Why are zip-in (fleece + hardshell) jackets so rare?

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP












8














I'm currently looking for a couple of things for a Nepal trekking trip. Two things are a good hardshell and a thick fleece jacket. I once had a super cheap fleece + hardshell which I could "zip in", meaning that I could combine both to one.



Searching for hardshells and fleece jackets for trekking, I only found "Schöffel ZipIn". Why is this concept so rarely used?










share|improve this question



















  • 3




    That concept was widely used some years ago, but I guess the ebbs and flows of fashion left it behind. It might come back in the future, though. I suspect it has to do with the fact that you can probably sell both items for more than if you bundled them together.
    – Gabriel C.
    Dec 13 at 20:48











  • I just searched for "Doppeljacken" (I'm German) - with this I found a lot more. Is there a more common word in English?
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 13 at 20:50










  • "3 in 1 Jacket" Liner not limited to fleece.
    – Shannon Severance
    Dec 14 at 1:21















8














I'm currently looking for a couple of things for a Nepal trekking trip. Two things are a good hardshell and a thick fleece jacket. I once had a super cheap fleece + hardshell which I could "zip in", meaning that I could combine both to one.



Searching for hardshells and fleece jackets for trekking, I only found "Schöffel ZipIn". Why is this concept so rarely used?










share|improve this question



















  • 3




    That concept was widely used some years ago, but I guess the ebbs and flows of fashion left it behind. It might come back in the future, though. I suspect it has to do with the fact that you can probably sell both items for more than if you bundled them together.
    – Gabriel C.
    Dec 13 at 20:48











  • I just searched for "Doppeljacken" (I'm German) - with this I found a lot more. Is there a more common word in English?
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 13 at 20:50










  • "3 in 1 Jacket" Liner not limited to fleece.
    – Shannon Severance
    Dec 14 at 1:21













8












8








8







I'm currently looking for a couple of things for a Nepal trekking trip. Two things are a good hardshell and a thick fleece jacket. I once had a super cheap fleece + hardshell which I could "zip in", meaning that I could combine both to one.



Searching for hardshells and fleece jackets for trekking, I only found "Schöffel ZipIn". Why is this concept so rarely used?










share|improve this question















I'm currently looking for a couple of things for a Nepal trekking trip. Two things are a good hardshell and a thick fleece jacket. I once had a super cheap fleece + hardshell which I could "zip in", meaning that I could combine both to one.



Searching for hardshells and fleece jackets for trekking, I only found "Schöffel ZipIn". Why is this concept so rarely used?







trekking jackets insulation






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Dec 21 at 10:48









Ricketyship

5,81621961




5,81621961










asked Dec 13 at 20:46









Martin Thoma

26228




26228







  • 3




    That concept was widely used some years ago, but I guess the ebbs and flows of fashion left it behind. It might come back in the future, though. I suspect it has to do with the fact that you can probably sell both items for more than if you bundled them together.
    – Gabriel C.
    Dec 13 at 20:48











  • I just searched for "Doppeljacken" (I'm German) - with this I found a lot more. Is there a more common word in English?
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 13 at 20:50










  • "3 in 1 Jacket" Liner not limited to fleece.
    – Shannon Severance
    Dec 14 at 1:21












  • 3




    That concept was widely used some years ago, but I guess the ebbs and flows of fashion left it behind. It might come back in the future, though. I suspect it has to do with the fact that you can probably sell both items for more than if you bundled them together.
    – Gabriel C.
    Dec 13 at 20:48











  • I just searched for "Doppeljacken" (I'm German) - with this I found a lot more. Is there a more common word in English?
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 13 at 20:50










  • "3 in 1 Jacket" Liner not limited to fleece.
    – Shannon Severance
    Dec 14 at 1:21







3




3




That concept was widely used some years ago, but I guess the ebbs and flows of fashion left it behind. It might come back in the future, though. I suspect it has to do with the fact that you can probably sell both items for more than if you bundled them together.
– Gabriel C.
Dec 13 at 20:48





That concept was widely used some years ago, but I guess the ebbs and flows of fashion left it behind. It might come back in the future, though. I suspect it has to do with the fact that you can probably sell both items for more than if you bundled them together.
– Gabriel C.
Dec 13 at 20:48













I just searched for "Doppeljacken" (I'm German) - with this I found a lot more. Is there a more common word in English?
– Martin Thoma
Dec 13 at 20:50




I just searched for "Doppeljacken" (I'm German) - with this I found a lot more. Is there a more common word in English?
– Martin Thoma
Dec 13 at 20:50












"3 in 1 Jacket" Liner not limited to fleece.
– Shannon Severance
Dec 14 at 1:21




"3 in 1 Jacket" Liner not limited to fleece.
– Shannon Severance
Dec 14 at 1:21










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















12














I used to work at Eastern Mountain Sports (a New-England, USA, based chain of outdoor goods). Granted, I haven't worked there in over 15 years, but I know what you are talking about. It was very popular early 2000's up to about 2010. Whether due to fashion or pricing (like Gabriel C. has suggested), I also don't see too many combo jackets any more.



I'm not sad about the demise of this trend, though. I'm glad it's going.



The Zip-in feature is nice when you are in a casual setting, but, from a performance stance, you are leaving a huge strip of your torso uninsulated (or under-insulated) if you use the zip-in feature. My old jacket caused 2-3 inches (6-8 cm) of a gap where the insulation of the fleece stopped, and the zippers of the two layers went together. 2-3 inches might not sound like a lot, but, given that this was a strip running the whole length of the center of my torso, I never used the two pieces as one combination jacket when I was doing anything 'for real' outside.



It was also a problem of people mixing the brands. Even though almost all zippers in the USA come from YKK, exact lengths and sizes could vary enough to make mixing brands not 100% easy.



I vastly prefer to have a separate fleece under my wind / water shell, so I don't mind that this trend seems to have died out. If you want one lined jacket for everyday use, go for it. But I really think that the performance of two layers is better than the compromise that was the zip in fleece.






share|improve this answer




















  • Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
    – Chris H
    Dec 21 at 13:08


















1














They are a hassle to use. On every trip I've been on, I've adjusted layers a dozen times a day. The last thing I want to do is to take apart my liner from my shell.



It's much better to have separate layers. This also allows you to mix and match more, and when one wears out, it can easily be replaced.



Example: I have a MEC expedition wind parka, and several different weights of fleece. Summer trips I will carry lightweight polypro underwear, a medium weight fleece, and the jacket. Winter, I'll carry a heavier set of polypro, a heavier fleece that has a hood.






share|improve this answer




















  • +1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
    – Aravona
    Dec 14 at 16:09










  • Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 14 at 16:31










  • I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
    – Willeke
    2 days ago










Your Answer








StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "395"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);

else
createEditor();

);

function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);



);













draft saved

draft discarded


















StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2foutdoors.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f21257%2fwhy-are-zip-in-fleece-hardshell-jackets-so-rare%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown

























2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









12














I used to work at Eastern Mountain Sports (a New-England, USA, based chain of outdoor goods). Granted, I haven't worked there in over 15 years, but I know what you are talking about. It was very popular early 2000's up to about 2010. Whether due to fashion or pricing (like Gabriel C. has suggested), I also don't see too many combo jackets any more.



I'm not sad about the demise of this trend, though. I'm glad it's going.



The Zip-in feature is nice when you are in a casual setting, but, from a performance stance, you are leaving a huge strip of your torso uninsulated (or under-insulated) if you use the zip-in feature. My old jacket caused 2-3 inches (6-8 cm) of a gap where the insulation of the fleece stopped, and the zippers of the two layers went together. 2-3 inches might not sound like a lot, but, given that this was a strip running the whole length of the center of my torso, I never used the two pieces as one combination jacket when I was doing anything 'for real' outside.



It was also a problem of people mixing the brands. Even though almost all zippers in the USA come from YKK, exact lengths and sizes could vary enough to make mixing brands not 100% easy.



I vastly prefer to have a separate fleece under my wind / water shell, so I don't mind that this trend seems to have died out. If you want one lined jacket for everyday use, go for it. But I really think that the performance of two layers is better than the compromise that was the zip in fleece.






share|improve this answer




















  • Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
    – Chris H
    Dec 21 at 13:08















12














I used to work at Eastern Mountain Sports (a New-England, USA, based chain of outdoor goods). Granted, I haven't worked there in over 15 years, but I know what you are talking about. It was very popular early 2000's up to about 2010. Whether due to fashion or pricing (like Gabriel C. has suggested), I also don't see too many combo jackets any more.



I'm not sad about the demise of this trend, though. I'm glad it's going.



The Zip-in feature is nice when you are in a casual setting, but, from a performance stance, you are leaving a huge strip of your torso uninsulated (or under-insulated) if you use the zip-in feature. My old jacket caused 2-3 inches (6-8 cm) of a gap where the insulation of the fleece stopped, and the zippers of the two layers went together. 2-3 inches might not sound like a lot, but, given that this was a strip running the whole length of the center of my torso, I never used the two pieces as one combination jacket when I was doing anything 'for real' outside.



It was also a problem of people mixing the brands. Even though almost all zippers in the USA come from YKK, exact lengths and sizes could vary enough to make mixing brands not 100% easy.



I vastly prefer to have a separate fleece under my wind / water shell, so I don't mind that this trend seems to have died out. If you want one lined jacket for everyday use, go for it. But I really think that the performance of two layers is better than the compromise that was the zip in fleece.






share|improve this answer




















  • Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
    – Chris H
    Dec 21 at 13:08













12












12








12






I used to work at Eastern Mountain Sports (a New-England, USA, based chain of outdoor goods). Granted, I haven't worked there in over 15 years, but I know what you are talking about. It was very popular early 2000's up to about 2010. Whether due to fashion or pricing (like Gabriel C. has suggested), I also don't see too many combo jackets any more.



I'm not sad about the demise of this trend, though. I'm glad it's going.



The Zip-in feature is nice when you are in a casual setting, but, from a performance stance, you are leaving a huge strip of your torso uninsulated (or under-insulated) if you use the zip-in feature. My old jacket caused 2-3 inches (6-8 cm) of a gap where the insulation of the fleece stopped, and the zippers of the two layers went together. 2-3 inches might not sound like a lot, but, given that this was a strip running the whole length of the center of my torso, I never used the two pieces as one combination jacket when I was doing anything 'for real' outside.



It was also a problem of people mixing the brands. Even though almost all zippers in the USA come from YKK, exact lengths and sizes could vary enough to make mixing brands not 100% easy.



I vastly prefer to have a separate fleece under my wind / water shell, so I don't mind that this trend seems to have died out. If you want one lined jacket for everyday use, go for it. But I really think that the performance of two layers is better than the compromise that was the zip in fleece.






share|improve this answer












I used to work at Eastern Mountain Sports (a New-England, USA, based chain of outdoor goods). Granted, I haven't worked there in over 15 years, but I know what you are talking about. It was very popular early 2000's up to about 2010. Whether due to fashion or pricing (like Gabriel C. has suggested), I also don't see too many combo jackets any more.



I'm not sad about the demise of this trend, though. I'm glad it's going.



The Zip-in feature is nice when you are in a casual setting, but, from a performance stance, you are leaving a huge strip of your torso uninsulated (or under-insulated) if you use the zip-in feature. My old jacket caused 2-3 inches (6-8 cm) of a gap where the insulation of the fleece stopped, and the zippers of the two layers went together. 2-3 inches might not sound like a lot, but, given that this was a strip running the whole length of the center of my torso, I never used the two pieces as one combination jacket when I was doing anything 'for real' outside.



It was also a problem of people mixing the brands. Even though almost all zippers in the USA come from YKK, exact lengths and sizes could vary enough to make mixing brands not 100% easy.



I vastly prefer to have a separate fleece under my wind / water shell, so I don't mind that this trend seems to have died out. If you want one lined jacket for everyday use, go for it. But I really think that the performance of two layers is better than the compromise that was the zip in fleece.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Dec 13 at 22:05









Van

603110




603110











  • Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
    – Chris H
    Dec 21 at 13:08
















  • Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
    – Chris H
    Dec 21 at 13:08















Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
– Chris H
Dec 21 at 13:08




Spot on. I can zip my old (but still warmest) fleece into my (slightly less old) waterproof but don't, because the wide gap is made even worse by the rather coarse and draughty zips. My newer waterproof is admittedly lighter but doesn't support zipping in, and I don't miss it. The only times I tended to zip then together was when going in and out a lot without working too hard (various bits of volunteering that involved standing around outside)
– Chris H
Dec 21 at 13:08











1














They are a hassle to use. On every trip I've been on, I've adjusted layers a dozen times a day. The last thing I want to do is to take apart my liner from my shell.



It's much better to have separate layers. This also allows you to mix and match more, and when one wears out, it can easily be replaced.



Example: I have a MEC expedition wind parka, and several different weights of fleece. Summer trips I will carry lightweight polypro underwear, a medium weight fleece, and the jacket. Winter, I'll carry a heavier set of polypro, a heavier fleece that has a hood.






share|improve this answer




















  • +1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
    – Aravona
    Dec 14 at 16:09










  • Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 14 at 16:31










  • I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
    – Willeke
    2 days ago















1














They are a hassle to use. On every trip I've been on, I've adjusted layers a dozen times a day. The last thing I want to do is to take apart my liner from my shell.



It's much better to have separate layers. This also allows you to mix and match more, and when one wears out, it can easily be replaced.



Example: I have a MEC expedition wind parka, and several different weights of fleece. Summer trips I will carry lightweight polypro underwear, a medium weight fleece, and the jacket. Winter, I'll carry a heavier set of polypro, a heavier fleece that has a hood.






share|improve this answer




















  • +1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
    – Aravona
    Dec 14 at 16:09










  • Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 14 at 16:31










  • I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
    – Willeke
    2 days ago













1












1








1






They are a hassle to use. On every trip I've been on, I've adjusted layers a dozen times a day. The last thing I want to do is to take apart my liner from my shell.



It's much better to have separate layers. This also allows you to mix and match more, and when one wears out, it can easily be replaced.



Example: I have a MEC expedition wind parka, and several different weights of fleece. Summer trips I will carry lightweight polypro underwear, a medium weight fleece, and the jacket. Winter, I'll carry a heavier set of polypro, a heavier fleece that has a hood.






share|improve this answer












They are a hassle to use. On every trip I've been on, I've adjusted layers a dozen times a day. The last thing I want to do is to take apart my liner from my shell.



It's much better to have separate layers. This also allows you to mix and match more, and when one wears out, it can easily be replaced.



Example: I have a MEC expedition wind parka, and several different weights of fleece. Summer trips I will carry lightweight polypro underwear, a medium weight fleece, and the jacket. Winter, I'll carry a heavier set of polypro, a heavier fleece that has a hood.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Dec 14 at 16:03









Sherwood Botsford

6,77411642




6,77411642











  • +1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
    – Aravona
    Dec 14 at 16:09










  • Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 14 at 16:31










  • I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
    – Willeke
    2 days ago
















  • +1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
    – Aravona
    Dec 14 at 16:09










  • Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
    – Martin Thoma
    Dec 14 at 16:31










  • I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
    – Willeke
    2 days ago















+1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
– Aravona
Dec 14 at 16:09




+1 I have a two layer one and I use the outer coat but never the inner fleece
– Aravona
Dec 14 at 16:09












Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
– Martin Thoma
Dec 14 at 16:31




Usually, you can use a zip-in system also separately. It is a choice, nothing you have to do.
– Martin Thoma
Dec 14 at 16:31












I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
– Willeke
2 days ago




I did usually zip in once per year, but having the layers zipped together made it much easier to use in our relatively mild winters. For spring and fall the fleece would be worn as needed.
– Willeke
2 days ago

















draft saved

draft discarded
















































Thanks for contributing an answer to The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange!


  • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

But avoid


  • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

  • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


  • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

But avoid


  • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

  • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




draft saved


draft discarded














StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2foutdoors.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f21257%2fwhy-are-zip-in-fleece-hardshell-jackets-so-rare%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown





















































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown

































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown






Popular posts from this blog

How to check contact read email or not when send email to Individual?

Bahrain

Postfix configuration issue with fips on centos 7; mailgun relay