View Full Version : fleece jackets
I'm starting my no-bo thru-hike in march and am looking for a fleece jacket. there are just so many different fleeces out there, so if you have any suggestions or comments, the would all be very appreciated.
Appalachian Tater
10-09-2007, 19:57
I too started with a fleece jacket, it was a cheapy from that big hunting store chain. It was not very warm for the bulk and weight. If you can afford to get some sort of lightweight down or synthetic insulated jacket you will probably be happier with it than a cheap fleece.
This very minute I'm shopping for some sort of light down jacket or down sweater, wouldn't take fleece hiking again.
However, some other hikers had nice expensive fleece jackets and they were quite happy with them.
Toolshed
10-09-2007, 20:15
I Personally like a 200 weight Fleece jacket - windpro or wind challenger fleece with pit zips and pockets. It might be heavier, but it is much more versatile.
Once the weather warms up, I will switch to a standard 200 wt fleece (Not windproof) which is much lighter.
Skidsteer
10-09-2007, 20:37
Hit the thrift stores.
You can find and try fleece of all types at a huge cost savings.
Personally, the only fleece I carry is a hat and a $1.00(thrift store find)small, zippered couch cushion cover that makes a good pillow slip.
moondoggy
10-09-2007, 20:40
I've gotten most of my Fleece at Thrift stores too...It's been really hot here (DE) and the racks at the local thrift store had a good supply. Picked up three ust last week for $3.50-> $4.00 each.. two were LL Bean very heavy...
Appalachian Tater
10-09-2007, 21:02
A fleece primer:
http://www.backcountry.com/store/dc/484/fleece_guide.html?INT_ID=INT_PBNR9005
I agree, go with the thrift shop, you'll get a better fleece for $3 than you would for $20 and if you want to ditch it in a hiker box, you can. Heck, get two, so you'll have one to have mailed to you before you hit the Whites.
Thrift stores are the best place for fleece, and also other good jackets. I love the bathing suit section of the thrift stores though. That's just gross, people pee in pools.
there arent too many thrift stores in my area, but i do work at an REI and it doesnt open for another 2 weeks, which is killing me, because i want to buy quite a few things with my employee discount!
so basically what i wondering is if there are there any brands in specific that work well for you or anyone you know, not worrying about price, i am just looking too see what works well and what doesnt. this will hopefully put me in the right direction as for what to look for and not where to look for it.
Skidsteer
10-09-2007, 21:38
there arent too many thrift stores in my area, but i do work at an REI and it doesnt open for another 2 weeks, which is killing me, because i want to buy quite a few things with my employee discount!
so basically what i wondering is if there are there any brands in specific that work well for you or anyone you know, not worrying about price, i am just looking too see what works well and what doesnt. this will hopefully put me in the right direction as for what to look for and not where to look for it.
Dude. C'mon. Work with us here.
Google is the dirtbagger's friend:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/88444/the_top_three_thrift_shops_in_west.html
http://hartford.citysearch.com/yellowpages/directory/Hartford_CT/110/524/page1.html
http://hartford.citysearch.com/profile/2009941/west_hartford_ct/salvation_army.html
I agree - thrift stores (and related places ala Froogle) are a great source for quality, A1 fleece and other assorted outdoor goodies. I have Patagucci fleece that is thick and warm and paid the princely sum of $4! It is my town jacket of choice during the late fall to early winter.
But fleece can be bulky and fairly heavy. Not a deal breaker per se. Many of us (myself included) walked the AT in fleece.
In recent years, lightweight synthetic jackets have come out. Less bulky than fleece, as warm or warmer, considerably less weight. As you can see, they can be expensive for a dirt baggers budget:
http://www.google.com/products?q=primaloft+jacket&btnG=Search+Products&scoring=p
(Though the Lands End does not look like a bad deal!)
So what is a dirt bagger to do?
Get a quilted poly-nylon blend Army jacket liner! (http://www.google.com/products?q=army+jacket+liner&btnG=Search&show=dd&scoring=p)
A used one is $5-$10, a new one $10-$15
Fairly warm, fairly light and compressible. VERY CHEAP.
It is a good budget gear item, esp. for the price.
Something you may want to consider in any case.
take-a-knee
10-10-2007, 15:56
I would only consider a fleece if I expected conditions cold enough to wear it in the middle of the day with a pack on. No fleece will be warm enough for camp wear, you'll still need a "puffy" jacket also. I would choose 100 or 200 wt with a wind blocker liner. If you had a wearable quilt or bag (No Sniveler or Rock Wren) the fleece and a vest would take you down pretty low.
Appalachian Tater
10-10-2007, 15:56
A fleece with a rainjacket like a Marmot PreCip or similar is probably warm enough for camp with decent base layers.
A fleece with a rainjacket like a Marmot PreCip or similar is probably warm enough for camp with decent base layers.
Sounds about right. With the exception of later finishes (or earlier starts), the base layer/mid layer/rain wear combo works well for not just the AT, but for three-season backpacking in general.
If you are really cold? Get in the sleeping bag!
I'm starting my no-bo thru-hike in march and am looking for a fleece jacket. there are just so many different fleeces out there, so if you have any suggestions or comments, the would all be very appreciated.
Layers. I'd rather carry 2 light weight fleeces than one heavy fleece.
Depending on when you start, a mid weight fleece should be all you need in addition to something like a windshirt.
You only need 1 set of fleece, and it can be 100 or 200, but it should be the good stuff that absorbs very little water. Give it the bath tub test. Weigh yourself with the fleece on. Then lay down in the bath tub. Then stand up and give yourself a minute to drip dry with some squeezing and shaking. The bad stuff will still be heavy, and will only get worse over time. If it is the good stuff it will be amazingly dry after only one minute, and will last for years and years. Brand name or trade name alone is not enough to indicate the good stuff, but you will develop a feel for it. It should be kinda spongey, rather than towelly.
I like to mix wool with fleece and cheap light nylon. I wear the wool more or less continuously and keep the fleece and nylon as the packable extra layers. The fleece does need to be the 'good stuff' meaning that it must absorb as little water as possible even when totally emersed. This can be found in thrift stores if you are lucky. But if you are unlucky you can pay top dollar and still not get the good stuff. The nylon can be anything, as long as it is as cheap and light as possible. Most times these days it is too heavy and too expensive, but if you keep looking you can score something under 5oz for under $15, or there abouts. With any wool and good fleece, the wind and rain layers do not have to be exotic. They just have to be light. I prefer my wind layers to be plain nylon, which is good enough for wind and light rain. For real rain I use my syl-nylon poncho/tarp.
Layers. I'd rather carry 2 light weight fleeces than one heavy fleece.
Depending on when you start, a mid weight fleece should be all you need in addition to something like a windshirt.I would agree with that. I would prefer 100wt over 200wt, and then mix in some wool or skin layers. The exception is pants, where I think 200wt can be useful in winter. The most important thing though, whether 100wt or 200wt, is that it be the 'good stuff' meaning non water absorbing. I don't think the recycled stuff is any good, even when it is from Malden Mills or Stanfields. I think the Classic is the right stuff, but you have to feel it to be sure. I don't think the 'soft shell' or 'lambs wool' type polyester fleece is good for long trips, but it still makes a nice gift and can me nice to wear around town. It's tough for company's like Malden Mills and Stanfields, because if they only made the 'good stuff', which is awesome and lasts forever so you only need one set, they would be out of business. So they have to make the 'useless stuff' also. That's just the way it is.
I just had a mental image of someone with a fleece jacket, zipped to the chin, laying in a half full tub of water.
Mental genius today...
Spirit Walker
10-11-2007, 17:37
On the AT I wore a 200 (1st hike) or 300 (2nd hike) wt REI fleece jacket. I usually wear a 100 wt to hike in in the winter; it isn't enough for camp warmth.
The last couple of years I've used a Pategonia micropuff jacket, which is lighter and less bulky than the fleece jackets that are being produced these days. For winter use I pair that with a Marmot Driclime. Look for sales. It's amazing what you can find.
Appalachian Tater
10-11-2007, 17:45
One way to rule out really cheap fleece is to rub the material with your thumb inside the sleeve or somewhere un-noticeable, several times, hard. If it pulls or messes up, it's too cheaply-made to be very serviceable.
SW - how do you like the micro puff jacket?
NICKTHEGREEK
10-12-2007, 22:10
I'm starting my no-bo thru-hike in march and am looking for a fleece jacket. there are just so many different fleeces out there, so if you have any suggestions or comments, the would all be very appreciated.
Man you are way too young to embark on life dressed in a $3.00 wellfare store wardrobe like some hobo or street vagrant. Set your sights high and visit Beyond clothing.com to see what's out there in state of the art outerwear. It's never to early to start buying the best, it lasts and quality is never a bad value. If you can't afford it yet at least you'll know what good is and never be content with junk.
bajabackpacker
10-23-2007, 12:31
If you want to go fleece and have money to spend... Patagonia's regulator is pretty nice, it's something like 30% lighter than the average fleece, 40% more compressable, and 50% more breathable. Patagonia's down sweater is a nice lightweight 800 fill goose down that can pack up in its chest pocket down to the size of a softball and is super warm, like sweat instantly you put it on in a 70 degree room.
AT-HITMAN2005
10-23-2007, 15:16
check out the marmot dri-clime. pricey but effective, very breathable and water resistant. hiked with it on in falling snow and it did great.
the layers i had were: synthetic long underwear top, synthetic t-shirt, dri-clime and what turned out to be a fairly heavy gor-tex rain jacket but i got it on sale. was never cold but i think living in florida my whole has given me some kind of saved up heat or something. my wife will have all of this stuff plus an extra long-sleeve because she gets cold easy. sub a marmot precip in for the rain jacket though.
I prefer to separate the function of insulation and wind shell. I generally hike with the wind shell off, unless its really cold and windy or a light rain or drizzle. Furthermore I like a mix of wool and fleece, and wear the wool, and pack the fleece, unless its cold. So I generally hike with just the wool layer alone, and then add the fleece and wind shell when I get to camp. Thickness of layers varies with the season, but that is basically what I so Summer through Winter. For winter, when conditions might get down to 0F or even -30F, it would be nice to add a down layer, preferably a down long coat that could double as an overquilt.
For NOBO starting in march, which I have not done:
Something like:
8oz Merino Wool Sweater - $12-$20 at Mardens in Calais
10oz 100wt Fleece 1/4 zip - $20 at Stanfields Outlet in Truro, N.S.
6oz cheap light nylon wind layer - $12-$20 at L.L.Beans Factory Outlet
plus some Stanfields long wool underwear for some extra warmth when sleeping or if some extreme weather closes in, then ditch the underwear or mail them home when the warmer weather comes.
Jim Adams
10-23-2007, 16:40
smartwool undies, micro fleece top, wind pants and a driclime kept me comfortable in camp to 20*. combinations of the above for hiking. if I'm winter hiking, I will also take a light weight down jacket.
geek
I know they don't make long and light down coats for men, like they do for women, but I think they would be great as an extra winter layer for long trudges in cold snaps, and as an overquilt. They make them in China for women, but not in my size. Perhaps I will make one.
I don't have much use for down for temperatures above 20F, except for a sleeping bag. Above 20F I find the combination of all the other layers is sufficient not to require an extra layer of down, and having to care for it. Below 20F is where I think an extra down layer of clothing would start to pay off.
I don't have much use for down for temperatures above 20F, except for a sleeping bag. Above 20F I find the combination of all the other layers is sufficient not to require an extra layer of down, and having to care for it. Below 20F is where I think an extra down layer of clothing would start to pay off.
I tend to agree.
A down coat is for winter camping basically.
I find that even in winter, a down coat is usually much too warm for me when moving, however.
RockStar
10-23-2007, 20:09
Someone may have already said this but, I found something new I am going to try made by Arctic Shield.http://cgi.ebay.com/ARCTIC-SHIELD-1-4-Zip-Pullover-NWT_W0QQitemZ260172762875QQihZ016QQcategoryZ52509Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It is amde for hunters with an anti-odor something or other. Sure it will get funky eventually but, thats just a bonus. I want ti b/c of the 1/4 zip and I hate the feel of fleece.
If I had the money I would get the Buffalo Teclite shirt instead of fleece http://www.jackson-sports.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1552
I like that it has a hood. From what the guys here say the jacket is suppose to fit very snug and the hood as well, thus I can ditch the Balaclave and just use a bandana to go over my mouth when needed. I like my ears being warm, but the balaclava is a bit much for me.
River Runner
10-24-2007, 20:12
Fleece is okay, but heavy for the warmth and doesn't compress much in the pack. I've upgraded to insulated (primaloft) jackets and am very happy with the warmth for the weight, and it compresses very well.
I also like lightweight wool base layers, which work for me in a wider range of temperatures than fleece layers. Although I do have to say I have one brand of fleece shirts that I really like if its extra cold, when I layer them over the wool and under the primaloft jacket. (Black Diamond).
I haven't had a chance to test them much yet (not cold enough), but the Cocoon pants from backpackinglight.com seem very warm for the weight.
Personally I prefer synthetic insulation over down for a jacket due to the greater possibility of getting it wet, and with since I use a down sleeping bag, it's extra insurance just in case my bag would get wet.
take-a-knee
10-24-2007, 20:47
I have a hooded primaloft jacket from REI that weighs one pound even. I'd judge it's loft at about a half inch, a little more than 300 wt fleece for about half the weight and I don't think it would take much longer to dry it by a fire than the fleece. Nowhere near as rugged though. A good fleece wears like scrap iron.
Nowhere near as rugged though. A good fleece wears like scrap iron.
Always a tradeoff it seems. Light vs. durability.
Depending on what you are doing, one aspect may be more important than another. Susepct there is a reason why pepole don't use primaloft jackets to muck out a barn. :)
I like my ears being warm, but the balaclava is a bit much for me.
I agree. Balaclava is good for sleeping. Too hot for daytime use unless it is damn cold, like below zero. For hiking, all I need is an ear wamer band. Even when I was shaving my head, I could hike well below 20* and something like this is all I ever needed:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39182929&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
My wife likes these, but they are too small for my large head:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39220688&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
Where I think a long lightweight down overcoat would be interesting would be on a long slow trudge in extreme cold and wind and blowing snow, where you are moving slowly to conserve energy, and not covering much ground but still have a need to travel. Normally you would just hunker down in such conditions and wait for it to blow over, but sometimes moving slow with all your clothes on is a viable option. Depends on the food situation also. If you were rationing food while travelling, which is a dumb thing to do in winter but might happen if you got slowed down by storm or injury or a broken ski, then the down longcoat would be an interesting piece of kit to have.
re: Balaclava being too much
But that is the BEAUTY of the balaclava. It can be rolled up for a hat, rolled appropriately for use an ear or neck warmer, extended down for all weather protection. In short, it is a very useful and versatile hat.
I like my equipment to be multi-functional when possible. The balaclava does that in an awesome way. (Though, the baclava is still by far tastier. :D)
As always, just my opinion, YMMV, my .02 worth, etc. etc. etc.
Agree strongly with suggestion to go with Marmot DriClime. Light, packable, versatile. If you can dig up an old Patagonia Zephur (lighter, slimmer), better yet. This type of jacket beats a fleece in every way.