Wicking layers
15Feb2007 Filed under: Outdoors Author: Jason LancasterI briefly mentioned the complications of layering clothing in my previous post, however it’s hard to explain why you should have wicking layers in the cold until you’ve experienced it. Primarily, the issue is that standard cotton clothing can’t dry out quickly, leaving you colder than you would have been if you had just left the shirt at home.
I happened to come across a blog entry over at Trailspace that I thought I should share that talks about the importance of wicking layers. Without it results in the following:
I now have a small, red, blistered patch of skin on the middle of my torso—mild frostbite. Next time it’s so cold I’ll leave the heart rate monitor at home.
6 Responses to “Wicking layers”
Leave a reply
I like swing dancing, climbing, programming, web applications, games, and being outdoors. I talk about all of these things and much, much more on this website.
Jill
February 15th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Interesting stuff. What kind of baselayers do you like? I bought a couple sets of the Hot Chillys Micro Elite something-or-others for skiing last year, and I liked them quite a bit. I need to get at least one more set, but I’m not sure if I should just stick with those (kinda pricey at close to $100 a set) or go with something else. Have any recommendations for a good, non-bulky, wicking baselayer with a close fit?
Jason Lancaster
February 15th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I personally like Patagonia’s capilene layers. They’re not nearly as expensive as yours and come in a few weights. I think Chris M. will have some great feedback on wicking layers, as he lives in a much colder area and does a lot of physical activity outside.
Jill
February 15th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Interesting you should mention those. I was actually checking out some of their sale stuff the other day and wondering if I could fit into a kids XL. Unfortunately, living in Florida, we don’t have a whole lot of outdoor cold-weather gear stores where you can try on. I did get a free subscription to Ski magazine just for shopping at Peter Glenn last year, though.
Christopher M.
February 15th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
My thought on picking a base layer is to choose something that feels comfortable next to your skin. This may involve a bit of trial and error. It is the base layers chore to pickup the perspiration given off by your body and wick to your other layers. I agree that you should avoid cotton as once it gets wet it stays wet and gets heavy. I would be a little iffy about polypropylene as some the early versions had a problem of becoming rope-like after a couple of washes. They may have solved the problems but I’m not sure. Any synthetic fabrics are a good starting point. From this point on, it is really based on personal preference and how much you want to spend. As Jason said, Patagonia’s capilene has a great line of base layers and they come in four levels with level one being the lightest and level four, the warmest. REI, Helly Hansen and Under Armor offer there own version of base layer products. When you out the hinterland adjust your layers based on your activity and intensity level.
Alan
February 16th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
same goes for when you’re sleeping while you’re out camping in cold weather. you can develop hypothermia if you sweat too much at night.
Christopher M.
February 17th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Passing along an article on cold weather clothing.
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/physed/research/people/giesbrecht/Cold_Weather_Clothing.pdf