Hi,  Can anyone recommend any fleeces (Polartec 200 or equivalent) with Pit Zips?  I find I get too hot in conventional fleeces and the pit zips really help.  Cheers Graham

This probably doesn't help too much, but I got a really nice 100ish weight fleece from Mountain Warehouse that is wicking T shirt material (dunno it's proper name, tech T type stuff) on the underside of the arms, up to the pits and down the side of the body. I find it really comfy and warm in all the right places. 

http://mountainwarehouse.com/shop/product/products_id/2855.html

They call it the Active Microfleece, I paid £20, the website is doing 2f1.

Sorry it's not 200 weight  with zips though .

i have got a spayway dominator fleece, good features including

pit zips, winstopper fabric , loads of pockets and breathable as well

Pit zips are usually only employed in fabrics that don't breathe very well; waterproofs, membraned fleeces (eg Windstopper).  I can't recall seeing a normal fleece with pit zips.

I haven't worn 200 weight fleece for active use for a long time; 100 weight seems to be warm enough for me.

I do have a Sprayway with Polertec Thermal Pro and pit zips but it's wearing so I will look at the dominator plus the Mountain Warehouse one.  Thanks.

How about the Paramo Mountain Vent? It hasn't got pit zips as such, they are more on your upper arm, tho have a similar effect. The reversable bit makes quite a difference, so you can taylor it to the temperature that way as well. Its quite a warm thing when the hot way round.

As an alternative, some fleeces have a less insulating bit under your arm pits. Montane's kinetic is really good, tho not that warm, more like a 100 wgt fleece front and back, but just a thin wicking bit down your sides. Sort of like having pit zips open.

I've never tried it myself, but the Patagonia R2 is like that, with a heavier fleece round most of you but a lighter one down the sides of your torso. Should be much warmer than the Montane and more what you're after.

Another suggestion for something lighter, or something lighter with a wind resistant light shell.  A Buffalo Teclite or Montane Duality smock, for example, and both of those have a fair bit of venting built in.  IME the windshell makes up for the lighter weight of fleece, the whole garment weighs and bulks less and sees off wind and drizzle much better.  The only thing the 200 weight fleece will be clearly better at is as a warmer mid layer.

I've got an old ME Ultrafleece jacket with pit zips that I've always liked but these days I typically just use it for climbing, finding (soft) shelled microfleece a more flexible and useful garment overall.  

Pete. 

I've had in the past Marmot, The North Face and Mountain Equipment fleeces with pit zips. The fabrics were Polartec 200, 300 and BiPolar (which later became thermal-pro lite or something).

As has been said above, much better with a lighter weight fleece. Technical garments in the heavier fleece are really hard to come by now anyway. They're all dog walker jackets with hip pockets .

If you can find one, the Haglofs Triton has mesh panels under the arms, ywo huge mesh chest pockets and a body made of Powerstrech and 100 weight fleece and works outstandingly well. The new version, the Gemini, is okay but doesn't have the same venting works of wonder.

Graham, I've just had a google to try and find the triton that ptc* mentions (i like the sound of that myself) but could'nt find one! but i did find a Marmot powerstretch vest at www.theoutdoorshop.com  for £50 that might solve your problem.

mick

Well, I trawled my old outdoor clothing database (770 items, last updated 1997 when I managed to wean myself off the OCD habit...), and found a couple of LA Aleutian 275 fleeces, and the TNF Logan PT200 and Super Denali PT300 shearling jackets that all had pit zips.

But I'd forgotten them...  Not that this is any use to anyone now, either...

I'd replace a thicker fleece with a 100 weight fleece and windproof shell (or a shelled micropile); more versatile for active use, but not so inherently warm when used as a static mid-layer.

Alternatively, look for one of the more 'technical' fleeces with lighter weight side panels, and big, mid-body, mesh lined pockets that can be opened up for ventilation.

Or, if you want a thick fleece for static warmth that is also cooler when worn as an outer layer, look for one of the more open-weave versions of the shaggy Polartec ThermalPro; I find these are so permeable that heat is easily shed; sometimes too easily so that they're not very effective insulation (easily fixed with a light windproof layer).  The Lowe Stuff-It, for instance.

I trawled through my old outdoor clothing database (aka wardrobe) and found nothing quite like you describe, but I continue to vote with those who state that lightweight fleece plus windshell are the way to go. If you need extra insulation when you stop then take a pullover or synthetic fill jackets (primaloft, polarguard etc.) as these don't need to be so breathable.

I can also second CPs suggestion of using an open-weave Polartec ThermalPro - I have this for most weathers and this for when the bottom drops out of my thermometer!

If you can't find what you want, the other option is to get one made. I am quite sure that www.extremeoutdoorclothing.com would knock you up exactly what you require to your body proportions, e.g. using their cunning K2 fleece.

K2 fleece is, as far as I can tell, the stuff otherwise known as Karisma and Ultrefleece.  It's lighter than 200 weight fleece, not stretchy, is quite a bit more windproof (but not as windproof as, say, Pertex), keeps off drizzle rather better and is very fast drying. Hilltrek would be another made-to-measure small producer who work with it.

My old ME Ultrafleece Mountain Jacket (the Mk 2, with pit zips, before they "improved" it by taking them out and adding fairly pointless shoulder patches) has seen a lot of action and I suspect it would do what you're after, but I do find the shelled microflleces are more flexible garments most of the time.

 Pete.