Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting QUIET Windproof Fleeces from regular Outdoor/Climbing companies?

Looking for a source to find a quiet, windproof fleece jacket. Not looking for a camo/hunting specific one. Anyone know if the Patagonia Retro-X one is quiet?

Hood or no hood?

A bunch of people make a quiet windproof fleece for reasonable $. I have examples from Cabelas, LL Bean, Bass Pro, Columbia, Mountain Harware.

No hood. I have the windproof Berber fleece, I just don't like the fact that all of the insulation is on the outside of the windproof membrane. A slight breeze means you might as well just be wearing the windproof membrane. So I'm trying to cut down on bulk a bit by finding a thinner windproof fleece, but it has to be quiet. I have a LL Bean Windbloc fleece but i find it to be loud even when wearing something over it.

Yeah I've got an old REI windproof fleece and a Patagonia R3 (older one). Fleece is just quiet. I think that wind bloc might be different from windpro. One breathes some, one breathes not at all. I think the one that doesn't breathe at all is noisier and stiffer.

I believe I bought some jackets from llBean. I think they called it "Windcheater". I think it is windbloc. Not sure why you think it is not quiet? Any material rubbed together makes noise. This does not crackle .

I prefer Windpro fleece myself, but it is hard to find. Especially in muted solid green or brown or grey.

Given my preference, I am trying to move away from camoflauge.

I'll throw in my 2 cents here. Lots of fleece or fleece like products are available. They can vary a far amount. Some can be very wind proof, but not breath at all while some can breath a ton and not be wind proof at all. The last few months, I have been using a Sitka Kelvin Active, which is similar to the Patagonia Nano Air products. These, in my mind are expensive but fleece killers. I can find a large , in fact giant comfort range with one of these products and a wind shell. Yesterday, I skinned up above tree line wearing just a base layer, and kelvin active. When it got windy, and when I skied down, I added the wind / rain jacket. The comfort range I get with this combo is pretty amazing. I would use the same combo summer backpacking. Basically this combo, at least for active use has minimized my use of puffies and traditional fleece.

I just recently discoverd the Nano Air line and thought that it, or something quite similar, be my next purchase. This confirms it! Thanks for the review.

Any chance you've used any of the stretch down pieces from places like Western Mountaineering?

I have not. Love down, but I have not used it much this year. My general system this year has been 4 pieces a base layer, + active layer and then add wind / rain layer as needed or wool or puffy vest as needed. If it's colder, I generally have added a warmer base layer to start with (I'm not saying that is the right way to do it .. but that has been what Ive been using).

Thanks
Kevin

Kevin, What kind of wind/rain jacket are you using over your Kelvin Active layer?

Thanks. That's about like my system. Thinking something like the Nano or Kelvin would work great for extending the temp range I could use it in.

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