There are many brands that have windproof fleece and soft shell jackets, and the prices are much lower than they used to be. i have picked up soft shells for $20. I too keep at least one jacket for every person traveling with me that didn't have one of their own. Along with blankets and such.

I got a couple, cut slits in the center, and carried to use as emergency shelter/field expedient poncho liner. Worked okay, tho the cheapies I selected were a bit flimsy. I had hoped that the throw, worn serape/poncho style, would make me look like clint eastwood in the spaghetti westerns. Not so much. Was encouraged by DW and DD's to NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.

So tell us...did they think you looked good, bad, or just ugly?

But for a fist full of dollars, you could get a real fleece jacket.

And you could cover it with a windproof layer for a few dollars more!

I see what you did there.

Once the Fashion Police open a dossier, it tends toward the Ugly.

Maybe it's all in the presentation. Did you smoke a cheroot and squint a lot?

You owe me a keyboard: this one is full of Mountain Dew. ;-)

MDinana wrote
> "One thing I hate about fleece is that wind cuts right through it"

I think of that as an advantage. Even on sunny days one can wear a fleece usually. Then add a windproof layer for bad weather.
Cheap fleeces are good but the zips are what goes first.
qjs

Cheap fleeces are good but the zips are what goes first.
qjs [/quote]

I was an early fleece user, buying my first (a Patagonia jacker0 in 1982. After about fifteen years fairly heavy use, the zipper busted. Thinking it would be worthwhile to spend some money to replace the zip, I took it back to Patagonia.

"The unconditional warranty is still in effect. We will replace the zipper at no cost. Can you wait about a week?" Sweet music to my ears!

I still have that jacket,although now it is truly worn out - the elbows are thin, so I mostly wear it around the house, gardening and such. It has served me well on numerous occasions, including some where warm, tough clothing was critical.

Good stuff from a reputable company may cost a lot up front, but ultimately it is a bargain.

Very true. I have had similar experiences with gear from various manufacturers.

That being said, it is possible to get some real bargains (on good stuff) at thrift stores and garage sales. My wife found a very nice down jacket, nearly new and from a good manufacturer at a thrift store. I forget what she paid for it but it was peanuts compared to the original price. She once found a nice, three season down sleeping bag at a garage sale for a very few bucks.

I suppose it helps if you do your thrift store and garage sale shopping in an area where lots of people own outdoor gear. And the gear you find probably depends somewhat on the region. I would guess one wouldn't find too many down jackets at Florida thrift stores? But Florida might be a great place to look for used diving gear?

If you are really lucky, you can do both of the above. Some years ago (late 1980s) Patagonia suffered from massive overstocking and had a fantastic sale. I am wearing as I type this, a top of the line fleece jacket that cost me all of fifteen dollars, brand new (and it is the proper color, fire engine red).