The Tao Of Fleece...
Richard Gear looks into the tangled, fibrous world of fleece tops and explains some of the basic points to look for when buying one
Posted: 20 September 2002
by Richard Gear
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Fleece eh? It used to come from
sheep, now it's man-made stuff and heck, Patagonia even make
it from recycled plastic bottles. Of course it used to be
simple, you bought a mid-weight Polartec fleece and that was
it, but not any more, oh no. Windproof fleece, wind
resistant fleece, microfleece, Thermal Pro fleece,
Ultrafleece etc. So how do you decide which to buy? We asked
dodgy hut-dwelling hermit Richard Gear for some
straightforward tips...
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How thick?
It depends a little on how hot you run, but for the majority of
people, the warmest fleece they're ever likely to need while moving
in the UK is a 100-weight microfleece, certainly under a shell in
winter. If you run very cool, stop a lot or are doing pitched winter
climbing, something heavier might be in order, but for active use I'd
suggest either microfleece or Powerstretch or similar.
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What's PowerStretch Then?
Polartec fabric with 4-way stretch, 60
per-cent polyester, 30 per-cent Nylon, 10 per-cent Lycra
spandex - what you really need to know is that it's about
the same warmth as a microfleece, but stetchy and close
fitting, which makes it both unrestrictive and thermally
efficient as there are no air gaps. Only slight downside is
that the elastic content has a very small effect on
breathability and wicking effectiveness.
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What about cheap fleece?
It used to be that non-Polartec fleeces, with a few exceptions
like Patagonia's Capilene, would pill badly with use. That's actually
changed thanks to new production facilities in the far east, so
non-Polartec, 'own brand' fleeces can be a good buy. Many companies
now use a mix of Polartec and non-Polartec fabrics. Lowe Alpine
'brands' most of its fleece as 'Aleutian', but some of it is
Polartec.
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And Windproof Fleece
For most UK use, windproof fleece - it
usually uses a laminate sandwiched between two layers of
fabric, like Gore Windstopper or Polartec PowerShield - is
simply too warm and clammy. It functions better in very
cold, high, dry conditions. The closer the membrane to the
skin and the thinner the fleece layers, the better it will
breathe, which is why Gore's N2S works far better. For the
UK though, you'd be better off with a wind-resistant fleece,
which will take the edge off the wind while allowing better
breathability.
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Wind Resistant Fleece
In the UK, fleeces which take the edge off the wind thanks to a
closer, denser weave make a lot of sense. Our damp climate puts a
premium on breathability and makes breathable fabrics less effective
than in drier climates. My favourites are Mountain Equipment's
Ultrafleece and Karisma (as used by Montane and others) which are
very similar in performance and debatably the best all round fleece
fabrics for UK use.
ME says Ultrafleece is over 100 per-cent more wind resistant than
normal fleece, but it also scores by being slightly thinner which
makes it less thermally efficient, so it avoids being too warm when
worn under a shell jacket. Polartec's Wind Pro has similar properties
and is claimed to be four to five times as wind resistant as normal
fleece yet retain 85 per-cent of the breathability. Subjectively we'd
say it's not quite as breathable as Ultrafleece / Karisma, but
slightly more wind resistant. Comes in different thicknesses - watch
out for a test of Lowe's new Altered State fleece in the fabric on
the site soon.
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Water Resistance?
Most windproof fleeces have a reasonable
degree of water resistance too due to the membrane, but
don't have taped seams so the water will get in. Anything
claimed as 'waterproof' will almost certainly be too warm
for any sort of active use. Some wind -resistant fleeces are
treated with a DWR repellant treatment which means they'll
tolerate light drizzle and dry out slightly faster when
damp. There are also aftermarket treatments from the likes
of Grangers and Nikwax.
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What about wicking?
Fleece wicks okay, but most fleece is actually just a mass of
tangled fibres, so there's no directional movement of water away from
the body. The exception to this are some of the Thermal Pro fabric
which have a pile-like, fluffy, directional feel. Subjectively they
appear to wick more effectively - Patagonia's Regulator 2 is an
example - possibly because they are behaving like pile, where one
theory has it the tips of the fibres dry faster thereby making you
warmer and accelerating further drying. Hard to know if that's
correct, but the fluffy fabrics work, though you do lose wind
resistance as a trade off.
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Thermal Pro?
Polartec Thermal Pro started off as an
exclusive Patagonia fabric under the name 'Regulator'. It
uses fluffy pile-type construction or cunning grid designs
to produce fleece that is extremely warm for its weight and
bulk and, coincidentally, looks good too. Initially it came
in just three weights, but there are now loads of different
versions including 'Special Editions'. Probably the warmest
fleece per gramme or cubic cm. Makes it ideal for
lightweight backpacking or trekking when the fleece will be
used mainly for warmth when stopped.
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Cut and Design
A lot of fleece is simply cut as a loose-ish fitting jacket.
That's fine for the pub or looking good on the high street, but for
mountain use a snugger, closer fit will be more efficient and hold
warm air close to the body as well as wicking more effectively. Draw
strings at waist and hem will help to stop air movement and a
close-fitting cuff will also add to efficiency. A few technical
fleeces have an integral hood - Karrimor Alpiniste, ME Mountain
jacket, Montane Alpine for example - which can work well,
particularly for stop start conditions.
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In A Nutshell
For UK use, we wouldn't bother with thick
mid-weight or heavier fleeces for active use - sitting
around in the tent or pub is a different matter though - and
we's also steer clear of windproof and waterproof fleece
fabrics for now. In our experience they're simply too warm,
too heavy and too clammy. Our ideal would be a snug fitting
but non-restrictive garment made from one of the
wind-resistant fleeces which retains good breathability but
takes the edge off the wind.
For foreign trekking, Polartec's Thermal
Pro is a good bet, but you could also look at synthetic or
down-filled insulating tops which may well be warmer for a
lower weight and smaller pack size.
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