SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie Review

Ever since moving back east in 2020, I’ve been slowly revamping my gear collection to be better suited for east coast weather. Namely, moisture. After years of blissfully dry camping and backpacking out west (with the exception of the PNW and several coastal areas of California), I had forgotten about the challenge of staying warm and dry in an atmosphere that seems to never be dry.

There are a few good approaches to this, in my opinion, and one of them is fleece. So, I was excited to test out the Melanzana-esque CAMP hoodie made by SkyGOAT.

SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie At-A-Glance

MSRP: $99
Weight: 224g/7.9 oz (Women’s XS)
Materials: 100% polyester microgrid fleece

Men’s hoodie here.

Circumstances of Review

I tested the CAMP Hoodie from mid-winter through early spring while running and hiking in North Carolina. Conditions ranged from wet and cold to sunny and brisk, and I used the hoodie in a number of layering systems.

READ NEXT – SkyGOAT CAMP Jacket Review

Features & Fit

The SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie doesn’t boast a ton of features. That makes sense to me, as it’s really a very straightforward garment: it’s made of 100 percent polyester microgrid fleece and has a marsupial pocket and a hood. No zips, no clips, no drawstrings—just a minimalist fleece pullover.

Overall, the CAMP Hoodie fit a little loose. SkyGOAT actually anticipates this in their sizing commentary: raspberry hoodies (the colorway I tested) apparently fit a little big if you order your regular size. My regular size is an XS, and I ordered an XS, so… I guess that makes sense. They recommend sizing down if you prefer “a more normal fit,” but given that my normal size is an XS, this wasn’t possible.

When wearing the CAMP hoodie as a stand-alone piece, the fit really didn’t matter that much to me. The sleeves were a little long, and it hit me a little lower on my hips than I’d like, but when I was moving, I didn’t really notice these things. (For reference, I’m 5’2″.)

When wearing the CAMP hoody as a layering piece, the extra bunchiness was much more noticeable. If I hadn’t explicitly been testing its performance in this area, I likely would’ve selected a different layering piece.

 

Hood: The hood needs a little help to match other similar products. For instance, the Melanzana Microgrid has a high neck and a close-fitting hood with a drawstring. Other fleeces, like the Arc’teryx Delta Hoodie I reviewed a few years ago, also have high, straight necks and some sort of tensioner that ensures the hood fits tight around the face.

Unfortunately, the SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie doesn’t fit as well. Which, in my opinion, is kind of essential to the utility of a hoodie. I am not an engineer and don’t pretend to fully comprehend product design, but I think this is partly to do with the neck. The overlapping collar (which isn’t sewn together at the overlap) seems to encourage the hood to fall back even in the calmest conditions. When you add wind to the mix, it’s pretty much a lost cause.

As SkyGOAT continues to refine this product, they would be wise to revamp the hood with a cowl neck and either a drawstring or elastic to help it stay up.

SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie Features

Kangaroo Pocket: There’s a kangaroo pocket to keep your hands toasty when using the hoodie as a stand-alone piece.

Warmth: The CAMP hoodie felt very warm. I generally run pretty cold at all times, so I was pleased to discover that the CAMP Hoodie kept me comfortable when I was hiking at a moderate pace without really working up a sweat. When I was running, the hoodie was actually a little on the warm side if it was too warm out  (anything above around 55 degrees).

Breathability: The Polartec Microgrid pattern is designed to improve breathability without compromising warmth; I have to admit that I heat up/sweat very little and rarely have issues with breathability, so I may not be the absolute best judge of this, but I did think that the CAMP Hoodie was a good pairing of warmth and breathability.

SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie Pros

Comfort & Warmth: The material is extremely soft and feels very nice next to your skin. For maximum efficiency/safety, my go-to material in wet/humid conditions is nearly always wool. But gosh, it’s nice to feel the super-soft luxury of fleece. The material held up well through multiple washes and continued to stay relatively soft. The hoodie is also very warm, yet also breathable, when used in appropriate conditions.

Lightweight: The CAMP Hoodie is lighter than a Melly, and it’s also lighter than the Arc’teryx Delta hoody I mentioned previously. It would be an especially good choice if you were looking for a lightweight, moderately insulating layer that can stand up to a more humid climate.

SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie Cons

Odor: One notable drawback of polyester is the stink. This is both an acute and chronic condition. The garment smells worse faster upon a single use than it would if you were wearing wool. Plus, when you sweat into polyester a lot over an extended period of time, the stink slowly becomes permanent.

This hasn’t happened to me with the CAMP Hoodie yet, and honestly probably won’t because I’m a weirdo who doesn’t sweat that much. But if you are a normal perspiring person, just beware the stench-doom of polyester. Note that this does not have anything to do with SkyGOAT or their hoodies—it’s just inherent to the material and, I think, important to note in any gear review.

Material sourced overseas: While the material’s ability to hold stink is a possible drawback that depends on you, I will say that the material’s source is a definite drawback of the CAMP Hoodie. SkyGOAT is proudly local to Summit County, USA, and I am a proud purchaser of locally made gear. So I was surprised when I looked at the tag and saw “made in Taiwan” next to “Summit County USA.” I am guessing Taiwan is where the fabric is produced. This was so disappointing to me.

Given that SkyGOAT is aiming to compete with Melazana, that’s the comparison I’ll draw here. Melazana explicitly purchases its fabric from Tennessee and offers transparency about any fabric that gets processed in any way outside the USA. Locally sourced materials are so valuable in efforts to promote environmental sustainability and fair wages, and these values are very important to me in social and environmental stewardship.

I would love to see SkyGOAT change to USA-sourced materials. Or, at the very least, I’d like to see more transparency about whose labor is making this clothing possible.

The Takeaway

Overall, I think the SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie still has a little ways to go before it would be among my go-to items. They are trying to give Melanzana some competition by having very similar hoodies available for purchase online, but I actually think the fact that you can’t get a Melly online is part of what makes them so weirdly popular.

From a psychological lens, I think SkyGOAT is going to have a hard time competing with that. But if SkyGOAT makes some adjustments to the CAMP Hoodie fit and to their fabric sourcing, maybe they’ll prove me wrong!

Shop the Women’s SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie

Shop the Men’s SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie

Comparable Fleeces

Senchi Designs Merlin Hoodie

MSRP: $115
Weight: 7.2 ounces (medium)
Zipper: ½ zip
Note: Supplies limited

Melanzana Micro Grid Hoodie V2

MSRP: $78
Weight: 12.3 ounces (men’s large)
Zipper: No zip
Note: Purchase by in-person appointment only in Leadville, Colo.

Arc’teryx Delta Hoody

MSRP: $180
Weight: 8.1 ounces (women’s medium)
Zipper: 1/2 zip

The SkyGOAT CAMP Hoodie was donated for purpose of review.