Differences in fleece

I think I have all of my outdoor clothing bases covered except a good fleece.

I have...

very lightweight fleece
lightweight softshell/wind jacket (8 oz)
down jacket (15 oz)
pac lite rain jacket (13 oz)
TNF hard shell (beast)

I did last year and am looking to do some more winter camping, ice climbing, and I think a fleece is in general a more versatile/tougher insulation than say a down jacket.

What I want...

I want something breathable.

I don't need windproofing as I have the light weight softshell(7-8 oz). However, I'm not avoiding it, but, given the choice of a 25oz windproof fleece or a 18oz fleece and my softshell I'd usually go for the two layers.

If given a choice I'd rather be carrying something light.

Warmer is better. I'm thinking I want at least a 200 weight/equivalent.

I like a slim fit.

Right now the MH Monkey Man tops my list. Any other suggestions?

Don't know why you want anything else. One question is where you do your winter camping. Since you mention ice climbing, it's likely to be a wet environment (that's how you get the ice to climb, after all). PacLite isn't good for that - doesn't breathe worth anything, but is dry for standing around (I have two PacLite jackets in the closet of different generations, which always leave me dripping wet if I am exercising at all). You might consider an eVent jacket instead - waterproof and quite breathable. For backcountry skiing and ice climbing, I have an Integral Designs that works well, and a Wild Things and a Montane that both work well for more general use. I still use my Marmot Alpinist 3 (no longer made, but there is an equivalent) for expedition use, like Vinson last Dec-Jan.

Windproof fleece is heavy for the warmth level and doesn't breathe well. You might consider a Primaloft jacket instead of the down - being synthetic, it works well when wet. I have two, one an Integral Designs Dolomiti with hood (designed as a belay jacket for ice climbing among other things), the other a Marmot without hood. Primaloft is as close to down as a synthetic can get in compressability and warmth for weight (actually better than my oldest 500 fill down jacket).

Another alternative is a Schoeller jacket or one of the current imitations of the Schoeller fabrics. I find this breathes well, sheds water fairly well, is somewhat wind resistant, and is pretty tough for climbing, better than regular fleece. I have jackets and pants in this type fabric (both light and fairly heavy versions) from Cloudveil and GoLite. These aren't truly wind jackets, but are fine for when you are active (then put on something actually windproof as a shell when you stop at a belay spot).

Monkey Man is ok for a midweight fleece. There are lots of others very similar, including some that the fleece is recycled plastic bottles (I have one of these from Marmot, which is one of the best fleeces I have ever had). but you do need a windproof and potentially waterproof shell to go over any fleece - they are definitely not wind or waterproof.

If you would have asked me a year ago, how is one fleece different from another, I would have thought you crazy.

However, after looking around fleeces can be anything from a insulator, a wind stopper, or even a baselayer in some cases. In general, fleeces have become as finely tuned and varying as softshells. With very different uses and functions.

I knew I already had a very low weight, I think 7-8 ounces, softshell that was effective enough against the wind that I could always pair it up with whatever fleece I got. Some some of the more popular fleeces such as MH Windstopper or the mid range North Face fleeces would be too much.

I back pack, and have been fairly successful in getting my pack weight down to a very manageable 15ish pounds without food or water and depending on what clothes I'm carrying. Nothing shocking but if I could avoid a 25-32 ounce fleece I would be happy to do so.

What I was left considering was MH Monkeyman, 66 North Sulur, Patagonias R2 or R4 lightweight. As the other poster pointed out, I really don't need a fleece. So I wanted to keep this cheap, so the Monkeyman and R4 LW were out. In the end I found the Patagonia R2 for about $60. It's got a little higher loft than most fleeces and weighs in around 15 oz. It's got a slim fit which is good for someone as narrow as me.

If you have access to a sewing machine and don't mind spending a bit of time, you can make your own fleece jackets. There are a number of easily alterable patterns available and you can get quality 100, 200 & 300 weight and windblocker fleece from a variety of sources. It is satisfying to custom-make your own gear and it gets you a step removed from all of the advertizing hype and consumerist crap so prevalent these days. I made a 300 weight Maulden PolarTek jacket from a revised Green Pepper pattern for about $30. It weighs a bit over 13 oz. And, it works as well as any of the far more expensive "store-bought' jackets.