Originally Posted by Jarery
Ive never heard anyone consider a fleece jacket a softshell before. Then again the term softshell is not very well defined in the industry. Most softshells do a lot better at blocking wind than fleece.
It's not really, I was just being funny about the old Fleece jackets
The 300 wt is warm as hell with no wind, but very breathable. As soon as the wind kicks up though it's like a screen door.
As per the Softshell debate, I'm not 100% sold on them as the be all end all jacket... They are nice, and they have their place, but they do seem to have trade offs as well, such as snugger fit, less protection around the neck, heavier feel, less packable, still have to pack a hard shell, wet suit neoprene feel... But that is just me and my preferences.
Downhill skiing is a perfect example of the situation you describe. You sweat like a bugger skiing down, then sit statically on a chair lift for the ride up. I have used a Hard Shell (GoreTex) for many years of skiing like this with out many issues, and still prefer it. I skied with just my soft shell (Patagonia), and felt very naked at times with just this (add the fact I could not layer as thick due to the snugger designed fit), especially on exposed chair lifts, so much so I had to put a shell on top to feel comfortable again. Again, that's just me... Basically for me, the Soft shell has replaced inner fleeces, however I still carry and use a hard shell the most. I suppose I am just a fossil