much to my surprise. I wasn't expecting much to be honest. The Piton will workwell as a base layer. It will work well as a moderate weather "shell" or a piece of insulation under a shell in colder conditions. I have used it as all three at different times already. And I really like this garment. No problem taking this one out 12 months of the year.



Only down side Isee is I wish it had two chest pockets and while they are there a hidden zippered fanny pocket would have been a great idea as well. Just the 2nd chest pocket would add a lot to this one used as yourouter garment. A fanny pocket, done right, wouldn't be felt with a harness and would add some extra cross over advantages off route. Done right you could easily use that fanny pocket with a harness for gels and bare essentials. Even a lwt wind shell easy enough.



Easy to find right now around $120. delivered on the Internet. Trust me on this one. If you own a R1, use it and like it, this one you'll love.



Back story?



Remember that I only write about things I think are stand outs. Which is the reason you see a post about the Piton and not the ORRadiant Hybrid Hoody. My first impression of the Patagonia Piton was it was a expensive version of a sweater I already owned, theRadiant Hybrid Hoody. In the black color my Piton sat unopened on my table for a few weeks. Then since I didn't think I would ever use it I exchanged the black one for the blue and green color which would make better photos on the blog. Glad I did. I have used the ORRadiant Hybrid Hoody a lot over the last year. First purchased along with 3 other hoodies to find a replacement for my now stinky R1s. Out of that bunch of hoodies only theRadiant Hybrid still survives in my gear closet. I use it for cold and wet weather running mostly with nothing under it. So while good for running I found it pretty limited in my own use, compared to say the R1.



They could almost be made from the same pattern. Pocket is reversed on the chest. Neck zipper is off set on the OR and it has thumb cuffs. But the material is slightly different. And the "vents", wrist to waist on the OR don't seem as comfortable or as stretchy to me as the Patagonia does over all. I like it but nothing I would have ever written about either. I have been wearing theRadiant Hybrid Hoody all day just to see if my original impressions were still true. They are.








Among other things I prefer on the Piton is the fabric mix and the center zip which makes a usable collar on the Piton with the hood down. A left and right chest pocket would have been better imo than just the one. At least it is on the left side. OR's Radiant version has it on the right hand pec......which is backwards for anyone right handed.




The hood is good over a helmet. And you can get an idea from the picture of just how high the collar will come if the hood is left down. One of the "big" features that really turned my head past the Radiant's off set zipper.











I was originally going to make a ripping comparison of the ORRadiant Hybrid Hoody to the Patagonia Piton. Where the OR piece was to be the landslide winner and @ a better price point. Imagine how surprised I was to NOT have "just another runner" in the Piton! I have plenty of gear to run in but few bits of gear I really like to climb in. Once I realized just how good this piece of clothing was for me and more importantly how easily I could incorporate it into my clothing system, I ordered a black one as well on line at a discounted $116. price. I'll wear them both out eventually I suspect.

Whitethroat and Orange Tip and good morning viewing

A good mornings viewing with Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Orange Tip, Large White and a Speckled wood.

Anniversary Fashion Friday

It has recently been revealed on facebook that jjobrien is "in a relationship".

Climbers, this one snuck up on me sideways on a Tuesday afternoon.

I get this "confirm relationship" message, I hesitate for a moment, start considering the ramifications, I mean we have children, grandchildren, a house, cars, but this facebook relationship thing is looking more official than anything I've been used to up to this point.Having not officiated this relationship through achurch orstate registration, I think facebook might be the highestauthorityto recognise us.So it's time to come clean. But what facebook doesn't say is that this relationship started in 1972.It's true, I fell in love with Sandra Phoenix. Sorry, Dr. Phoenix phdHere's a few photos I have on hand this relationship anniversary day of March 4th.

Juice Alley, Mong Kok

Nice shirt jj, embroidered eagle on white cotton by Jag.

Those sunnies are mine now.



photo: Lee Cujes



Gearing up for the Chinese coldness in Mee and Gee store HKThis is where I first met mynew coat "Wolfie". Remember "Sheepy"? I still miss Sheepy.







Dressed for the chill at YangshuoSandra wearing "Peak" in black.













She also climbs.

A bit.

Sometimes.

Like this, on her 50th birthday in Ton Sai.













By the power invested in facebook, I do take this woman.













Toadstool

found this toadstool under one of our apple trees the other day. We usually have a few after it rains but this is the largest I have ever seen.

Roe-Dee-Oh :: Bronc Riding

Sunday, August 21st - - After attending a community church service (very interesting mix of speakers), a pot luck dinner (good food), and driving along nearly every street in town looking for the “birthing house” where Ruth, Jim and George were born (we didn't have an address but did have a picture of the house, which was eventually located), we went to the Rodeo.



For many of the Joslin Clan, this was their first Rodeo. I had been to several but never to a “full-blown real” rodeo. It was a lot of fun but lasted much longer than any of us thought it would – more than four hours! And because it was so long and so much was going on, there will be several posts covering the activities, and probably two posts a day for the next few days – with LOTS of photos! For me, part of the fun was in trying to capture some decent images that showed the action and the excitement.

















These next four pictures are of the same horse and rider. The horse went down but the rider stayed with him... incredible ability and athleticism on the part of both the rider and the horse!











Amazing!

Kitten Wrestling Match

I love to watch the kittens play and took this series of photos of them playing on the couch the other day. They have all kinds of toys but prefer to play with each other more than the toys. The gray kitten is about half the size of the black one but she can still hold her own when it comes to the wrestling matchs.

Multi-Modal Commuting: Do You Need a Folding Bike?

I've received some questions over email about getting around by bike and train. One question that keeps coming up is that of whether a folding bike is necessary. This year it so happens that I've done bike+train trips a lot, with both full sized bikes and my (Brompton) folding bike. Here are some notes about the differences as I see them:




Peak vs Off-Peak Timing

In many cities, there are restrictions on the times of day that full size bikes are allowed on the subway and/or commuter rail. These restrictions coincide with popular commute times. For example, in Boston if I want to take a standard size bike on the subway in the morning, I need to do it before 7am. In the evening, I cannot do it until after 7pm. The commuter rail does not have such restrictions, but nonetheless it gets so crowded during peak hours that riding with a big bike is a nightmare. So I would say a folding bike is beneficial, and possibly even the only option, if you need to take public transit at peak commuting times. If your commute is entirely off peak, it may not matter.




Train and Platform Access

In greater Boston, many commuter rail stations have no elevator or ramp access down to the platform, only a long, steep, narrow staircase that gets slippery in wet weather. I believe that all subway stations do have elevator access, but it can get complicated with as many as 3 elevator changes to reach your platform. Dragging a full sized bike up and down long flights of stairs, or having to make several elevator trips with it, is not for everyone. Similarly, in some stations boarding the train itself requires climbing a precarious, steep set of stairs, whereas at other stations the train is flush with the platform and you simply step on. If the stations at which you board and disembark have inconvenient platform or train access, afolding bike could really be a godsent. If access is easy, it may not matter.




Handling Your Folder

All folding bikes are different. Make sure that yours folds sufficiently small to comply with the local transportation authority's definition of "folding bike" (some do not). Make sure also that you can comfortably lift and carry it for stretches at a time. Finally, make sure that you are capable of quickly folding and unfolding it yourself. If you cannot do these things, you may find multi-modal commuting with a folding bike more trouble than it's worth compared to a full sized bike.




Cycling

In addition to taking your bike on the train, you will presumably also have to ride it to and from the station. Those who ask me about folders often express concern about this, especially if their trip is more than a couple of miles and involves hills. "Can you really ride all that way on a folding bike?" Well, I can on mine, yes. It is a distance-capable bike with a pleasant ride quality and low gears. But not all folding bikes are designed to be ridden for more than a couple of miles at a time. If the cycling portion of your commute is challenging, make sure to get a folder that is appropriate for that. Otherwise you may be better off with the full sized bike you know and love.




These are the points that come to mind from my experience so far. If you have questions that I did not address here, please ask in the comments. And if you use a folder for multi-modal commutes, please feel free to share your own experiences.