Layering clothes for the seasons

Can you summarise the articles, both were to long for me to read. In 30 degree summer heat, or slugging up a snow covered face, I normally just wear a single base layer... and it typically gets sweated out. If it is cold, I would put on a fleece, if it is windy I would put on my jacket.. If the bush is painful to bash through I would put on my fleece. Never found layering to be a overly complicated subject to understand.

Summary of the first bit: the more air that there is between the two bodies, the better the insulation is, so our goal is to trap and warm up as much air between our body and the cold air outside as we can. Wicking – a capillary action of moving liquid through a narrow space using opposing forces (gravity v heat), or: the movement of your sweat from the inside of your shirt to the outside of your shirt and then facilitating it drying on the big external surface. Breathability – the movement of air and vapour through a narrow space (fabric, lung membrane etc), or: warm sweat turns into vapour in your shell and then moves through the fabric of your shell outside and dries out. High loft insulation under a shell is redundant and inefficient as the insulation is not breathable and is windproof. Layering these garments under a shell means that the insulation will collapse, creating a complete loss of the trapped heat. All the synthetic insulations are “fluffed” polyester mircofibers aimed at trapping as much air as possible. The problem with synthetic insulation is that it struggles to keep its structural integrity in high volume, so it is usually used as a thinner insulation compared with down. The best way to use a synthetic insulation garment is as a quick overlayer when stopping your activity for a short time i.e: belaying a partner, a short stop in a hike, ski etc. The danger of sweat build up is not only real but life threatening. The idea is to use insulation that can be breathable, to allow some level of sweat evaporation. In this category we find names such as Polartec Alpha. To this end the author says we need: a synthetic jacket that can be used over your shell for any kind of break Thin down jacket – can be layered under the belay jacket for a low weight solution for extra warmth. 100g/stretch fleece jacket or pullover – this is your most basic mid-layer when the conditions are cold to put on under your jacket. For 3 season camping i.e. prolonged stasis: A thick down jacket and Fleece tights to boost your sleeping bag rating.

Interesting as I have evolved my gear to reflect his points e.g. when I stop, I put my down jacket on over my parka unless it's raining. I buy large sized jackets so they don't compress any down or synthetic loft jackets if I have to wear my parka over the insulation layer because it's raining. I have 2 parkas. One is to protect mid layers from damp outer layers e.g. if it's raining, I'll put on an insulation layer when I stop but I don't want the wet parka to make my insulation layer damp so I put on a very thin parka (100g driducks) over the insulation layer for the break and then the wet parka over that. If rain's predicted, I'll take a thin synthetic loft jacket and a thin down jacket. I see the synthetic loft is more crushable than the down jacket but my synthetic loft jacket is very small like an organ grinder's monkey's jacket and the down jacket is large so no danger of the synthetic layer being compressed plus the rain parkas are big and roomy deliberately so the insulation layers don't get compressed. In winter, I'll take 2 down jackets, and a synthetic loft jacket and no fleece midlayer as my base layer is highly technical (Mountain Hardware Transistion shirt) i.e. it has a windstopper next to skin layer, and a wicking layer that shifts the liquid out to the outer layer which then dries very quickly. They cost a bomb so only buy them at the sale price. Lydia Bradey called hers 'the magic shirt'. I only wear it in winter as they are too warm a baselayer for summer. I can't wear merino as a baselayer as it's too warm if I'm on the move and the one time I wore one I got a rash where the pack's hipbelt was sitting. I'd only worn it for 3 and a quarter hours in the rain and for a while after I got a rash sometimes in that region even though I wasn't wearing the merino. Each to his own. Polypro stinks so I wear polartech if I want a thermal fabric e.g. long johns. Merino/possum is very warm for its weight e.g. gloves, hats and in my case arm warmers but with a thin synthetic underlay as it is itchy on my arms. The socks are very macerating when worn on the move so only good as hut socks for me. My thin stretchy polarfleece trousers can be pulled over my boots if required. I see his missus wearing thin leggings and a massive down jacket. This doesn't make sense to me. I'd be wearing at least a pair of overtrousers if I was sitting outside at camp like she is or even stopping to eat my lunch. The next link says in very cold and presumably dry conditions to wear an insulation layer over the shell which accords with the first link's advice.

Thanks for the digest @Honara. Im with militaris on this though. Never had a tramping situation where high loft stuff like down would be any use. When on the hill a polyptop and a fleece and a raincoat have always been enough. I buy the raincoat a size too big twhich probably avoids compaction of the fleece and gets air pockets under it. Only times ive needed warmth have been in wet snow or extended river sections when down would be useless. Would you say this is aimed more at climbers who deal with colder drier conditions and periods of inactivity? Interested you recommend down. Ive always viewed it as a dangerous fashion gimmick in our climate ... nicely demonstrated by the strings of shivering Te Araroans I see arriving in saturated down jackets clinging to them like wetnylon sheets:: R=0

american and british articles for colder winter conditions than NZ

I bring a down/insulated jacket to wear around camp, or while fluffing around taking photos for extended period of times (Taking long exposures at night can get very cold, especially during winter). Sometimes wear it to bed. Never really wear it while tramping.

I always read articles like these and get worried if my body is naturally adverse to mountain tramping. I've always sweat a tonne. Being overweight for the last while doesn't help and makes it slightly worse but even when I've been really fit I just sweat a LOT. All these type of more alpine type clothing articles talk about making a layering system to minimise sweating as much as possible, but for me I find it's not much use. I've been out in below freezing at 10pm at night and all I had on was shorts, a polypro long sleeve base layer top and a midweight merino top (http://au.icebreaker.com/en/mens-jackets-vests/quantum-long-sleeve-zip-hood/101465.html?dwvar_101465_color=004) and I was very warm (while moving), including with river crossings. When I stop I put another layer on, but try saving my down jacket for just at camp otherwise my sweat would just wreck it. So I'm always a little confused reading these types of articles and trying to reconcile the wisdom of people with fare more experience than me, with the reality of how I feel when outdoors. I'm happy conceding that I probably am a little [insert the opposite of predisposed] to extreme cold climbing because just how much I sweat makes me more vulnerable in that environment, but it is somewhat confusing because I'm not experienced enough yet to disregard some advise. It's encouraging to hear like @militaris and @madpom then who seem to, without necessarily sweating heaps, not use or need a traditional layering system. I guess it's an art more than a science in some respects.

at the end of the day applying your own personal experience is what is needed, how much heat people generate can vary a lot. factors like windchill and rain often make the big difference in needing extra layers.. people with low body fat may be more likely to need more layers when they stop. how hard people can exercise can vary a lot and that varies heat production, there can be an eight fold difference in heat generated between rest and exercising...

I"ve seen the gear lists of some people for cold weather trips and i wouldnt be caught dead with the minimal amount of clothing they take, its something to a certain extent you may come to your own conclusion eventually as to what clothing is suitable for you.