What's the best fllece available?

[Hathor]

Greetings All,

Does anyone have a view on which is the best fleece around? It must be warm and windproof (very important), usable as an outer layer in spring / autmn and under a coat in winter.

I woul be graeful for some recommendations.

Jon

[Reaps72]

Greetings All,

Does anyone have a view on which is the best fleece around? It must be warm and windproof (very important), usable as an outer layer in spring / autmn and under a coat in winter.

I woul be graeful for some recommendations.Jon

I use a regatta soft shell fleece for pretty much daily wear all year round, walking dogs etc; waterproof (to all but a persistant down pour), very windproof, light-mid weight fleece so perfect for layering in winter. http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/regatta-...tshell-p148176

Cheap enough to get a bit of a battering & the odd fire fairy blim burn!

[happybonzo]

Have a look at Decathlon on-line. They got some reasonable quality fleece jackets

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/fleece-cl...rts_16_16.html

but
I hate fleece jackets and wish that one could still buy the original Helly Hansen fibre pile jackets. Those things were warm as soon as you put them on

[CanadianMike]

I just got one of these, superb features for the price, is water proof, not too thick, comfy, good large hood on it, lots of pockets, etc. Is available at many places all over.

http://www.uscav.com/productinfo.asp...9321&TabID=548

[cuppa joe]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-Mens-.../dp/B0041RRQVY.

[Peaks]

Hi,
I use a Keela waterproof fleece, but the Helly Hansen jackets are available from RV ops for about £83. Hoggs of Fife also do some good waterproof fleeces.
HTH

[Hathor]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Difficult choice this...

[Dan XF]

I used to sell outdoor clothing and have to say that for us in the shop (a mix of ex-military and hard-core climbers) the only choice was buffalo. If you came in with £500 to spend you went out with £430 in your pocket and a mountain shirt in a bag. But I have to agree that a soft shell is the way ahead. You can pay £100+ for one with a TNF logo on it or you can try one of the big warehouse places for £25. I have a £19.99 Merrel one with a hood and a very good Durable Water Repellent finish that I often use for dog walking in cooler weather. Just remember that the more waterproof a fleece is the less breathable it will be. It's best to trade outright waterproofing for breathability if you are active. Keeping the wind off is also more important than the thickness of the fleece. My top 3 recommends would be;
1. Buffalo or the Snugpak Pile smock. Wind proof, adjustable vents and very fast drying. Suitable for cool days and down to below zero without adding layers.
2. A soft shell jacket with a hood. Try the Cotswold site for ideas then shop around.
3. The Helly Field Jacket. Fibre pile instead of fleece. Its a wind resistant material, your own body heat pushes water away from you to the surface and it's much harder wearing than fleece. I got one issued 23 years ago and still use it in winter if I'm in and out of shops or houses on sub zero days. Brilliant over a helly lifa top. I believe they were supplied to the Norwegian Army as well as being given to SAS teams here.
NB the Buffalo stuff was selected for SBS and Mountain and Arctic units here as it works well when wet and you don't have to layer it. If it gets wet ring it out and put it straight back on.

[JEEP]

Anything Polartec really.

The Haglöfs Micro Top and Micro Jacket are good value for money (former; Juniper Top and Twice Jacket). If you want something thicker/warmer, the Haglöfs Isogon Jacket is awesome, yet expensive.

[Martin]

Referring to the discussion in an earlier thread. Why not look at Paramo instead of fleece? A Paramo Velez smock will keep you warm and dry, and best of all it's very very wind proof.

Martin