Let's discuss fleece

[snowplow]

Hi guys, I am thinking about picking up another fleece. It got me thinking about weight or thickness. Pretty much all the 'northface' style fleeces I have seem to be made out of material that is basically the same thing and the same thickness. I dont know if this is called synthetic fleece, or microfleece or what. But its definitely not what you find lining the jean jackets in cigarette commercials.

So, is it all the same? What do I need to know before I shop for fleeces?

 

[COlineman78]

Get the Halstead and don't look back. The nice part is that the outer layer isn't all that fuzzy so you don't get a bad sticker problem and the grid interior increases breathability. Also, I believe it has a DWR coating which helps.

 

[5MilesBack]

To my knowledge fleece has three different weights. I know of 100, 200, and 300.......probably identifies it as the weight per square yard or something like that, so a 300 would be 3 times as heavy as a 100. Just guessing on that one.

I have pretty much all three weights in several different pieces. I would guess that most "fleece" is probably the 200 weight. The 300 I have is pretty fluffy stuff. I also have some microfleece mock-T's that I love. Not sure if those are 100 weight or even thinner, but they're great for high activity level stuff in the cold over a merino base.

 

[PantherCity]

I bought a brown PCU level 2 off ebay and I really like it. New in package and about $30 I think. It is the grid fleece like the Firstlite halstead.

The PCU stuff is a military layering system and this is the only piece from that system that I have experience with. As good as this piece is, I might check out some more of the other layers.

 

[elkyinzer]

I'm a huge fan of fleece. Packability is it's biggest downside as it doesn't compress like down or primaloft. But compared to those it is so much more comfortable, quiet, durable, and doesn't feel clingy when wet. You don't have to baby it like you do puffies. Wool baselayers, fleece midlayer and raingear and I can hunt a wide range of temperatures.

I know there are different weights as alluded to above, but I am not real familiar with the tech specs. You can kinda tell when you get it into your hands how heavy it is relative to other pieces.

One thing I've noticed is there is a large amount of variability in wind resistance. I would guess that has to do with the tightness of the weave in the fabric. I have some fleeces that are practically windproof and others that it cuts right through. You can do a basic test of that just by holding it up to your mouth and trying to blow though it.

I like the waffled fleeces like the halstead but in my opinion as a layering piece the lofted, "fuzzy" fleeces of the same weight seem warmer. The halstead is more of a cold weather outerwear piece in dry weather for me. For that reason it dearly needs pockets and a hooded option would be nice too.

 

[maninthemaze]

I have a fleece jacket that my work gave me as a safety award. It's made by Kaliban. They go for $30 on amazon. It's the best, most comfortable jacket I have ever owned. I've felt the fleece of my kids North Face jackets and I agree, there has to be some kind of weight rating like merino wool. If I were to guess, my Kaliban is a 300 while the North Face stuff is a 200 weight. I'll definitely be buying me another one this year, as I've had this one for about 4 years, and am just now noticing that it's flattening out in some of the harder areas, like elbows and bottom of forearms. Either way, hope this helps.

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[twall13]

I bought a brown PCU level 2 off ebay and I really like it. New in package and about $30 I think. It is the grid fleece like the Firstlite halstead.

The PCU stuff is a military layering system and this is the only piece from that system that I have experience with. As good as this piece is, I might check out some more of the other layers.

I have this same fleece and really like it other than the fit is funky. For the price it's a great deal but I need longer arms (the thumbholes are useless to me as they are too high up the sleeves and I really miss using them). I also wish it had a more athletic cut as it's pretty baggy around the stomach area.

To the OP's question, I'm no expert on fleece but from the little studying I did Polartech is the leader in fleece technology. They make all sorts of fleece designed for different purposes, including some that block the wind. It's been awhile since I read up on it but the polartech website had some good info.

Rokslide just did a review about some waterproof fleece Kryptek just released. It looks pretty interesting but I'm not sure how it would fit into my personal layering system.

 

[PantherCity]

I have this same fleece and really like it other than the fit is funky. For the price it's a great deal but I need longer arms (the thumbholes are useless to me as they are too high up the sleeves and I really miss using them). I also wish it had a more athletic cut as it's pretty baggy around the stomach area.

I understand the military stuff is made by different contractors and the fit may be different. I have a long version and it is really long in the torso. Great for sitting as it keeps my buns covered too.

 

[operator449]

Best fleeces ever : patagonia R1, Arcteryx Naga, Arcteryx Fortrez, Mountain Hardwear monkey man and many more. Lots of earthy tone options for hunting et al. Try the mountaineering lines, been doing it a lot longer and better imho then many current offerings in camo.

 

[FreeRange]

The PCU level 2 is a grid fleece very similar to the Patagonia r1 which is probably the most popular technical fleece of all time for good reason. The PCU probably fits a little bigger and can be had for way cheaper. Another similar option is the melanzana grid fleece which also comes in a hoody. I really like my Patagonia cap 4 hoody it's just a little lighter than all those. In my experience grid fleece is the best warmth to weight wise but the tighter knot fleeces do better if they get wet, such as the Kuiu peloton 200 which is another good mid weight fleece. I don't have experience with any others other than the "north face" style fleeces which I don't wear in the hills anymore but are nice for day to day use.

 

[MIKEYB]

I don't own any of the hunting brand fleece. I do own pieces from Eddie Bauer, Columbia, merell, under armour and a couple others. I don't leave the house without a fleece it seems. They all vary from fluffy and light to more of a brushed surface. One of my favorites are a couple of pullover shirts in a waffle "micro" fleece by Columbia. I always have one in my pack. Fit is good for me and has thin strechy bands on the cuffs and waist. I just received a Merrell fleece that has a hood that I'm digging and I typically don't like or run hoods. I don't like cold wind on the back of neck either.

Can usually find better pricing on non hunting fleece in earth tones if your willing to shop Around. May be beneficially to hit a brick and mortar store and get a feel for couple. I always pick up one of Eddie Bauer fleece when they send me the member certificates and I can't decide what to
get. I'll just grab another fleece.

 

[snowplow]

The PCU level 2 is a grid fleece very similar to the Patagonia r1 which is probably the most popular technical fleece of all time for good reason. The PCU probably fits a little bigger and can be had for way cheaper. Another similar option is the melanzana grid fleece which also comes in a hoody. I really like my Patagonia cap 4 hoody it's just a little lighter than all those. In my experience grid fleece is the best warmth to weight wise but the tighter knot fleeces do better if they get wet, such as the Kuiu peloton 200 which is another good mid weight fleece. I don't have experience with any others other than the "north face" style fleeces which I don't wear in the hills anymore but are nice for day to day use.

Wait, so is the Peloton stuff fleece? I dont know how I missed that.

 

[COlineman78]

If you watch ebay you can get good deals on the Bayond Clothing PCU level 2 or 3 fleece. Made in the US and super high quality.

 

[mtwarden]

fleece comes in a myriad of weights and a myriad of different fabrics

if you have a specific idea what you want the fleece for (intended use) it would be easier to steer you in the right direction- there is a fleece for nearly any intended use

 

[JollyRoger]

What are you after for a fleece? There are several weights and styles as talked about above.... 100, 200, 300 as well as hardface fleece, windblocker fleece, loft (hairy) fleece, powerstretch, etc. Each have their uses and I think I've used them all. My favorites by far are the grid fleece (like the ECWCS L2, Patagonia R1 and Halstead), power-stretch (Arcteryx Fortrez) and the wing blocker (TAD Ranger).

One thing I'm never without while summer backpacking, fall hunting, and winter ice climbing is a good fleece midlayer like the R1 or Halstead.

 

[snowplow]

Thanks guys. I was mainly just trying to get some info on this stuff. I always thought fleece was fleece. I've had my eye on the Peloton 240 anyway. I knew it was grid fleece lined, but somehow I missed that the outside was fleece too. I'm probably going to try to pick up that.Thank you all for the suggestions.

 

[Domestique]

If you don't need a hood..... checkout USMC FROG fleece. It's a grid fleece with thumb holes, flame retardant, coyote brown, and can be bought on evilbay fairly cheap.

For hooded, I like the Patagucci R1.

 

[FreeRange]

The 240 is a "faced" fleece I think and may be a bit noisier, noisy being a relative term here, but it functions almost like a soft shell from what I hear. The 200 is a straight up fleece but not a grid fleece. It depends on if your plan is to wear it as an outer layer or not, in my mind the 200 is more versatile. In my limited experience using the 200 for one season it was nice but too warm for my uses, if I need a 240 I'll just add another layer underneath and/or I'll be wearing a shell anyways. I replaced the peloton 200 hoody with a patagonia cap 3 hoody which is significantly lighter, it's one of the lightest grid fleeces out there and dries out quickly. That with 2 different weights of merino to wear underneath it gives me a super wide range of warmth options for my fleece which has worked fine for me down into the low teens.

 

[mtwarden]

If you're looking at the 240, I would concur to also look at the Patagonia R1; if it needs to be camp also peek at the Sitka Core Heavyweight- both are very strong performing mid-layers

 

[snowplow]

Thanks this turned out to be super helpful. I have an unlined softshell l love that l wear all year and just layer accordingly underneath. I have a llano and chama. I just picked up a sitka fanatic hoody (grid fleece) that l bet is pretty close to the peloton 200. It sounds like the 240 would be totally redundant. Thank you!

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