Fleece hoodie…R1 or something else

I was looking through some old threads last night on fleece choices. I would suggest doing a search. There are a number of companies that use the same Polartec Power Dry Grid that is used in the R1.

For instance, MEC has their own line of Polartec tops and bottoms. The military even has a silkweight (L1) and grid fleece (L2) top and bottom layers as part of their ECWCS system; no hood, but made in the USA and can be found for very cheap as surplus.

Melanazna and Foxwear will also make you a range of garments using many of the Polartec fabrics, including the grid.

Opinion time!

I have an R1 hoodie purchased new about 5 years ago.  The fit is very tight, not very comfortable.  Frankly, I wish I had not bought it.  I occasionally use it in the winter when XC skiing.  Otherwise it hangs in the closet.  Weight is 11.4 ounces.

Much more comfy is the Melanzana Micro Grid pullover.  Much looser fit than the R1 but certainly not baggy.  Purchased about 4 years ago.  Weight is 9.9 ounces.

The vast majority of the time I carry a ~10 year old Patagonia Synchilla full zip, no hoodie.  Looks like their catalog no longer has the zip model, only pullovers.  Weight is 11.5 ounces.

All the above are men’s size medium.

You have limited options on hoodies but you may look at some European brands for additional options.

First off the R1 has spandex in it that standard fleece does not. This may or may not be an issue to you.

My wife and I both have R1 pullovers and my wife also has an R1 jacket. While we use them quite a bit at home (my wife practically lives in hers) we rarely use them in the backcountry.

In the backcountry I prefer classic 100wt fleece. I have 3 pullovers, one from Rab, one from Mountain Hardwear, and one from Lands End. The one from lands end is the one that most often finds its way into my pack.

I also have some grid fleeces, a very dense 100wt thickness one from Lowe Alpine and a Pullover from Melanzana. The Melanzana is very comfortable (I wear it a lot around the house) but is different than the R1. The grid is on the outside with the inside being fuzzy and brushed. The grids are smaller and it is a bit thinner overall. It is 100% polyester and has no spandex. It doesn’t have a polartec tag but is supposed to be a polartec fleece. I don’t think they do custom work but I wish they would. I would like a simple Thermal Pro vest and have had problems finding one.

Well from the sound of it I may be a little off track here with an R1.

I too will carry a 100wt fleece or I will take my MH thermostatic which I really like for some trips but no hood on either one. I have an older set of EMS grid fleece thermals and sometimes will wear the top as described above and that too works nicely. That is the material I was thinking of when I started looking for a hoodie. It has some stretch to it but not so much super clingy on my skinny frame. Again no hood. Maybe I should be hunting up some material and a cheapo fleece from the good will store to tear apart and make a template for use with the material of my choice for a MYOG project. Imagine someone making you a custom sewn hoodie as described above, what material would you want.

I found the R1 pretty limited in use. Great for on the move stuff in very (very) cold weather. On the other hand, my Cap 4 (now Expedition) hoodie sees a lot of use- all four seasons (albeit less in summer).

The thumb loops are handy, the hood is near perfect and deep zipper for venting. I’ve worn mine enough it’s getting little holes here and there; found a good sale and scooped up a spare to wait in the wings.

Jack’s suggestion of Polartec is a good clue worth following. I don’t have an “upper” garment made of Polartec but do have some stretchy Marmot pants which are warm and comfy. They are fairly tight fitting, though, and would not be suitable for a second layer imo; too much of a struggle to pull over anything but a very thin tight base layer. Don’t know what might be available in a looser cut for a jacket. Maybe someone knows of a Polartec camp jacket?

For stop and go winter activities (climbing) or if its really cold the R1 works fine

however for sustained winter hiking/snowshooeing its a tad warm .. The cap4 is probably a better choice …

But these are primarily ACTIVE layers … They dont add too much warmth in static use

Unless yr going high output you probably wont notice too much difference between a R1 an yr 100 wt … Itll be a bit more breathable .. Just add a beenie

however yr wife might need a bit more insulation as women tend to run cold … So thr R1 might work for her

;)

for a warmer hooded fleece, look at the Rab Novak- no personal experience, but Dave C has been pretty impressed with it- his thoughts here:

https://bedrockandparadox.com/2016/06/11/rab-novak/

By the way, this was the related thread that I was looking at last night:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/83803/#comments

Eric Chan and others dropping some serious knowledge in there; watch out :)

Thanks once again for all for the great feedback. I will sift through all of this and be better off for it in making a purchase.

Another vote for the Patagonia Cap 4 (now Expedition)  thermal weight hoodie

I mistakenly bought an R1 last year wanting a warm hiking layer. Wore it once and never again, it’s simply too hot for anything I’ll hike in (20’s and up). I grabbed a Patagonia Thermal Weight Hoodie (above is correct, Thermal = Cap 4) and it is a dream. If it’s in the high 30’s my Houdini goes over it and I vent accordingly. The fleece has almost no wind resistance which is actually awesome. That’s what the wind shirt or hard shell is for. When you do need to cool off, just let some air in and the wind will get right to your skin. The hood is also wonderful. It’s just tight enough to fit under my EB downlight hoodie if it’s really cold in camp. The combo is like an oven for my head.

I have the most recent version of the R1 hoody and find it great for cold weather active use, but then I live in Scotland. I wear it hillwalking and climbing in some fairly extreme conditions, and have slept in it on many occasion. It is a fairly close technical fit, though according to Patagonia this recent version is a little looser that pre-2015 models. I can easily fit a baselayer underneath, but nothing else. Personally I would prefer slightly looser fit, but that would most likely compromise on the thermal properties. It doesn’t block the wind – which is a good thing when you’re active, but it means you’d need a wind shell too. The hood is very technical – great for blowing snow etc but casual wear it ain’t. It really depends what you’re looking for. I think the R1 is great for quite specific uses, such as climbing, cool/cold weather hikes etc, but I wouldn’t say it’s a warm weather garment or an all rounder really. Why not try it out for yourself? You can return it if the fit etc isn’t your cup of tea.

Also, +1 for a 100 weight fleece. They come cheap, are still lightweight, and are available in more forgiving styles. I have a Kathmandu hoody that I wear all the time. R<span style=”line-height: 1.8;”>ab makes excellent clothing and they have a number of lightweight hoodies in their range, including grid fleeces. I’d also look at the Haglofs L.I.M. hoodies and maybe Montane (eg Fury).</span>

Unless this layer will be used while active in very cold weather, I would skip it. An insulated jacket is a much better choice for sitting around.

“Unless this layer will be used while active in very cold weather, I would skip it. An insulated jacket is a much better choice for sitting around.”

I would say this would depend on the conditions, Jeff. If you are likely to meet wet conditions then a fleece is a much better and safer option. It will retain some warmth while wet, and will dry quickly – neither which applies to an insulated jacket. I always carry an ultralight insulated jacket but a fleece is my main midlayer. Also, unless it’s very cold an insulated jacket is way too warm for when you’re active, especially as it doesn’t breathe. A fleece is light and breathable enough to wear while active, as well as in camp, and it layers well under a wind shell. But for cool dry conditions, yes, an insulated jacket can’t be beaten for wearing around camp or for rest stops.

^ agreed- certainly nice for cold weather outings; but well worth packing for wet or iffy weather

+1 Patagonia cap 4 (thermal). It is my go to base layer.

Also like others have said if wet conditions threaten a classic 100 wt fleece does wonders. I too have an R1 that never gets used in the back country, it is a great layer for around town use though. Lots of good info here.

Fleece and insulated garments need to be considered as compliments and not substitutes. Review the CLO chart Richard Nisley put together. Insulation is too hot for active use in all but the coldest conditions. Fleece is great for active in colder conditions but has a comparably much lower CLO so it won’t do much for you in camp by itself. When considering them as compliments to one another, the weight seems like a no brained. Carrying a light insulated jacket allows you to carry a lighter fleece as they can be layered in camp. Furthermore, the lighter fleece (I.E. Cap Thermal weight) is way more practical for active use since you shouldn’t overheat in it. Proper layering is king. In colder weather it makes perfect sense to have both in my eyes. And this is already in addition to rain gear and a wind shell.

2 things worth mentioning (ive mentioned them before in other threads)

– snug thinner fleeces (cap4/t2) are less than ideal for sustained wet conditions where nothing will dry …. there isnt as much as an air gap as regular fleece and the snugness pushes the wet cloth against the skin/base increasing the contact area

– for sustained wet conditions, especially above freezing … thermal pro fleece is the “best”, followe by classic fleece for the above reasons … get it “regular” (not tight) fit … for wet conditions the fuzzier the inside the better

a few little tricks …

– with a thin down sweater and a “regular” fit fleece you can often wear the fleece OVER the down in camp … allowing for better moisture management

– at night you can zip up the fleece and put it over the foot end of your bag/quilt … this prevents internal and external condensation

– at night you can also put the fleece over your head on cold nights and breath through it … this increases the felt “warmth” and prevents cold faces

– if your regular fit fuzzy fleece gets wet simply wring it out, put it on … and start excercising or doing chores to the point where its warm but not overheated … the body warmth will dry it to damp rather than wet

a fleece is actually the fastest insulating ayer to dont when hiking … since its so durable you can simply strap it to the top of your pack or stuff it in a mesh pocket … if its wet at least you dont need to worry too much about getting it damp when taking it in and out of the pack

for climbers without packs, simply tie it bandolier style around the shoulder/neck

;)

I’ve been really happy with the haglofs powerdry hood. Its basically like the Patagonia thermal weight, very light breathable polartec grid fleece, except its got a full zip, thumb loops and a better hood, and it weighs a touch less. The cut is longer and thinner, too. Eric has a good point thermal pro and traditional fleece being better in sustained moisture, but in the rockies, I pretty pretty rarely encounter those conditions, and when I do I can usually fudge it without much shivering. If I lived in the PNW, I’d probably bring a thermal pro about half the year.

What I like about the powerdry hood is that it can function as a second base layer or as a mid. Between the open weave and the full zip, its breathable enough to wear alone on warmer days, but it also functions well on colder days or at night as a mid. A regular fleece is just a little too warm for hiking, and not warm/light enough for camp for me to justify bringing. Between the haglofs and a montbell ex-light anorak I’ve got warmth on the move, a versatile mid, backup base and a puffy for camp and breaks for 13oz, less than the weight of most traditional fleeces.

There seems to be different weights of thermal pro – big thick ‘high loft’ varieties like that used by Melanzana in their High Loft Hoody, and various thinner ones, some of which have the appearance of a grid fleece. Bit confusing really.

There seems to be different weights of thermal pro

I noticed this last night looking at some MH offerings of hooded fleece. What makes it difficult for me is that I have to judge weight of insulation by total garment weight. So much of what is offered is not available in brick and mortars near me for close inspection.

I have gone through the effort of ordering, selecting and sending back multiple items to get the one I want but unless its a high dollar item that’s gonna be with me for the long run I find it a PITA. For the light weight hooded fleece layer I need I am leaning toward Eric’s advise of sticking with a simple, fairly inexpensive, and low tech hoodie. I get caught up in trying to find the best options when at times optimum performance may not even enter the equation given the level of activity we generally encounter BPing.

Money saved goes to traveling to new places to explore.

as long as its fluffy like a bunny and fuzzy like a bear on the inside its fine for wet conditions …

serge is correct that a grid fleece is more breathable …

everything is a matter of tradeoffs

;)

It looks as if Mountain Equipment has 3 different weight Thermal Pro fleeces (Diablo hoody, Litmus and Touchstone):

http://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/mens-outdoor-clothing?class=59

Also, Patagonia now has a full zip lightweight Synchilla with a hood:

http://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-lightweight-synchilla-snap-t-hoody/25462.html?dwvar_25462_color=NUVG&cgid=mens-fleece#start=1