Fleece Insulation Vs Alternatives | The Practical Insulating Layer

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

I’ve used paramo Tiagia fleeces since 1998 now got 3 Wind proof and wicks water away. Love them And waterproof to boot. Only got one down jacket, but not my go to wear.

[@offthearrowshelf]

I agree that fleece works well for insulating you an coupled with a weather proof layers will keep you warm and dry. While it may not pack down that small I tend to have a spare fleece layer in my bag for occasions when needed. Thanks again.

[@bushcraftbasics2036]

Fleece like all insulation and fabrics has strengths and weaknesses. I like fleece for some of my clothing, wool for others, synthetic insulation and down also find their way into my kit. Just use the right layers for the conditions you expect. Cold, wet and rainy conditions the down is staying home. Hanging out by a fire, the wool will probably be out. I enjoy your videos.

[@dogdadoutdoors]

Thank you and I agree, I've got a range of everything too, down, synthetic, softshell, fleece, wool, they all have their place.

[@beetooex]

I find the smooth faced fleece jackets (sometimes called stretch fleece) very versatile. They're pretty wind proof, pretty breathable and pretty warm. A good compromise to use as an outer shell in the lowlands. I'll nikwax one to see how well it sheds water if i ever get around to it.

[@dogdadoutdoors]

Is that the same as softshell? I don't think I've heard that term before.

[@david6920-r6z]

I have always been a fan of fleece. Where I go in the outdoors it is quite often wet and fleece is a good all-rounder 🇬🇧 🇳🇿

[@dogdadoutdoors]

Agree, not he lightest or the warmest for the weight, but a good balance of properties that make it work in damp/wet conditons.

[@heather333]

Fleece and wind/waterproof layer is great. I use a Paramo smock over any fleece - thin in summer, thick in winter. Layers work.

[@dogdadoutdoors]

Agree, that is one of the things I like about it, easy to buy from the thinnest microfleece to quite chunky and so you can tailor it for any given condition, particularly as its relatively inexpensive.

[@MelanieRiley-lt2rl]

😀

[@nihil-hic-videre]

Typo in thumbnail "Feece"

[@dogdadoutdoors]

cheers, buddy, just spotted this myself a few minutes ago!

[@ike8236]

I just got full dental work done, so feece works better for me😂

[@dogdadoutdoors]

@@ike8236 Bike accident? Yeah, its cheaper too which is always nice.

[@PokerMuppet]

Hmm... Some good info here but there seems to be a few points I'd argue too. Starting with the comment about down being the correct solution for all situations, I totally agree with you that this is incorrect. Down is not perfect for everything. However, using down incorrectly and suggesting that it is then flawed is also not great information and poor presentation. In regards to this video where it is cold and dry, this is exactly where a down jacket would be great and I'd certainly prefer a down jacket over the rain jacket on show, that's just my observation. A fleece top or jacket should be part of a mid layer, not compared to a top layer which is where a down jacket should be considered unless it's raining and then a down jacket could or should be coupled with a lightweight, packable rain over jacket. Wearing a fleece as a mid layer pretty much null and voids arguments about being windproof and as for it insulating when wet... I 100% disagree here. Fleece may be hydrophobic to some extent but it still holds water and with the breathable (non-windproof) nature of fleece you are going to introduce serious wind chill through rapid evaporation thus leading to significant thermal issues that could lead to hypothermia if you're wearing wet fleece without a windproof/waterproof layer on top. Personally I like to stay warm AND dry so I wear the correct clothing. I certainly don't see the sense in wearing lower performing clothing in case of a situation I could and should have easily prevented, IE, by wearing a waterproof layer when it rains rather than worrying about how quickly it dries. Prevention over treatment. Correct in that they don't compress and that they do dry very quickly. I also agree about their hard wearing nature.

[@dogdadoutdoors]

Hiya, as I said there steps you can take to work around the properties of a fabric, I'm just talking about the actual properties, I get you should wear a waterproof with down in the rain. I guess my perspective is coloured by my environment, where I live the weather is unpredictable, it can be sunny one minute, raining the next, regardless of what the forecast says!

[@PokerMuppet]

@@dogdadoutdoors I don't understand your point about changeable weather. Wearing layers that can easily be removed or put back on to deal with changing circumstances is exactly what they are supposed to be for. A waterproof shell/over jacket is small and packable, often fitting inside a pocket. You also ignore many of the other points I made, for example that fleece is highly breathable or in other words, it is awful as a windproof layer and anything that isn't windproof will have serious and even life threatening thermal issues once it is wet. So even if you are wearing fleece, you should still wear a waterproof layer over the top... AS YOU ARE IN YOUR VIDEO! You just seem to be giving really mixed messages about how to layer up correctly but as you seem more concerned with justifying your previous opinions rather than discussing points in full I'll leave it there. Facts should change opinions, opinions never change facts!

[@dogdadoutdoors]

@@PokerMuppet Hi PokerMuppet, Yes, you can carry a rucksack with a waterproof inside. If you are going into the mountains that is a sensible thing to do. But in a broader context you don't always want to carry a rucksack. If I'm walking the dogs for a couple of hours I generally wouldn't bother. But even with a waterproof, they aren't infallible, the weather conditions here can and does overwhelm them here. I've been wet through a number of times in a heavy storm, or when the jacket comes to the end of its lifecycle and you discover it is no longer fit for purpose. Then there are situations where 'stuff happens' your tent leaks in the middle of the night and it gets wet, your water bladder leaks in your bag and it gets soaked through, you fall in crossing a stream... I didn't go over the breathability/lack of wind resistance of fleece in my reply because I already covered that in the video. it is both highly breathable and offers very little wind resistance. but I think where there is a disconnect and you think I'm giving mixed messages on how to layer up is....I'm not giving messages on how to layer up at all. I'm simply talking about the properties of a material and as I say in the video, I'm leaving it up to you how to work around those various properties to make it work for you. For example wearing a shell over a down, or a fleece. The jacket I'm wearing over the top in the video isn't waterproof, its a helikon pilgrim smock, its basically some wind and thorn protection. This offers much better breathability than a waterproof and depending on where I am, what I'm doing and how settled the weather is I may give priority to that over being waterproof. Just a key thing though, the properties of down and fleece aren't based on my opinions, they are based on material science. I've not said anything relating to those properties that couldn't be backed up by a quick search on google. Is there anything else you'd like me to address?

[@PokerMuppet]

@@dogdadoutdoors I am not disagreeing with your description of the properties of an item or material, I am disagreeing with some of your suggested uses and your personal opinions of pros and cons. The whole point of discussing the specifications and attributes of materials and items is in context of using them correctly for the conditions and the activities you'll be doing within them... frequently referred to as to layering up, there is simply no other purpose to it. You also seem fixated on discussing down as if I am arguing for it in all situations which I disagreed with in my original comment. Yet your arguments against down in favour of fleece is flawed and I gave several reasons for this. Even as someone with a degree in Outdoors and Environmental Education (BSc John Moores University Liverpool) and 30+ years experience I do not know everything and I spend a lot of time learning from others and I can say with absolute certainty that there are serious flaws in your understanding, planning and methodology. I am not surprised that with your approach you are often caught out and 'stuff happens' leaving you soaked through. As I said in my previous comment, you are more concerned with reaffirming your opinions than discussing and/or learning (which works both ways) and I won't bother wasting my time in future.

[@dogdadoutdoors]

@ Sounds good to me Pokermuppet. All I can reiterate is that this video is on the properties of the materials, not how to layer up or its usage, I leave that up to the individual based on their own priority, environment, and use case, remembering this is a global platform with a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts from causal dog walkers to more serious expedition. In that context being overly prescriptive on how to dress is going to be wrong for at least some of them. And so with respect, If you think this is pointless, it's probably not for you. I am reaffirming my position because you haven't convinced me to change my mind and that's OK. We don't have to agree. I do change my mind in the light of new evidence or a well made argument but in this case you haven't presented me with anything that has caused me to do that, and that's OK too. We can both disagree with each other and not get bent out of shape.