Welcome, guest [login | register]

Posted by Bill S on February 11, 2008 at 2:00:53 pm EST
In reply to Layering 102 I thought I knew what was going on... posted by turneej on February 8, 2008 at 8:33:01 pm EST

Just got back from 4 days at the Bear Valley Telemark Festival, where I camped out in glorious weather. It was great to get out from the city on a cold clear Sierra night and see the stars again. This was a fairly warm Telefest, only getting down to about 10F on the coldest night. So layering was essential - start the morning with several layers, then shed them as the day went on, until the 45 to 50F temperatures of midafternoon, then add back on for the evening festivities as the temperature dropped back to 25F or so by the time we climbed back into our tents.

To get to the topic, lots of excellent posts here. In brief, "cotton kills" because it holds moisture and because when the fibers get wet, they collapse, causing the loss of insulation that Tom mentioned. Jeans are one of the worst in this respect.

Merino wool has been mentioned. Unlike traditional wool, it does not itch. But contrary to some of the posts, wool does pick up odors, as those of us who have spent a couple weeks in snow conditions can attest. It is not as severe as the old versions of polypro. The newer versions of polypro and polyester stay fairly odor-free even after 3 or 4 weeks of an expedition, and are equivalent to merino in that respect. However, keep in mind that synthetics are derived from petroleum and coal for the most part (some are derived from plant sources).

Tom, excellent summary on layering and fabrics.

Replies

View: flat | threaded

There have been no replies

Post a Reply

Before replying, please read the complete thread.