Down Jacket vs. Fleece Jacket

[Transient Being]

What kind of jacket do you use? Down or fleece? Or other?

[Ekul]

MT hardware primaloft. owned for 3 years and have bought a second. favorite jacket. 3year old one is 15* degree different from new one. good with tshirt down to 30* new.

[Transient Being]

Thanks Ekul

Man, I forgot to add denim as one of the poll choices. :)

[garlic08]

Other. For three season thru hiking, I use a Marmot Driclime windshirt. I have down for winter trips.

[Ramble~On]

I'll take down any day of the week for warmth, weight, size but for all seasons, I use a combination of both.

[SGT Rock]

I have used a field jacket liner for years. Just got a down jacket to try.

[Lone Wolf]

What kind of jacket do you use? Down or fleece? Or other?

fleece. 23 years now

[bigcranky]

Down or synthetic puffy jacket for cold weather. I have several, and choose the appropriate jacket for the season.

For the same weight, a down jacket is warmer and compresses smaller than a fleece jacket. It's also more wind resistant.

[JAK]

wool sweater

[daddytwosticks]

Other...Montbell Therma wrap.

[SmokyMtn Hiker]

I have been using fleece, but I received a Mont Bell down jacket as a valentine gift from the wife. I can't wait to try it out.

[kyhipo]

well have not done any long hikes in a few yrs just little 150 milers,but when out on the pct-wandering hike for 4 months I liked my wool sweater and fleece jacket.ky

[Frick Frack]

Moonstone down sweater/jacket or my GoLite primaloft vest (excellent).

[Hoop]

Wool/down

[Cabin Fever]

North Face Apex Bionic Soft Shell and North Face Hyvent DT Rain Coat

[George]

all of above or none at all, like every item of gear it depends when, where and how long is the hike

[skinewmexico]

Down. Wins on volume and warmth.

[Spirit Walker]

I've used fleece for a lot of years, but switched to a synthetic jacket a few years ago when I found one on sale (Pategonia micro-puff). It's less bulky, though I'm not sure that it's as warm as my 300 wt fleece. I loved my fleece and still wear it for every day hiking - just not on long hikes.

[xnav]

Fleece. One lightweight and one mid-weight. Wear them both in the winter.

[Kerosene]

I always bring fleece, and a down sweater when I anticipate temperatures below 25F. Above 25F I can get by with a combination of long underwear, fleece, skullcap, and lightweight fleece.

[Blissful]

Depends on the temps.

Cold - down

Mildy cold - Montbell thermawrap

Summer- fleece

[jersey joe]

Fleece still works pretty well when wet, which it will inevitably be on a thru hike.

[Thrasher]

I recently got a wool pullover to try out. So, wool for now.

[Wags]

for sitting around in camp and doing nothing and not touching anything - down

for any kind of activity or any event where i actually may touch the fabric on somethign sharper than my elbow - fleece

[Red Hat]

montbell down since it's lighter, more compact, and warmer than my fleece ever was

[theinfamousj]

I started with a REI Gossamer Jacket (with hood and attached sleeves). I jokingly called it my Miracle Jacket and inspired others to buy one, themselves. Then, someone lifted mine from the back of a chair I hung it on.

So I switched, on the advice of WB members, to the Mountain Hardware Compressor jacket. A bit (I mean teensy, tiny bit) heavier, but still awesome.

Both jackets are incredibly warm ... more so than a comparable weight in fleece. Both jackets can get wet (not so for down). The REI one was a bit more water resistant. The Mt. Hardware one has a better hood fitting system. Both are comfy enough to sleep in. Mt. Hardware folds up into its pocket (fleece on the outside) to become a pillow for sleeping ON as well. A jacket comes with me on every single trip no matter what the season.

My layers go: (base) Nike Drifit t-shirt / (if dead of winter and freezing) REI-brand Underarmor long sleeve shirt
windproof fleece from REI
jacket
rain poncho if pouring / not needed if just misting as jacket is water resistant

[Wags]

i tried on a compressor jacket, it did feel absolutely great. however the zipper got stuck on my 1st zip :( had to put it back

[Strategic]

DYI PrimaloftOne and Momentum90 jacket based on the Maxima (http://thru-hiker.com/kits/maxima_kit.php) design from Thru-Hiker. It's served me very well in place of the traditional 200wt. fleece, since it has some wind resistance of it's own (though I still carry a Dri Ducks shell for serious wind and water.) It weighs in at 12oz. for my size (close fitting 40 regular, like a fleece) with a light zip. I requilted two layers of the 1.8oz PrimaloftOne to remove two scrim layers (saving 1.6oz) and getting more even loft. It's good down to about 25* without a shell in most conditions, maybe 10* with a shell and mid-weights over the base layer (plus fleece hat and gloves, naturally.)

[take-a-knee]

REI Primaloft Gossamer jacket or a Patagonia Puffball vest over a Patagonia fleece hoody(11oz) that I got dirt cheap from Sierra Trading Post. The hoody is lighter and warmer than the R1 everybody raves about.

I'm thinking the ultimate modular setup is a vest with a removable hood and sleeves, down or synthetic. JRB already sells down sleeves/hood and Kifaru sells a synthetic set.

[Blue Jay]

I'm surprised by the results. Have you ever had a piece of down equipment get wet. It becomes worthless. It rains even in dry years. I have a fleece pullover I found in a shelter on my first LD hike. I now call it my battle coat as it is my only rain gear. It can be soaked and cold and I can hike in anything over freezing. When I get to camp I hang it up, most of the water drains off and by morning it's not dry but is warm in seconds.

[theinfamousj]

I'm thinking the ultimate modular setup is a vest with a removable hood and sleeves, down or synthetic.

After the initial Gossamer with attached sleeves and hood, the next version featured detachable sleeves but no hood.

Had REI been smart, they would have continued their gossamer line and put the hood back, detatchably. Then it would have been your ultimate modular setup.

[Tipi Walter]

Fleece or Down? Both. My outer layer is a Arcteryx Delta polartec fleece jacket. Just one component to a winter layering system. The "extreme" outer layer is a Nupste down jacket. Gotta have both when the temps dip to zero or below.

[bulldog49]

Patagonia MicroPuff pullover.

Fleece jackets are too bulky and heavy. There are times I need to wear my jacket around camp in damp wet weather and I don't have to be concerned like I would with a down jacket. It dries very rapidly and keeps me warm even when wet.

[summitnh]

Montbell down inner jacket is my favorite of all time