From krash@mail1.i1.net Tue Nov 18 15:16:27 1997 Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 20:59:09 -0600 (CST) From: krash@mail1.i1.net To: krash@mail1.i1.net Subject: layering.html [NMS Logo] All About Clothing Layering Systems __________________________________________________________________________ The Layering Concept The concept of layering is known to provide both comfort and protection for those who spend time in the outdoors. With just three basic elements, an outdoorsperson can maintain total comfort in most any temperature or weather situation, and use the correct clothing combination based on the level of physical exertion. 1. Next to skin layer - Most importantly, this layer is non-cotton. It should also fit tightly, for the best wicking effect. 2. Insulative Layer - This layer provides warmth and should also be the most variable, because different activities/temperatures may demand more or less insulation. 3. Element Layer - Wind and water rob the body of warmth, therefore, choosing garments that are both wind and waterproof will benefit the user most. The importance of a non-cotton base layer cannot be stressed enough, as many a ski-patroller will tell you that the hypothermia uniform is jeans and a T-shirt. Cotton absorbs water readily and takes forever to dry, making it dangerous to use as a base layer because it can actually accelerate the body's heat loss. Synthetic long underwear is both easy to obtain and comfort enhancing due to its ability to wick, or pull moisture away from the skin. Also, most synthetic fibers are very quick to dry, often the heat created by a person's body is enough to dry them out completely. Insulative layers can take on many forms, and usually more than one is required, depending on the activity and environment. This layer is designed to trap dead air space so that a cushion of warm air surrounds the body. Low exertion and very cold weather may call for a bulky down or synthetic filled garment, while high exertion and very cold weather may be dealt with by using one or more layers of fleece or wool. It is extremely important not to overheat, as this will increase the amount of moisture vapor that leaves your body. A body at rest obviously requires more insulation than an active body at the same temperature. The Element layer prevents heat loss. There are three ways a body can lose heat. Convective heat loss occurs when wind takes away the thin layer of body temperature air around us, forcing the body to expend precious energy to re-warm this lost air. Conductive heat loss occurs when contact between the body and any object cooler that itself exists. This can be the rock you are sitting on or wet clothing, the main reason why cotton is so dangerous. Lastly, evaporative heat loss occurs when anything we are wearing is in the process of drying out. This last type of heat loss can actually be very beneficial on a hot day, people who dip their hat in the river or lake and put it back on are experiencing evaporative heat loss firsthand. The element layer is so vital because it can stop the process of all three types of heat loss, sometimes making the difference between life and death. 1. The next to skin layer is perhaps the most important layer because is almost always hydrophillic or water loving. This keeps the skin dry, vital for comfort in all conditions. No outdoor clothing system should be without this vital element, as this is the foundation that will determine the comfort and safety of the individual, especially in inclement weather. Capilene polyester by Patagonia, Drylete polyester by Hind, and polypropylene are all effective at wicking moisture away from the skin, this is our first priority. 2. The insulative layer or can consist of wool, polyester fleece, down, or synthetic insulation materials, exactly like those found in sleeping bags. With the advent of modern fleece garments, wool has lost some of its popularity. It is possible to gather enough fleece garments to cover every portion of exposed skin on the body, making fleece an excellent choice for any variety of conditions. Fleece is lightweight, easy to care for, sometimes recycled, and extremely soft and cozy. Wool is still used as an insulative layer, but the itch that goes along with certain woollens makes most people opt for fleece. Some fleece is actually windproof, the result of sandwiching an impermeable laminate between the inner and outer layers of the garment. This type is a weight and space saver because two garments, a windbreaker and insulator are combined. The lightest, most compressible insulation material known to man is down, nothing synthetic or natural has even come close to the warmth to weight ratio that down offers. The only drawbacks to down insulated garments are the initial expense and the risk of water saturation. Water will render a down garment worthless as far as warmth is concerned, but the item must be completely saturated to be in this condition. For extreme cold weather activities when time is spent waiting or sitting motionless, down is an excellent choice. However, for the fair weather backpacker or day hiker, most down garments are simply too warm. Synthetic filled garments are capable of providing warmth to the user even in wet or humid conditions, because the synthetic fibers do not absorb very much water. In fact, a saturated synthetic filled garment can be wrung out and worn until dry while still providing warmth, making it a good choice when travelling to rainy locales. When choosing insulative layers, try to match the insulator to the activity, keeping in mind that two thinner garments offer more flexibility and comfort range versatility than one thick, bulky one. Also be sure to keep rain and or wind gear easily accessible so that these vital components of the layering system stay dry. 3.The third and final element layer is vital to keep the rest of the clothing system functioning properly, wind and water are the enemies in this case. Many unfortunate adventurers might still be alive today if they had taken the time to select and pack along adequate wind and waterproof gear. One thing to keep in mind is that it is much better to have a waterproof layer than just a windproof one, because any garment that is waterproof is also inherently windproof. A great variety of final layers exists, and sometimes cosulting with a trained, knowledgable salesperson is the best way to narrow the choice down to garments that will perform adequately for the activities which will be pursued most often. For example, a backpacker in Costa Rica will definitely want a different final layer than a mountaineer in Alaska. Certain coatings and laminates do have limitations and often a simple, coated nylon shell is the perfect balance of price, function, durability, and weight. Often, the expense of waterproof/breathable clothing is a limiting factor, but many non-breathable waterproof jackets have features that enable them to breathe "mechanically," even if the material itself is not. This type of feature can be as simple as an underarm zipper that allows hot air to escape, or a mesh-lined chest pocket that allows fresh air to enter the jacket as the user moves about. Also flaps that cover mesh panels are effective in creating the "chimney effect," pumping out hot air and pulling in cooler outside air. Whatever your choice for the third and final key points should be considered. First, make sure the item is sized large enough to accomodate any and all underlayers. Second, waterproof/breathable parkas are necessary for those who engage in aerobic pursuits, so do not plan on being both active and comfortable while wearing a non-breathable waterproof jacket unless it has some type of mechanical ventilation features. Last, it may be of more importance to make the investment in a Gore-Tex or other waterproof/breathable jacket or parka than a pant or bib because the torso area of a person's body undoubtedly needs the ability to breathe more than the area below the waist. | Top of Page | _________________________________________________________________ Home | Our Catalog | Killer Deals and Wild Buys Sites and Links | Northern California Outdoor Guide and Gallery | Who is NMS Outdoor Gear Users Corner | Sign up on our E-Mail List Northern Mountain Supply 125 West Fifth Street, Eureka, CA 95501 800-878-3583, fx 707.445.0781 mtn@northernmountain.com From geo241@SACLINK.CSUS.EDU Tue Nov 18 15:19:57 1997 Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 07:09:54 -0700 From: George Parrott Reply-To: Dead Runners Society To: DRS@caligari.Dartmouth.EDU Subject: [DRS] Layering: The ONLY way to Winter Face There is much profit to be gained for our specialty sports suppliers selling us "high tech/high price" running apparel, but sometimes "less is really more." In facing the challenge of Winter running and outdoor "high intensity" workouts, the most expensive and speciality apparel items sometimes exist only as "profit items" for the sellers and NOT as ideally functional items for us. Gore-tex jackets, pit-vents, and other comparable technology features do have a place for the outdoor recreational world, but NOT as much for runners as might be suggested by the advertisements. IMHO, active outdoor sport produces so much body generated perspiration, that even the most technological of complete waterproof fabrics simply CANNOT transpire all that moisture (sweat). So the athlete gets soaking wet anyway from...their own body products. For ACTIVE outdoor sport, IMHO, Gore-tex or ANY of the fully waterproof-breathable, fabrics are still TOO impermeable to passing sweat OUT. For ACTIVE outdoor sport, the athlete is producing enough body heat that one does NOT need much insulation and what you do NEED, MUST be fully able to pass sweat AWAY from the body. Thus the BEST WINTER RUNNING clothes should be selected for LAYERING with each layer doing it's own special job. When selecting layering options, then as you do "warm up," you can optionally remove a layer, during the run, for more specific "temperature/climate" control. My recommendations for each "layer..." BASE...next to the body... Shorts, coolmax lining, microfiber or supplex, NEVER COTTON Socks...coolmax, perhaps double layer upperbody...polartec products available from any of a number of companies-- from high-end patagonia to REI and even Camp-mor (mail-order) Polartec 100 or even their mesh materials "wick" moisture away from the skin...and provide air-space insulation. head....hat, ear flaps, windbloc fleece, or.... gloves...windblock fleece or polarfleece or thermax... Insulation...intermediate layer feet...second layer socks, insulating layer (neoprene) socks, even...Goretex socks? legs...dri-lite, cool-max, or polartec 100 (or in colder climes, 200) fleece body...polartec 200 fleece or stretch 200 fleece hands..mitten shell over gloves...of microfiber...or even gore-tex Outer layer.... legs...microfiber windpants or supplex even (not as good) upper body..microfiber (silmond,pertex,versatech, etc) jacket {Note: Entrant, and Ultrex are almost as good as Gore-tex for breatheability and waterproofness and usually are MUCH cheaper IF one must go to this "extreme." But IMHO, get the lightest weight "gore-tex" like fabric available}. Even in the North of England, I can hardly think of a single time that I used Gore-tex for my actual running shell, though I have several Gore-tex alternatives. Because I try NEVER to "need" any of this stuff, I have usually found my "high end" alternatives on BIG SALE situations. I got an ASICS Gore-tex SUIT a couple of years ago for ....$75 and picked up a Gore Acti-vent hooded jacket at the Boston Marathon EXPO for $50. One of my favorite all time high end suits was an ultrant design from Bill Rodgers which I picked up at the Twin Cities EXPO one year for....$50. But the shells I use most often tend to be MUCH less expensive micro-fibers (e.g. about $40-50 retail) which are lighter, fully windproof, and over the right "layer" really comfortable in almost any wind/rain/cold condition encountered for a "runner." Respectfully, George gparrott@csus.edu From krash@mail1.i1.net Tue Nov 18 15:22:53 1997 Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 17:44:14 -0600 (CST) From: krash@mail1.i1.net To: krash@mail1.i1.net Subject: clothing.html = cookies.length) { return "";}var end=cookies.indexOf(";",index); var endindex=parseInt(end);var fix=0; if(endindex Home Tree Limb Clothing Tents Backpacks Sleeping Bags Camping/Cooking Clothing Footwear Hiking/Climbing Optics Resources --> Food/Art Travel/Leisure Paddle Sports --> Clothing "You're not going out in that, are you? Come on, I'll take you to Tent City and we'll shop around for some good outdoor clothing. On the way I'll give you some pointers on how to dress properly for your camping and hiking trips so you don't end up cold and wet! "Step in here with me to see what Tent City can offer you in outdoor clothing." Wondering what to look for in Outdoor Clothing? Waterproof or warm? or both? The climate you're in will effect whether your clothes need to be waterproof, warm, or both. If you're a person who loves to do three-season fishing, you'll be able to get away with coated nylon or PVC rainwear. These materials are very waterproof, but don't have much warmth value, so if you're out year round you'll need something warmer. What will you be doing? If you're backpacking, you don't want a jacket or pullover with seams that run across the shoulders. That's a potential weak spot where water could come through. If you're hiking or moving around a campsite, you'll want a waterproof, breathable fabric, like Gore-Tex(TM), Triple Point Ceramic(TM), or Micro-Shed (TM). Typically, these fabrics wear out in 3 to 6 years. For people who are very active but don't want waterproof clothing, there are many quality water-resistant breathable fabrics available, including Micro-Fiber(TM). Fabrics like Micro-Fiber(TM) are water-resistant because of their tight weave. These fabrics are popular with aerobic runners and are functional during light snowfalls or drizzle. Why am I getting wet? Some people ask why they feel wet in a waterproof, breathable fabric. The answer is found in a fabric's DWR or "durable water repellency." The DWR is evident on the outside of the jacket when water "beads" in the rain or snow. After extended use, the DWR will wear off. If you begin feel wet, it's due to water having soaked into the outer shell of the jacket -- which normally isn't waterproof. That doesn't mean water is passing through, only that some of the breathability of the fabric has been eliminated. When the outer shell is wet, it cools off, condensation is formed on the inside of the garment -- due to the water vapor that your body realeases as sweat. If condensation builds beyond water vapor, it develops into water droplets -- which can't pass through the jacket. Only water vapor can pass through a fabric. In order to keep condensation from building up, you have to maintain a garment's DWR. (The lack of DWR can also shorten the life of a waterproof, breathable fabric.) This is achieved by coating the item with an appropriate waterproofing spray. Fashion or Function? Outdoor clothing has come a long way in terms of style, performance, availability, fit, and price. It's also become a fashionable -- worn by urban dwellers who never venture past the city park, but who are attracted to the colors, fabrics, and look. Realizing this today's most popular outdoor clothing manufacturers combine performance with style. Bottom of Tree Basket Checkout Need Some Tips? Adventure Indoors/Outdoors Inventory Guestbook Home White Space