I live in Northern California. As warm as it gets, the coast can be cool, if not cold, year round. Spring, summer and fall evenings require a jacket. Add in fog and wind, and you are suddenly in need of a jacket that can handle everything, pack down small, and still look good. In winter, there could be a need for insulation all day. We can’t walk around looking like the Michelin Man or like we stepped out of a camping catalog – there’s always a chance we will be hiking and then find ourselves in a nice restaurant with oysters and a nice rosé. (Don’t laugh, that’s a thing.) 
The Patagonia Nano Puff jacket is the perfect NorCal outerwear.
There’s a reason why you see Nano Puff covering outdoorsy people all over The West: It repels all but the heaviest rain, blocks the wind, and packs up into the size of a softball. It’s perfect for skiing, camping, hiking, early morning surf checks, or wandering San Francisco on those summer evenings when you need to fend off 30mph fog. We have several in our household and we use them all year. I have owned mine for more than five years and it shows no sign of wear. These jackets are not cheap – but they’re totally worth the investment.
by Paul Puntous, December 2016
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Keywords: family vacation, family travel, travel with kids, best family travel bags, best family travel gear, gifts for family travelers, travel gifts, best travel jacket, best san francisco jacket, patagonia jacket, nano puff, patagonia nano puff
