Fleece options for wet weather

Fleece is underated by most BPLers here … I would venture to say that most dont do high excertion activities in cold wet weather or winter conditions

many top athletes use a light fleece layer … Colon haley the premier american alpinist uses a simple fleece and windshirt for his ascents … And as a patagucci sponsored bum he has the pick of yuppie clothing

my marmot fleece has seen me down to -20C when active .. Breathes like darth vader… And dries quick enuff that it doesnt freeze over

you have to have sweated in a down or even nylon puffy midlayer an have it freeze into a nice arcteryx ice sculpture to appreciate the versatility of a good fleece

Actually, Darth Vader has a bit of a breathing problem. ; )

Down has its place, Primaloft too, and fleece, especially.

My circa 2004-5 hi-loft R3 pullover (to which I've grafted an R2 hood) is a fantastic layer for this time of year, when rain often transitions to snow and back again.

never mind… to slow on the trigger.

Dr. Chan spake, "you have to have sweated in a down or even nylon puffy midlayer an have it freeze into a nice arcteryx ice sculpture to appreciate the versatility of a good fleece"

Yeah, cross-country skiing, sweating like Trevi fountain, walrus ice fangs hanging off my mustache, close to home and the sun sets. Cccccccold!

Or just commuting in 35F rain and wind. Nothing like a good fleece and a breathable/vented rain shell.

Anyway, I'm liking my find. Someone needs to make some really fluffy stuff like this. Maybe I can rub the dog and get a good static charge.

I'm noting that folk from BC, Washington and Western Montana have a different take on layering than the Sierra and High Rocky-ites do. Am I wrong?

I like fleece, especially for winter. I need to find a lighter fleece though. I used a pat 3 capilene and a rei muir woods fleece jacket on shasta and it was just a little too much. I was able to unzip the the fleece to regulate temp, but it was a little too heavy.

I like your new jacket. I have the 300 wt fleece from the ECWCS system, but am not crazy that it wastes fabric due to its loose fit. Hopefully I'll be able to find a smoking deal too.

They making smoking jackets too?

I do think fleece has a place in UL backpacking. For all the reasons stated above.

I take one during the fall through spring, when the temps are colder and the weather nastier.

I however do not like the windstopper fleece, it just don't breath well enough. When I stop for a break I can throw on a windproof jacket over it to help hold in the heat.

I love Thermal Pro and used to love my R2 that was made of it. Just looking for something like that in a XLT now though as no one makes one in the hairy version of Thermal Pro. And you are right that with a shell it keeps you very warm.

Fleece is great. I wear a fleece sweater (or bring a fleece sweater) for every day trip I take. Because I live in Seattle, I do a bunch of day trips. This includes hiking, snow shoeing or cross country skiing. Fleece breathes really well and can take a fair amount of moisture.

The only drawback is that it isn't warm for the weight. So, for backpacking, I switch to a puffy jacket. This means it doesn't breath as well, but I just slow down while backpacking.

For winter, I combine the two. I wear my fleece on the way up (when I'm sweating) and layer with the puffy jacket when I stop (or when I ski down).

'm noting that folk from BC, Washington and Western Montana have a different take on layering than the Sierra and High Rocky-ites do. Am I wrong?

I can't speak for everyone in the Rockies, but I really like fleece when I expect to be on the move in cold, wet weather. My favorite layering piece is a simple zip-T neck Polartec 100 pullover weighing 7.7 oz. On my past three trips, it came in really useful while hiking through storms of sleet and heavy, wet snow. But I also carry a puffy insulated layer for use in camp.

Take a look at Patagonia's R2 fleece jacket. My XL weighs an honest 16 ounces and compresses better than other standard similar fleece. It uses a special type of fleece to maintain warmth and increase compressibility.

A good W/B shell and quality mid weight fleece has been a system I've tried to get away from for years. :-) But nothing else seems works quite as well or is as dependable and versatile.

oh my … so many fleecephilies coming out of the UL closet at once !!!

+1 to Dondo for cold rain. I went on a trip last week expecting exactly these conditions, but it ended up being 70 degrees and no rain go figure.