Patagonia 50% off sale begins today

I just bought 2 jackets at a North face outlet (no returns) for $50 that were 5.2oz and 7.3oz but very similar to the Houdini (4oz). Downside is that my jackets aren't as light or nice as the Houdini…upside is that I got two for the price of one. I definitely recommend that someone looking for an UL wind jacket consider the Houdini (it's not great for downpours but light rain is fine–DWR, not rainproof).

Purchasing from Patagonia direct is great if you know exactly what you're looking for (item and size) or happen to get lucky, but keep in mind that Patagonia charges for return shipping, which strikes me as odd for a clothing company operating in the current era. I purchased several items from them recently but had to return two shirts that didn't fit correctly, which cost me $12 in postage charges. Pretty lame, IMO.

The only sellers I've noticed offering return shipping (without a defect) are Amazon and Zappos. I'm sure there are more but none I frequent.