Fleece is a synthetic fabric that’s proven ideal for outdoor recreational use because it’s warm, fast-drying, and extremely durable. Fleece clothing requires no special care and can be machine washed and dried for years without shrinkage. Stylish and available in many different colors, fleece pullovers and jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, and hats are still the best multi-purpose and affordable garments available to hikers and backpackers today.
Invented by Polartec in 1981, there are many different kinds of fleece garments available today in use by hundreds of outdoor companies such as REI, Patagonia, The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardware, Columbia, LL Bean, Eastern Mountain Sports, and many others.
However, there are manydifferent types of fleece available which can make choosing the right fleece jacket or fleece pullover (usually a 1/4 zip sweater) difficult.This guide is designed to help hikers figure out the best fleece garment for their needs.
Types of Fleece
There are four types of fleece of interest to hikers and backpackers: lightweight, midweight, heavyweight and windproof. These usually correspond to 100 weight, 200 weight, 300 weight, and Polartec Windpro fleece when described in more technical specifications. Let’s explore the properties of each of these fleece types in greater detail below and explain when the conditions in which they’re the most appropriate.
Lightweight Fleece (100 Weight Fleece)
Lightweight (also called 100 weight) fleece is the most popular fleece jacket thickness or pullover weight used by hikers and backpackers because it will keep you warm in cool weather when you’re hiking with a backpack, without causing you to sweat. It’s also ideal for use under a rain jacket because it can absorb condensation without chilling you.
When shopping for lightweight fleece jackets or pullovers, you’ll find that retailers and manufacturers call it by several different names includingPolartec Thermal Pro Lightweight,100 Weight Fleece, R1, and TKA 100.
Description and best use:
- Wear over a base layer in cool or damp weather
- Low bulk
- Highly breathable
- Good when you’re generating a lot of heat
- Easy to pack ina backpack
Most Popular Products:
Midweight Fleece (200 Weight Fleece)
Midweight Fleece is often used as an outer layer in cooler weather and when you’re less active. It’s thicker than lightweight fleece and more insulating, although it’s still quite breathable.
When shopping for midweight fleece jackets or pullovers, you’ll find that retailers and manufacturers call it by several different names including Polartec Thermal Pro Midweight, 200 Weight Fleece, R2, and TKA 200.
Description and best use:
- Over a base layer in colder weather
- Can be layered under a hard shell jacket
- Verybreathable
- Good when you’re generatingless heat
- Bulkier than 100 weight fleece
Most Popular Products:
Heavyweight Fleece (300 Weight Fleece)
HeavyweightFleece is almost always used as anouter layer in cold dry weather when you’re less active or stationary during such activities as camping or working around the house outdoors. While breathable, heavyweight fleece is very warm and heavier than lighter grades of fleece, making it too bulky and hot for active use.
When shopping for heavyweight fleece jackets or pullovers, you’ll find that retailers and manufacturers call it by several different names including Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft, 300 weight Fleece, R3, or TKA 300.
Description and best use:
- Bulky, dense fabric
- Usually worn as an outer layer in cold, dry weather
- Very warm and best used forstationary outdoor activities like camping
Most Popular Products:
Wind ProofFleece
Wind Proof Fleece Jackets and Pullovers can be lightweight, mid, or heavyweight. They typically have a windproof membrane sandwiched between an inner an outer fleece layer. This results in a noticeably less breathable fabric, making such garments good for stationary activities in cold or windy weather.
When shopping for windproof fleece jackets or pullovers, you’ll find that retailers and manufacturers call it by several different names including Polartec Thermal Wind Pro, Windwall, R4,or Windstopper. Many Wind Proof Fleece garments also have a hard-faced outer fabric that provides better abrasion resistance and further wind protection.
Description and best use:
- Less breathable than regular fleece
- Best worn as an outer layer in cold and windy weather
- Available in lightweight, mid, and heavyweight fleece jackets and pullovers
Most Popular Products:
Jacket, Pullover, Hoody or Vest?
What’s the best type of fleece garment for hiking? While it depends to a certain extent on your metabolismand whether you run hot or cold, most people choose the followinggarments for the different activity levels, noted below.
- Pullover, usually a 1/4 zip
- Most common garment for100 weight fleece
- Cool-weather hiking, when more warmth is needed over a base layer
- Moderate weather under a rain jacket, when condensation can cool your core
- Hoody, 1/4 or full zip
- Commonly worn using100 or 200 weight fleece
- Cool and dry weather hiking, climbing, or skiing when you want more head warmth
- Vest. full zip
- Popular for 200 or 300 weight fleece, and windproof fleece
- Worn as an active outer layer for winter hiking
- Jacket, full zip
- Available in all fleece weights, but most common for 200 weight, 300 weight, and windproof fleece
- Worn as a mid-layer or outer layer for lower levels of activity such as camping
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