When you spend a lot of time outdoors, you realise the importance of lightweight gear. It doesn’t matter whether you are hiking through the wilderness, camping on a beach or even just walking the dog, heavy cumbersome gear quickly becomes a real disadvantage.

Early insulated jackets were weighty things, but technology has advanced so much that nowadays these jackets are as light as a feather. Patagonia’s Nano Puff is a great example. At just over 300g, it’s roughly the weight of three tomatoes. Not very much, right? Just because it is lightweight doesn’t mean Patagonia have compromised on insulation.

“At just over 300g, that’s roughly the weight of three tomatoes. Not very much, right?”

The Nano Puff is made with 60g PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Eco, which means that it holds a lot of warmth. You can wear this jacket on a crag on a chilly spring day and feel comfortably snug. There is a constant debate over whether it is better to have a down jacket made with real feathers or a synthetic variant. In Patagonia’s case, they went for synthetic insulation because it is water repellent and still retains 98 per cent of warmth even when wet. It’s also highly compressible so you can easily stuff it into your backpack when you’re not wearing it.

Outside you’ll find the Nano Puff is covered with a 100 per cent recycled polyester ripstop shell which prevents wind from piercing the jacket. It’s also covered with an eco-friendly durable water-repellent finish, so moisture will easily run off the outside of the jacket. Inside there’s a soft storm flap and zipper protection around the chin to keep your face warm when the nasty weather hits.