BPL Beartooth Hoody vs Patagonia R1 Hoody

I would only recommend the R1 for under freezing conditions. Otherwise, the Beartooth.

-Sid

I have an R1 hoody and a Smartwool hoody.

The R1 is my go to piece.

If there was any chance of getting wet, the R1. Weigh the two when they're wet, the wool will absorb more water.

How come neither is made for women? This is major discrimination!!!

I don't own the BPL Hoody so I can't make a comparison but I love my R1 to death. I wore it on a trip last fall that saw temps from 80-30 deg F and I took it as my sole top layer purposely, knowing the temps would range widely. The shirt performed great.

Yeah it wasn't ideal over, say 65 degrees but I was fairly comfortable. I rolled the sleeves up and dropped the chest zip all the way and didn't really sweat my butt off. I certainly wasn't overheating. When the temps dropped below 50 the R1 worked fantastic. The waffle pattern on the inside of the shirt does really regulate temps as Patagonia claims. I'm going on a trip in late October to notoriously bad weathered Dolly Sods in West Virginny and I already know what shirt I'm taking. Having something so versatile in my gear rack is awesome; I can concentrate on other details because shirt is solved.

The details are great as well. The thumbcuffs allow the end of the sleeves provide enough additional warmth that all I needed were thin liner gloves. The hood fit is perfect, no hat needed at around freezing for me. And the drop tail coverage is excellent at providing a little more warmth.

All in all, the only misgiving I have is that after a few days it stinks. But that's something I generally don't care about and can be mitigated somewhat. I was able to take it off during a sunny day, rinse it clean and pop it back on. The shirt dried in less than an hour if I remember correctly.

Don't get me wrong, I love my wool (I have a Smartwool long sleeve that I still wear frequently) but I think the R1 fabric is more versatile than merino for cool to cold weather, if only because its a touch warmer than light- or mid-weight wool and it dries so much quicker. If Paty made an R1 hoody with merino wool underarms, I think that would be the last top I'd ever buy for Spring-Fall-Winter hikes.

Okay, y'all convinced me. Although I recently bought a Beartooth Hoody, I just ordered an R1 hoody. I'll try 'em both out!

Now if BPL will just get the darned UL merino hoody in stock for the not exceptionally cold days (and I think it will make a great sleep shirt)!

Thanks for the comments.

Doug

R1 is King in winter. King.

My R1 experience has been that if it's over 40 degrees, and I'm consistently active, it's too hot, even hood down and fully unzipped. It'd be a nice camp piece, but not as warm for the weight as a down or synthetic jacket, and just as pricey.

For cold weather camping, it's great.

Years ago I found an XL women's R 1/2 (now Capilene 4) hoody on sale. I was able to cut seams and slim down the torso and it fits perfectly, with a great hood and thumb loops. I wear it, a S/S base layer, and a light soft shell for backcountry skiing (calm days) in single digits.

In short, I can't see the need for something heavier unless it is really, really cold.