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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jan 17, 2017 6:36:28 GMT -8
Fleece layer, down vest, goretex parka.
Flexibility for ever changing situations is a must. No all in one for me.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Jan 17, 2017 7:16:14 GMT -8
Fleece can be wrung out and have some insulation value. I have never tried it but I'm thinking it would be pretty hard to dry down in front of a fire. I have experienced this. Wet clothes are...wet clothes (same applies to sleeping bags). I'd rather wear just a dry rain shell alone then wet synthetics underneath. The last thing you want to do when facing hypothermia is force your body to warm up wet clothing. Dry them by a fire or wait until you get warm in a sleeping bag and then introduce them.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 17, 2017 8:32:57 GMT -8
A fall crossing a stream and your down may go to zero insulation. In conditions cold enough for me to be wearing down while hiking, a) the stream is probably frozen, and b) I'm not out there. I don't worry about getting my down insulating layer wet, because I wear it almost exclusively in camp (and occasionally on a hiking break, though usually my wind/rain jacket is enough for those). Even when I've done winter trips (back long ago I did a few ski trips), I found that a thermal shirt was all I wanted while skiing. Granted, we aren't talking temps in the zeros, just down into the 20s or so. But, seriously, I generate a LOT of heat when I'm moving. If I were going out in zero-type temps for an overnight trip, I'd have my down and a hooded fleece, in part because I'd be sleeping in the latter, and also because my down jacket isn't meant for zero, so I'd have to layer up in camp.
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Post by hikerjer on Jan 17, 2017 9:02:11 GMT -8
Just a comment. Andrew Skurka, on his muti-month hike around circumventing Alaska, came to the conclusion that in wet, rainy weather, fleece was superior to both down and microfiber jackets because of it hydrophobic qualities. Reckon, if anyone should know, it'd be him. But bear in mind, this was a pretty extreme hike.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Jan 17, 2017 9:42:27 GMT -8
I'm much more concerned about weight than space. That being said, down IS lighter......but a poor insulator if wet.
If you're happy with the fleece you currently have, I wouldn't be in a big hurry to switch.
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talus
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Post by talus on Jan 17, 2017 10:37:19 GMT -8
I carry/wear an Army surplus half zip (probably Cap2 equivalent) a rain jacket and a Montbell Thermawrap UL. I've never had the need for anything heavier in 3 season use. I love the half zip, and it was less than 10 bucks used. These are the same: Gen III shirt.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jan 19, 2017 7:37:44 GMT -8
Fleece can be wrung out and have some insulation value. I have never tried it but I'm thinking it would be pretty hard to dry down in front of a fire. I have experienced this. Wet clothes are...wet clothes (same applies to sleeping bags). I'd rather wear just a dry rain shell alone then wet synthetics underneath. The last thing you want to do when facing hypothermia is force your body to warm up wet clothing. Dry them by a fire or wait until you get warm in a sleeping bag and then introduce them. I have heard that water to skin contact increases heat transfer to more than 8 times over air to skin. Wet clothes against your skin would be very bad. Damp would fall somewhere in between so I guess you could be better off with just the jacket or possibly nothing. I think of the Bear Grylls episode where he jumps into a near frozen river on purpose to illustrate this situation. He jumps out, gets naked then hustles to build a roaring fire. But generally getting into dry clothes that you have or or group members can contribute then a roaring fire until your clothes are dry is probably best course after an immersive dunking. I have had a water bottle leak and soak my fleece jacket in my pack. I did wring it out and wear it dry but that was in relatively temperate weather. I know you can dry fleece if you're careful by a big fire. Can you dry down that way? I know at home with a dryer getting down dry and fluffy again is almost a little tricky.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Jan 19, 2017 7:52:48 GMT -8
Can you dry down that way? In winter, sublimation will dry down layers (as well as fleece). Mind you, that is cold dry air. Wearing down articles to bed and allowing body heat to push the moisture out has been my most effective method.
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Post by leadbelly on Feb 2, 2017 11:51:59 GMT -8
if both are serving the same purpose, decide what best fits your needs. warmer/damper weather justifies fleece, colder/more dry weather justifies down/synthetic puffy insulation, generally.
for me, fleece is something I'm most likely to wear while moving around in cold weather, so i could envision wearing fleece during the day and the down jacket at night. so....it depends. i would probably bring both.
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