Ski Wear by Patagonia

Patagonia was formed back in 1972 by Yvon Chouinard and is named after the southern section of the Andes in Argentina and Chile that bears the same name. The company logo is a nod to this association, being the skyline of Monte Fitz Roy as viewed from the West in Patagonia.

As with other large mainstream outdoor clothing manufacturers such as The North Face and Columbia, Patagonia has become popular as everyday clothing, and can be spotted just as often on the streets of a city as it can in the hills and mountains. This, coupled with it's high price, has seen it acquire a yuppie image in hiking and climbing circles that has seen it tagged as Prada-gonia and Pata-gucci. It doesn't have quite the same exclusive image in skiing, where it's not as common as a brand and probably because there's much more expensive gear to be found anyway!

Yeah, performance wise it does a job, similar to other brands of the same ilk. One thing that's worth noting is Patagonia's use of recycled materials in many of it's products over recent years, with the company as a whole taking a strong lead and a healthy involvement in a number of environmental movements. .

Patagonia clothing is quite expensive for a relatively big, mainstream brand, and you're looking between 200 to 450 pounds for one of their jackets.

Patagonia clothing is available at the following Ski and Snow-sports Shops:

• Countryside

• Official Patagonia Website: www.patagonia.com

• Latest Patagonia Gear: Latest Patagonia Ski Clothing Collection

• If you like Patagonia then check out: Ski Wear Brands of USA