Patagonia R1 Vest ??

Well I can't vouch for your body warmth, but personally I never needed active insulation beyond my baselayer for a hike where the low at night would be above 30* F. I have tried a possumdown vest for hiking in 20-40* F weather, but found it too hot most of the time.

I've used two baselayers when the hiking temperature was 20-40* F and was often too hot/sweaty in that set-up. I've found that a windshirt does as good of a job of retaining body heat as a second base layer, and is more versatile because you can vent it when too hot.

I do have a very thin montbell thermawrap vest that I wear while hiking in <30* F weather on occasion, and don't feel like it's too warm when I'm active because I can always unzip the front to vent off heat, and because it's a vest, there is no heat accumulation in the pits. As opposed to the possumdown vest, it's very loose and easy to open up to vent.

Sorry I could have been clearer but was waiting for a train and using my phone….

If I used it as a active mid layer it would be in temps around 20-40 F and probably blowing sideways rain…. not fun I know but it happens in our alpine environs. I'd still have my puffy for camp etc.

As an insulation layer it would only be in summer as opposed to taking my FF Daybreak as it's just overkill for lows of 50 F.

I've been eyeing off the R1 style fleece stuff for a while now and am interested in the feasibility of a R1 vest. From what I have read the R1 stuff is better while active over a nylon shelled synthetic puffy ?? No experience though.

Any chance of cool weather and my windshirt gets dragged along, sometimes though I'll even wet out the windshirt with sweat on a steep climb but I'm cold without.

Not sure if a fleece vest would do any better ??

I can't speak to the vest directly, but I wore my R1 hoody as an only layer last weekend in ~30F temps with relatively high winds on Mt. Washington and it felt perfect while moving over hard terrain on the ascent and descent. During parts of the ascent I had the 1/2 zip down most of the way and the sleeves rolled up above my wrists. While traversing easy terrain near the summit, however, I added an R2 jacket.

Based on this experience I'd guess that a good base layer, an R1 vest, and a beanie would have been a great compromise for both the easy and hard terrain.

Hope this helps!

Itll work fine for on the move

For camp as yr main insulation … That depends how mych hair you have on yr chest … I would personally want something a bit more

Note that a cheap 100 wt fleece will work just as well and be much cheaper … Or a r1 knockoff at half to a third the price

I know nothing of the vest but know I wouldn't need insulation at 50 unless it was quite windy. I'm fine down to 40 in the Rockies with just my BPL Thorofare "base layer" and DriDucks (used as a wind shirt/pants). If I was going to be putzing around a long time at 40 and windy I'd add my true base layer, Capilene 3/4 (what I sleep in).

I haven't experienced your rain situation yet.