Patagonia is a company with a huge workforce and environmental ethical code that most other companies could only dream of.
Through the whole of their supply chain they will only deal with suppliers where they can go to the farm or plant where the material is sourced and speak to the employees directly. As for the environmental ethos the range and depth of involvement is truly inspiring and well worth a read on their website, just to see what companies are capable of if they truly do want to.
Small note they took on the U.S government over a development plan that the administration wanted to push through and won!
The Patagonia Peak Mission Tights are a form fitting tight, so it holds the muscle rather than a full compression tight that squeezes. They are made from soft, breathable recycled nylon/polyester/elastane blend which gives soft, next to skin comfort and increased wicking during high intensity efforts. It also has HeiQ pure odour control in the fabrics. This Swiss technology lasts the lifetime of the fabric itself and has amazing environmental credentials in its own right (again well worth a look at when you’ve got five minutes).
They have a brushed terry backing delivering extra warmth and comfort. There is a secure pocket in the centre back that is quite small but will hold a house/car key or bank card while two larger pockets on the upper thigh areas can hold a mobile phone or other larger items. There are reflective details for night time running visibility.
The tights have a total weight of 215g.
On taking the Patagonia Peak Mission Tights out of the package that arrived in I could see the attention to detail that had been put in to the construction and materials. The stitching is a flat seam that helps to reduce chafing and the terry backing is not a big thick pile but almost looks like it is embossed into fabric itself. When they come out of the pack I definitely thought there is no way I’m fitting in those without being arrested moment. They do seriously stretch thankfully. They are the Peak Mission 28”, now I have a 33” inside leg and there may be a bit of ankle showing but they are not capri short by any means which is a good thing as these are for cooler to cold weather running.
I have taken them out in moderately cold, cold, wet and cold and wet conditions, most of these occurred on the same day and they performed exceptionally well. When wet they dry quickly and don’t weigh themselves down to between your knees – they also retain the warmth even when wet.
The waist band sits comfortably and with the drawstring gives you a nice personalised fit. The fit throughout the rest of the tight does support the muscle groups nicely helping to stabilise the quads as you descend without cutting off the circulation. They also wash well and after a cold, short cycle came out looking as new.
They were dry and ready to go by the next morning.
The one area that I am a little unsure of is the pockets on the leg for larger items, there is no actual closure to the top and they are quite large. I found it held my phone a little too easily for comfort and did have the feeling that on steep technical ascents it could slide out of them. A small tab of Velcro or similar would just give a little peace of mind. Other than this very small point I have been very impressed with their performance. A small amount of stitching has parted on the lower inside left leg on one of the seams which was unfortunate but otherwise they are showing no signs of wear even with the rough terrain that I have taken them through.
Review by Steven Coles
Patagonia
Peak Mission Tights 28”
£115
