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I need a wind resistant fleece jacket to replace my ME Ultrafleece jacket. It needs to be thinner (less bulky) than say 200 weight fleece but more wind resistant. I'm not interested in anything with a pertex etc shell as they aren't breathable enough if you need to put a rain jacket on, I also don't want anything made from Windstopper or the like as I prefer a separate windshirt. It also needs to have no hood.

Any ideas?

Cheers Rocky, they seem worth a look, the Montane does sound a bit warmer than I was looking for though but I suppose I'd need to see one. There's so many different fleeces/soft shells that it's impossible to know where to start.

They are expensive though.

I've got one of the Montane's and it's rapidly becoming a favourite! It's lovely to wear and very warm, a great winter fleece.

However as some of the panels are stretch fleece it is not 100% windproof but it has to be really cold or really windy for you to notice it. When that has been the case I put a Photon Hoody over the Jaguar.

Maybe the Montane would be too warm then, definately need to check it out first.

ALS, I have 2 Montane windshirts, a Litespeed which seems very breathable and a Jetstream which isn't but of course the Jetstream is half the weight of the Litespeed. The Jetstream is Pertex Quantum, I don't remember off hand what the Litespeed is. 

R_Mac - interesting; I've had a Litespeed and still have a Jetstream -  I find the Jetstream to be much better at dealing with moisture than the Litespeed was. My own take on these things is that I don't want any significant DWR on a windshirt - I want it to absorb moisture directly, rather than 'breathe' and the Jetstream seems to do that noticeably better than the Litespeed. I make sure I don't wash it in anything which purports to preserve or replenish the DWR!

My 1997 Ultrafleece jacket is getting a bit long in the tooth.

This thread prompted me to think about a new one, because I like the wind resistance, bulk, and breathability.

I google ultrafleece and this was the top hit:

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/2241

And if you still want Ultrafleece?

Karisma is essentially the same fabric as Ultrafleece and a number of smaller manufacturers are still using the fabric.

I think Karisma is still available. Indeed I might look for some.

EDIT: About the first time I wore it was in Easter on Kinder, and a it started snowing with a strong wind (a "slight blizzard" if you like...).

I went to put my waterproof on and found that it was still in Edale. The only time so far that that has happened (I am very careful now).

Anyway, it actually did a pretty good job of keeping me dry, and warm, so I didn't curtail my walk.

That was when I really started liking it.

ALS,

I'm not sure if I read it correctly, do you mean the Jetstream is more rain resistant than the Litespeed or more breathable?

I feel that the Jetstream is more rain resistant but less breathable than the Litespeed but in a windshirt I place breathability above rain resistance.

I only wore a rain jacket over the Jetstream once (to lazy to take it off) my rain jacket was a Marmot Essence, my fleece a £4 Primark one. When I pitched the tent and got inside the Marmot Essence was dry on the inside but my fleece was wet to touch on the outside (in contact with the Jetstream) yet my baselayer/inside of my fleece was dry.

I haven't worn anything over the Jetstream since but it does feel slightly cool/damp inside if I've been pressing on. 

R_Mac, I've used Extreme Outdoors, although it was a long time ago now (about '97 and '98 iirc). My experience of them was very good, and essentially it's the same guy, Keith Howes still running it. I bought 3 of their items - a pertex/pile smock, a pertex/karisma smock, and some karisma salopettes. All were excellent and gave years of hard service (esp. the pertex/karisma one). I've still got the two smocks (I outgrew the salopettes and sold them on ).

I have a recollection of good service too - I think I wasn't sure if the fit of the first smock was right when it arrived, so Keith simply sent me the next size to compare on the understanding that I'd return the one I didn't need. If there's anything to flag up about service I think it's simply that Keith is a one-man band operation and sometimes he's away, so contact can be sporadic, but when he's around it's fine.

I'd certainly use Extreme again if I wanted something they make. But if anyone else has more up-to-date experience of them please chip in....

R_Mac wrote (see)

I need a wind resistant fleece jacket to replace my ME Ultrafleece jacket. It needs to be thinner (less bulky) than say 200 weight fleece but more wind resistant. I'm not interested in anything with a pertex etc shell as they aren't breathable enough if you need to put a rain jacket on, I also don't want anything made from Windstopper or the like as I prefer a separate windshirt. It also needs to have no hood.

Any ideas?

What about the Rab Shadow Hoodie?  Like Rocky mentioned it's made w/Polartec Windpro.

Rab Shadow Hoodie

Dan S.

ALS, to be honest I never tried the Litespeed under a waterproof so can't compare directly. I don't recall the Litespeed ever feeling damp inside like the Jetstream does even when it's being used as an outer layer. That may be down to the DWR stopping moisture from being absorbed into the fabric so your suggestion about washing the DWR off may be worth a try.

Hi Dan, the Rab looks interesting but unfortunately it has a hood which rules it out.

Not really what I'm looking for Jim, I just want a non laminate fleece jacket without a hood, full length zip, more windproof than normal Polarfleece and somewhere between 100 and 200 weight fleece in insulation value.