What's your ideal layering? Do you wear Patagonia R1 fleece??

What's your ideal layering for touring?

I've been riding the resort in a mountain hardware jacket that makes me feel constricted- I want to feel playful on my snowboard.  Currently my bf has been using a hardshell outerlayer with a ventrix layer. For touring he's got a north face shell and a hooded ventrix jacket. for resort he's got the BD mission shell and a long sleeve baselayer that i think is lightly insulated in some spots. Very nifty.

I'm looking at the Patagonia R1 fleece- any experiences with it? Is it heavy, lightweight? A good layering layer?

Base layer to shell. I have my synthetic underlayer (short sleeve) then my mellenzana fleece, then my down vest, then my down sweatshirt, and then my Arcteryx Alpha. I also have a nupste down if its going to be super cold. I have some basic synthetic layer for my legs (one thick and one not) to choose for whatever I think I'll encounter on that day. My pants are Flylow chemicals...had them for 9 years now and they still bead water. This is basically my system for all sports except that my pants change when climbing.

sclair wrote: I've been riding the resort in a mountain hardware jacket that makes me feel constricted- I want to feel playful on my snowboard.

I always thought a catsuit looks very unconstricted and playful. Seems well insulated too.

R1 is a great piece, pretty straightforward and general purpose.  I’ve worn a ton of different combos and have specifics for special conditions, wet/dry, bitter cold/cool, windy or not, etc.

However, if I’m packing restricted and can only bring one piece the R1 is a really strong contender.  R1 plus a soft shell of varying weight/protection is a go-to that, in conjunction with a little mental toughness, kicks ass in a lot of conditions 

Have had both R1 and Tech Face, like the R1 Tech Face a whole lot more. Full zip and shockingly good wind resistance for a fleece.

When I need insulation, I prefer touring in a nano-air light hybrid. The weight is similar to an R1 but I find it breaths better which is important to me, it also has a bit better wind protection. Truthfully, I heat up quickly and am usually just in a base layer unless it is below 15F. I have toured in an R1, and have friends who do, but find it to be to airy and clamy. As mentioned above, R1 tech face would solve the wind issue.

If you want a good price or if you are looking for wind resistance, R1 tech face would be good. If you want something to be active in, look at the nano-air light hybrid or similar. Of the nano-airs, this is the lightest. Don't overheat when active but not the warmest and will want a shell quickly if you stop. If you are cost conscious and want the most versatile piece, a standard R1 will probably be best.

Edit: R1 is lightweight for a fleece but insulates almost as well as a midweight. It is an exceptional layering piece, usually as a mid-layer but some wear it as a base. I like it so much I have a hooded and non-hooded version. It is part of my resort riding kit on any day below 30F. It is a go to piece for mountaineering.

Owen Darrow wrote: Base layer to shell. I have my synthetic underlayer (short sleeve) then my mellenzana fleece, then my down vest, then my down sweatshirt, and then my Arcteryx Alpha. I also have a nupste down if its going to be super cold. I have some basic synthetic layer for my legs (one thick and one not) to choose for whatever I think I'll encounter on that day. My pants are Flylow chemicals...had them for 9 years now and they still bead water. This is basically my system for all sports except that my pants change when climbing.

Way to wear my yearly salary in one outfit.

Jon Hillis wrote:

Way to wear my yearly salary in one outfit.

The benefits of working at a shop!!

My layering system is actually relatively simple.
If its warm, 25F+, I wear a Patagonia Tropic Comfort Sun Hoody. You could replace this with just about any thin synthetic layer, but I really value having thumb holes and a hood. It gives me another few degrees of comfort that I wouldn't have without them. Then I'll keep an Arc'teryx Atom LT hoody and a shell in my bag, mostly for the purpose of wearing on the downhill, but could possibly wear uphill as well.

If its anything below that I'll wear my R1 hoody as my baselayer. I'll skin in the R1 (with low winds) in 10-25F. I'll pull sleeves up and unzip the front if I need. If its windy, or colder than 10F I'll wear the Atom LT on the skin track, usually unzipped. It was 8F with almost no wind at Berthoud Pass on Monday and I wore my R1 and the atom LT unzipped and was a little too warm. In these conditions I will always have my thin synthetic puffy and a shell in my bag. The puffy comes out if I'm waiting around a lot or if I'm about to head downhill and I'm not still roasting from the uphill.

On the bottom i wear BD Dawn Patrol Softshells, I vary from a regular pair of boxer briefs to a pair of running tights underneath a pair of long johns on the coldest days. But honestly the layering on my legs feels like it has *very* little influence on my overall comfort.

Basically, I would make your best guess on a few tours and you'll figure it out. Wear a little less then you think you need, but TAKE a little more. If you find yourself cold you'll make plenty of heat on the uphill to warm back up after you add another layer from your bag. I think most people tend to be overdressed on the skin track, then they sweat through all their layers, then they're cold on the downhill bc they're sweated, so they add more layers......

But I run pretty warm, so maybe everyone else is actually dressed properly and I'm just a human oven.

For me pace of the group I am with will drastically changes what I want to wear on the up hill. I have had groups that push for speed and I end up in a t-shirt and light gloves at 10 deg F. I am still sweating with this set up for fast accents.

From reading some of the posts above some people have more money in their clothing than a complete used touring set up would cost. I have worn "breathable" stuff before and while nice, I find it never breaths quite like taking the layer off. If you have disposable money feel free to buy the good stuff, but bring layers and adjust for the conditions of the day as you go seams sufficient to me.

Owen Darrow wrote: Base layer to shell. I have my synthetic underlayer (short sleeve) then my mellenzana fleece, then my down vest, then my down sweatshirt, and then my Arcteryx Alpha. I also have a nupste down if its going to be super cold. I have some basic synthetic layer for my legs (one thick and one not) to choose for whatever I think I'll encounter on that day. My pants are Flylow chemicals...had them for 9 years now and they still bead water. This is basically my system for all sports except that my pants change when climbing.

Damn, do you really need that much down for touring in MT? 

Just like Leron said, where and who I'm touring with really influences what I'm wearing. The former NCAA XC racers was a different ball game than the friends who wanted to toke at the top. Overall though I'm a big believer in that your next to skin layer shouldn't be insulating but a thin layer to get moisture away from your skin. I do put out a lot of heat once I get moving.

Most of the time in the Sierra's/ PNW if I was going uphill only had on a thin base layer and softshell, or a Ventrix instead of the softshell if it was cold, always softshell pants with almost never an insulating layer for my legs. Out in CO it's a whole different game with the colder weather and altitude, still figuring out my rules of thumb.

Depends on conditions.  If it's dry I'll go synthetic t-shirt and a long sleeve wool baselayer with lightweight gloves and a buff around my ears, if there's humidity/precipitation i'll throw a hardshell on over that.  For downhill usually I'll pop a quilted down mid layer on underneath my shell, throw some mittens over my light gloves, put my helmet on and close all my vents.  If I go too heavy on my way up I'll be drenched once I get up top- I sweat a ton while touring through.  

For reference I'm in the northeast where functional layering is essential to outdoor activities.  

R1 is bomber. Love it. 

I thought snowboarders Were supposed to wear bibs and baggy sweaters or coat  And their internal stoke keeps them warm.
But on a serious note invest in a butt pad for resort boarding it help alot for the chairlift and strapping in
I would only invest in a patigonia r1fleece if you were touring alot cause it'll be your main layer on the way up!

Patagonia R1 + OR Ascentionist (Hooded) Jacket is a winning combination

Don't really need help with landing on my butt, or using a chairlift, and I stand up when I strap in but thanks for that...     

found a great deal at the gear room on an atom hoody, just in time to replace my destroyed atom hoody! I haven't worn a fleece in so long I really wasn't sure how the new ones feel. My memory of them is always feeling too bulky. I love the atom/ventrix/similar jackets because they breathe, and move, they're just so expensive that unless I find the perfect deal (like, sub $100 which is so rare to find) I want to think about other options.
my layering goals.thoughts are mostly around touring these days. I have my system dialed for all sports except the snow sports. I know it'll take time to get this dialed... Plus materials are getting so much better (functional, light, awesome, and expensive) I want to use what I can to my full advantage!

If im in a resort, a light baselayer and semi-insulated jacket (insulated in the torso but not the arms). splitboarding in the BC, super lightweight base layer, down vest and a softshell or hardshell depending on conditions.

sclair wrote: Don't really need help with landing on my butt, or using a chairlift, and I stand up when I strap in but thanks for that...     

I didnt mean it to come off disrespectful but I'm serious lots of folks forget about heat loss from conduction. a butt pad is really nice. I use a small foam pad and slip it in my pack when I get off the lift

And all mid weight layers are made out of polyester fleece go in a used gear store and pick any that fit!
 For touring I go long sleeve synthetic,  polyester mid weight,puffy jacket and rain jacket. Bottoms are synthetic leggings, nylon pants and rain pants. This works on warm 40 degree days and 0 degree days. Save your money and buy used gear it works all the same. Also Puffy pants are a great investment if you do multi day tours cause you can bring a lighter sleeping bag.

Deven Lewis wrote:

 I use a small foam pad and slip it in my pack when I get off the lift

really?

MacksWhineturd wrote:

really?

Really really. It's nice and I bring it when I go camping too. Its the little things