I think this is a great idea for an article. I enjoyed reading it. I noticed one spelling mistake under "Staying Cool" you typed "whay" instead of "why".
I suggest you add captions to each of the pictures in your article.
Thanks for writing this article.
By the way, a trick used on fishing boats "back in the day" to help keep toes warm was to rub red cayenne pepper (capsicum) on them, or sprinkle the pepper in one's socks. Capsicum stimulates circulation.
Also, keeping the lower leg warm, via gaitors (for example), helps keep the toes warm. By the same principle, placing a chemical hand warmer in the sock at the ankle, will help the toes to stay warm. The principle here is that the blood circulating through the foot is warmer coming in if the lower leg is warm.
I agree, there's a lot more that could be covered. I always try to make my articles clear and concise, so that the general browser is able to get a lot of information without glazing over on tons of details and exhaustive scenarios. On other all that extra information is really useful, especially to people who already know a lot about the subject.
I think Vasoconstrictors, consequences of cold (hypothermia, frostbite, etc), circulation issues, altitude (which I may add here), and other topics should be discussed - but I'm reluctant to put them here in the belief that they probably deserve their own article (which could be linked and integrated into this one).
What do you think, add a lot more content to this article or leave it for new articles, maybe a part 2?
Nice article. I think your paragraph on staying cool could elaborate on the best clothing to wear if overheating is the concern. There is a trade off between evaporative and convective cooling (as you said, bare skin is best) and prevention of radiative heating (and sunburn) by the sun (full skin covering is best). The best solution I devised when running/hiking in the heat and sun was to tie together the sleeves of a long-sleeve cotton t- shirt and put the loop over your head. The body of the shirt is kept wet with cold water if possible and rotated towards the sun so that it shades half your body while the side away from the sun is bare for good heat loss. As you change direction, rotate the shirt to the front, back or sides as needed. It won't score any fashion points but it's quite functional.
Also the reason people are tightly covered from head to toe in the desert is to protect against wind driven sand. If sand isn't a concern, something providing shade and good ventilation is best.
I also appreciate the rarely made point that (despite what the marketers of expensive wicking fabrics say) inexpensive, non-wicking cotton is cooler in the heat than wicking synthetics .
"***If an outer layer that traps air, such as a hardshell, windshell, or softshell, is used - materials intended to trap air on under layers adds and weight and resistance to moisture transfer without adding much benefit. Once an outer air trapper is established, in the interest of warmth the only important thing to create underneath it is loft. "
Does this mean that you should remove your shell before adding a puffy overtop as a belay layer?
As others have said there is quite a bit more to add. A good start nevertheless to this body of information. Of particular interest would be information about survival strategies in difficult conditions. There is more to keeping warm that our ancestors understood that we modern people likely have yet to discover.
Just the other night I saw one of the PBS Nature series features where one segment had one of we Westerners visiting the Siberian Chukchi people, who live much like our Eskamos but in some of the world's coldests conditions. Their large communal tents are made of reindeer skins and insulated in reindeer fur, and instead of sleeping with say reindeer fur blankets, at least some of the time they sleep within the tent within smaller body sized reindeer fur enclosures. The visitor remarked he was toasty all night while it was tens of degrees below zero outside.
"***If an outer layer that traps air, such as a hardshell, windshell, or softshell, is used - materials intended to trap air on under layers adds and weight and resistance to moisture transfer without adding much benefit. Once an outer air trapper is established, in the interest of warmth the only important thing to create underneath it is loft."
The above statement is kind of confusing and contradictory. You are saying that additional layers underneath a shell do little good and only hinder moisture transport but at the same time saying that loft inside the layer is more important. I would think that adding layers under the shell would add warmth as the warmth retained through the insulating layers will not be lost convectively. In other words, a fleece jacket will do much more good underneath a shell than outside of a shell because it won't generate any heat outiside of the shell in windy conditions. Is this what you are trying to say?
I'm a huge proponent of the action suit theory but this system only works if the insulating layers that go over the top of the suit are windproof or highly wind-resistant.
I really liked the image of where heat is generated in the human body. It really shows the importance of keeping the core warm.
Layers underneath a shell will absolutely add warmth. The point is that if you are wearing an outer air trapping layer and underneath you have a choice between a nylon lined (wind resistant) fleece jacket, a softshell, and a non-lined bare bones fleece jacket - they are all the same thickness - they are all going to add about the same warmth. The softshell and lined fleece jacket are not going to pass moisture as well as the standard fleece, furthermore both other options will be heavier than the standard fleece. So the point is, on mid layers that you intend to wear a shell or some other air trapper over - don't bother with wind or water resistance - just use the lightest/loftiest/best-breathing layers you can get your hands on. This is usually standard non-lined fleece, which also happens to quite cheap.
there's some typos in that statement and I'm still trying to find a way to use minimum words but convey the idea. I'm going to edit it.
I've traditionally used Merino wool as a NTS layer, which, based on your article, I now realized has caused me to get colder after activity since it leaves the moisture on my skin.
I typically don't have a problem keeping my core warm; my fingers and toes experience the most discomfort in the extreme cold. Also, can't down be worn as a loft layer? I prefer to have a weatherproof shell outside my down layer when it is possible.
scottsolinko - Dec 14, 2007 5:53 pm - Hasn't voted
Gloves
Most people first have an issue with their hands getting cold. A lot of the time this isn't because their core is cold, but because they are over dressed and their gloves are too heavy. Their hands start to sweet and soaks the glove, only to freeze when they stop. If the inside of your gloves get wet, they are USELESS. Best also to wear a liner glove and have a few that you can change out when they get damp.
Let me know if this works for you; I'd thought of trying something similar (as it seems like vapor-barrier socks but for your hands), but haven't had the chance.
nikolai79 - Nov 26, 2007 6:33 pm - Voted 10/10
10 pointsAlthough the article is under construction... I find the article very interesting.
Bart - Nov 27, 2007 3:25 am - Voted 10/10
Re: 10 pointssame here, nice work.
nikolai79 - Nov 27, 2007 5:02 am - Voted 10/10
Just a suggestion...Please add some picture to illustrate the article as soon as you can.
Thanks again for this article.
Regards from Spain ;-)
nikolai79 - Nov 28, 2007 12:32 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Just a suggestion...Good images dude!
Diego Sahagún - Nov 27, 2007 9:44 pm - Voted 9/10
VasoconstrictorsYou could talk about them and their relation with cold. For example, caffein.
Gracias
vanman798 - Nov 28, 2007 3:19 pm - Voted 10/10
Great Idea!I think this is a great idea for an article. I enjoyed reading it. I noticed one spelling mistake under "Staying Cool" you typed "whay" instead of "why".
I suggest you add captions to each of the pictures in your article.
Thanks for writing this article.
By the way, a trick used on fishing boats "back in the day" to help keep toes warm was to rub red cayenne pepper (capsicum) on them, or sprinkle the pepper in one's socks. Capsicum stimulates circulation.
Also, keeping the lower leg warm, via gaitors (for example), helps keep the toes warm. By the same principle, placing a chemical hand warmer in the sock at the ankle, will help the toes to stay warm. The principle here is that the blood circulating through the foot is warmer coming in if the lower leg is warm.
dpk - Nov 29, 2007 8:58 am - Hasn't voted
detailsany details on how long the exposure that resulted in the heavy frostbit fingers?
Dmitry Pruss - Nov 29, 2007 2:56 pm - Hasn't voted
Lots of terrain not coveredearly detection, prevention, tratment of frostbites
treating hypothermia
circulation issues (activities and wear enhancing and reducing circulation)
legends about alcohol, smoking, and drugs
science of chemical warmers
...
Scott Dusek - Nov 29, 2007 5:03 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Lots of terrain not coveredI agree, there's a lot more that could be covered. I always try to make my articles clear and concise, so that the general browser is able to get a lot of information without glazing over on tons of details and exhaustive scenarios. On other all that extra information is really useful, especially to people who already know a lot about the subject.
I think Vasoconstrictors, consequences of cold (hypothermia, frostbite, etc), circulation issues, altitude (which I may add here), and other topics should be discussed - but I'm reluctant to put them here in the belief that they probably deserve their own article (which could be linked and integrated into this one).
What do you think, add a lot more content to this article or leave it for new articles, maybe a part 2?
-Scotty
foweyman - Nov 29, 2007 6:20 pm - Hasn't voted
staying coolNice article. I think your paragraph on staying cool could elaborate on the best clothing to wear if overheating is the concern. There is a trade off between evaporative and convective cooling (as you said, bare skin is best) and prevention of radiative heating (and sunburn) by the sun (full skin covering is best). The best solution I devised when running/hiking in the heat and sun was to tie together the sleeves of a long-sleeve cotton t- shirt and put the loop over your head. The body of the shirt is kept wet with cold water if possible and rotated towards the sun so that it shades half your body while the side away from the sun is bare for good heat loss. As you change direction, rotate the shirt to the front, back or sides as needed. It won't score any fashion points but it's quite functional.
Also the reason people are tightly covered from head to toe in the desert is to protect against wind driven sand. If sand isn't a concern, something providing shade and good ventilation is best.
I also appreciate the rarely made point that (despite what the marketers of expensive wicking fabrics say) inexpensive, non-wicking cotton is cooler in the heat than wicking synthetics .
camerona91 - Nov 29, 2007 8:35 pm - Voted 10/10
belay layer"***If an outer layer that traps air, such as a hardshell, windshell, or softshell, is used - materials intended to trap air on under layers adds and weight and resistance to moisture transfer without adding much benefit. Once an outer air trapper is established, in the interest of warmth the only important thing to create underneath it is loft. "
Does this mean that you should remove your shell before adding a puffy overtop as a belay layer?
David Senesac - Nov 30, 2007 4:02 pm - Hasn't voted
good startAs others have said there is quite a bit more to add. A good start nevertheless to this body of information. Of particular interest would be information about survival strategies in difficult conditions. There is more to keeping warm that our ancestors understood that we modern people likely have yet to discover.
Just the other night I saw one of the PBS Nature series features where one segment had one of we Westerners visiting the Siberian Chukchi people, who live much like our Eskamos but in some of the world's coldests conditions. Their large communal tents are made of reindeer skins and insulated in reindeer fur, and instead of sleeping with say reindeer fur blankets, at least some of the time they sleep within the tent within smaller body sized reindeer fur enclosures. The visitor remarked he was toasty all night while it was tens of degrees below zero outside.
David Senesac
http://www.davidsenesac.com
Blair - Dec 2, 2007 11:46 am - Voted 10/10
Well DoneGood article, thanks for sharing~
strat1080 - Dec 4, 2007 11:31 pm - Hasn't voted
Good Info"***If an outer layer that traps air, such as a hardshell, windshell, or softshell, is used - materials intended to trap air on under layers adds and weight and resistance to moisture transfer without adding much benefit. Once an outer air trapper is established, in the interest of warmth the only important thing to create underneath it is loft."
The above statement is kind of confusing and contradictory. You are saying that additional layers underneath a shell do little good and only hinder moisture transport but at the same time saying that loft inside the layer is more important. I would think that adding layers under the shell would add warmth as the warmth retained through the insulating layers will not be lost convectively. In other words, a fleece jacket will do much more good underneath a shell than outside of a shell because it won't generate any heat outiside of the shell in windy conditions. Is this what you are trying to say?
I'm a huge proponent of the action suit theory but this system only works if the insulating layers that go over the top of the suit are windproof or highly wind-resistant.
I really liked the image of where heat is generated in the human body. It really shows the importance of keeping the core warm.
Scott Dusek - Dec 5, 2007 2:29 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Good InfoLayers underneath a shell will absolutely add warmth. The point is that if you are wearing an outer air trapping layer and underneath you have a choice between a nylon lined (wind resistant) fleece jacket, a softshell, and a non-lined bare bones fleece jacket - they are all the same thickness - they are all going to add about the same warmth. The softshell and lined fleece jacket are not going to pass moisture as well as the standard fleece, furthermore both other options will be heavier than the standard fleece. So the point is, on mid layers that you intend to wear a shell or some other air trapper over - don't bother with wind or water resistance - just use the lightest/loftiest/best-breathing layers you can get your hands on. This is usually standard non-lined fleece, which also happens to quite cheap.
there's some typos in that statement and I'm still trying to find a way to use minimum words but convey the idea. I'm going to edit it.
-Scotty
txmountaineer - Dec 5, 2007 1:06 pm - Voted 10/10
Thanks for such a great articleI've traditionally used Merino wool as a NTS layer, which, based on your article, I now realized has caused me to get colder after activity since it leaves the moisture on my skin.
Thank you so much for this!
Daniel
Brad Marshall - Dec 8, 2007 6:23 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice ArticleNice article Scotty. Just finished reading it while enjoying a cup of java in my SP mug! When are we going to get those little flags?
Brad
kunz82414 - Dec 13, 2007 11:30 am - Voted 7/10
What about my fingers?I typically don't have a problem keeping my core warm; my fingers and toes experience the most discomfort in the extreme cold. Also, can't down be worn as a loft layer? I prefer to have a weatherproof shell outside my down layer when it is possible.
scottsolinko - Dec 14, 2007 5:53 pm - Hasn't voted
GlovesMost people first have an issue with their hands getting cold. A lot of the time this isn't because their core is cold, but because they are over dressed and their gloves are too heavy. Their hands start to sweet and soaks the glove, only to freeze when they stop. If the inside of your gloves get wet, they are USELESS. Best also to wear a liner glove and have a few that you can change out when they get damp.
txmountaineer - Jan 2, 2008 3:42 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: GlovesLet me know if this works for you; I'd thought of trying something similar (as it seems like vapor-barrier socks but for your hands), but haven't had the chance.
Thanks!
Daniel