I am a bit of a gear nerd; specifically I like backpacks and fleeces.
With winter sales in full swing I am searchingfor the perfect replacement to my old Marmot Reactor (see previous rant). My requirements are:
- Solid color (or, at worst, two tone)
- Lightweight feel, no (or little) wind-stopping*
- All pockets must be zippered
- Waist cinch strap or adjustment (preferably adjustable through the hand pockets)
- Breast pocket (preferably internal)
- Left arm shoulder pocket
- Elastic/adjustable wrists
- Headphone access to breast pocket
To meet these requirements might require some out of the box thinking. I have traditionally stuck to “outdoor” companies (Marmot, North Face, Patagonia, REI, etc) for most of my clothing. A quick check at my local REI and Patagonia store revealed nothing that fit the bill. Perhaps they were out of stock or perhaps I need to cast a wider net. One of my favorite backpacks is actually a police-grade Camelback which got me thinking about other sources for the jacket: police and military suppliers. These guys tend to like pockets, adjustability, and ruggedness. Food for thought.
Possible Candidates:
- Marmot Warmlight
- Marmot Norse Jacket
- North Face Druid
- North Face Denali
- Scottevest Fleece 5.0 Jacket
- 5.11 Tactical Fleece
* Wind-stopping material has evolved into one of three fabrics: rubberized fleece, micro-neoprene, or a nylon shell. For fleece jackets I dislike the two former materials as they make the jacket more rigid. The garment is then often difficult to pack tightly in a backpack. The jacket (however light in weight) feels bulkier to wear and often does not breathe as well as a traditional fleece. Regarding a nylon shell: I already own a fine outer shell, so there is no need to have one integrated into the fleece jacket.
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