Understand the product before buying

By nwbackpacker Ranked #50 - Men's Fleece Jackets September 8, 2009

I love this mid-weight layering fleece - it's my favorite fleece that I own, and I own many. I find that I can hike in a thin baselayer and this fleece from temperatures in 40s and 50s. Above that and you'll likely find it too warm while hiking.

I see too many reviews of this product that say "didn't like it - not windproof". Well, it's not a windproof jacket, and in fact it's been purposefully designed to be virtually transparent to wind. Why? Because it's just about the most breathable fleece you can buy! The wicking ability is partly the fabric and partly the slim fit, as close contact to your base-layer will encourage better transfer of moisture.

So, this fleece will work well for you if you're doing high output activity in cooler conditions, but not if you're sitting at basecamp in a breeze without a shell on top of the fleece. It's mostly just a mid-layer, but works well alone if it's not breezy. If you want a windproof piece, then do you self a favor and buy the windproof fleece as this will result in you receiving what it is that you actually want. Check out the Lightweight-R4 for a thinner windproof, or the regular R4 for a thicker one. The LWR4 is about as thick as the R2, and the regular R4 is about as thick as the R3, which is another NON windproof fleece.

For Patagonia gear, check out their website as they have much more information on the products than Backcountry does....

View Details: Patagonia R2 Fleece Jacket - Men's

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