Blake Posted February 6, 2005 Posted February 6, 2005 (edited) Second Layer/Light Shell: A light shell layer that is breathable, yet windproof will add a surprising amount of warmth without compromising freedom of movement. Hard Shell or Soft Shell in design, it is important that this layer does not include fleece or other wicking or insulating materials. These materials will only prevent your base layer from performing optimally and reduce the versatility of your system. that's from the pro mountain sports webpage... do you all find that to be accurate? How does have fleece on prevent your polypro or other synthetic 1st layer from working well? Am I a fool for owning and using fleece on almsot every outing? Edited February 6, 2005 by Blake Quote
Dru Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 fleece is outdated i have several fleece jackets and i hardly ever wear them anymore, because there always seems to be another jacket that works better. fleece - not as windproof or waterproof as softshell or hardshell -heavier, less packable and not as warm as lightweight syntho insulated jacket -looks 80s/90s, unfashionable so basically if you are wearing fleece there is something else you could be wearing that would do a better job disclaimer i never worked in a gear store or took a NOLS course so i know nothing! Quote
Blake Posted February 7, 2005 Author Posted February 7, 2005 What about when active? I wear a fleece jacket over a synthetic baselayer when doing cold weather stuff. I also like it for dry/cool conditions (like summer alpine nights) I don't think that a synthetic insulated jacket would be as good for these things. Quote
Dru Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 A syntho jacket like the Patagonia Puffball or MEC Northern Light is BETTER than fleece under those conditions. Except it is not as abrasion resistant. When active you generate your own heat and don't need a fleece on top you will just sweat. Quote
Blake Posted February 7, 2005 Author Posted February 7, 2005 What about when you need some insulation under a goretex type hardshell or a softshell? I don't mean frequent breaks of a few minutes (throw on belay jacket outside everything) but prolonged periods. Would you just stick the synth. insulated jacked under the soft/hard shell? I guess all fleece has over synthetic insulation is breathability and abrasion durability. Maybe you are right in that the breathability is a non-factor because at that point you should jsut take it off. Quote
Dru Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 yes and i have found syntho is actually more breathable than fleece too. Quote
terrible_ted Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 I only wear my fleece jacket when I'm out working in my shop or on my yard. Although it's a bit bulky, I don't have to worry about getting glue or paint on it. The only fleece I still carry on climbs is an old balaclava and some extra camp gloves. I'm anxiously awaiting my new beyondfleece jacket... -t Quote
Jens Posted February 8, 2005 Posted February 8, 2005 Oh but the North Face fleece jackets have become the rage in the last 3 months with the urban teenagers. North face stuff (coats, bookbags, etc.) was trendy with the kids about 4-5 years and then abruptly fell off the radar completely. And since about thanksgiving they can't keep em' in stock. Don't believe me?-go to southcenter mall on a Friday night. ___ And the funny thing is, in my opinion a lot of the north face gear is way better than many of the "climbers brands" (mountain hardware, etc.) Quote
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