So my back seems to sweat, a lot. It isn't that big of a deal in the summer, but it's a gigantic frustration in the winter. If I wear any backpack, and even when I don't wear one, my back ends up super wet. Changing up my baselayers doesn't change things much. I'm currently using a Marmot Powerstretch half zip for cold conditions, which seems to work better than the others I've tried. The thing is, every other part of my upper body is perfectly dry and happy. This happens with and without any type of shell, hard or soft. Any tips to lessen this? My typical outing is a 3rd to low 5th class scramble with a several mile approach, and I do exert myself pretty hard. Is my only avenue slowing down?
I've tried alternating baselayers but they don't really dry out when I take them off and jam them in my pack, which sorta defeats the whole point.

I just keep an insulating layer ready for when I stop and get cold. My baselayer dries fast enough when I stop moving, take off my pack, and throw another layer on. I haven't done anything super cold where you'd need a down or synthetic insulation jacket on while moving. Other than that, I've been happy with my method!

in the winter, when you sweat, you have to make sure that after you're done exerting yourself that you keep the baselayer on, stay warm, and stay vented. you want all that moisture to evaporate and be let out through the vents. you will dry yourself out.

also, just because it's winter doesn't mean you have to hike warm. i left the trailhead on friday with 3 feet of snow and quickly started sweating. i continued the rest of the hike wearing just my bibs, no upper layers, just bare chested. be prepared to throw on extra layers though when you stop.

drpw wrote:also, just because it's winter doesn't mean you have to hike warm. i left the trailhead on friday with 3 feet of snow and quickly started sweating. i continued the rest of the hike wearing just my bibs, no upper layers, just bare chested.

I need a good laugh...photos please?

travel slower or dress less

the pack asks as a kind of VBL on the back ... there's no easy way around it

As the above commenters said, ditch the shell. Just hike in your baselayer. Take off your hat or gloves if you have to (it does help to cool off the rest of your body).

Damnit, I was hoping to be saved by otherworldly sage advice from everybody since you people seem to know everything. I've actually done the shirtless thing before, as well as frequently not wearing hat/gloves, and the same thing happens with lighter baselayers. I've worn really lightweight ones, to the extent that all of me but my back is cold, but my back still sweats, plus then I'm cold as well.
Unfortunately, it sounds like I need to just put up with it and evaporate it away like I've been doing. It just sucks setting up camp with a wet, cold back. Oh well, I'll live. Stupid back.

Twight, in "Extreme Alpinism," suggests a rather counter-intuitive solution to this problem. He describes (p. 97) using a vest that has a breathable front, but relatively impervious back (created, in his example, by cutting the arms off a windshirt and spraying the back with Scotchguard). As I understand it, when worn as close to the body, this would stop your sweat (which is inevitable) from soaking your outerlayers and thereby keep you from suffering rapid evaporative cooling when you stop and take off the pack.

I've never tried this, but it sounds like an interesting idea. Of course, this would only seem to work in very cold environs. If its warm enough out that you can stay warm while moving barechested, this wouldn't help much. Has anyone given this method a go?

spiritualspatula wrote:Damnit, I was hoping to be saved by otherworldly sage advice from everybody since you people seem to know everything.

i cant help but feel like we are the stimulation for such sarcasm

Sticking with something like a soft shell in good weather plus a base layer while moving would help in keeping you warm, and when you stop and take the pack off, as someone mentioned earlier throw a puffy coat on. Those things are made to keep your hard earned heat trapped in with you, instead of allowing the cold air around you to rob it.

Starting back up moving will be uncomfortable for a moment, but as you well know, once you get moving again, life is good and you are warm again.

blazin wrote: Using a vest that has a breathable front, but relatively impervious back (created, in his example, by cutting the arms off a windshirt and spraying the back with Scotchguard). As I understand it, when worn as close to the body, this would stop your sweat (which is inevitable) from soaking your outerlayers and thereby keep you from suffering rapid evaporative cooling when you stop and take off the pack.

Sounds like a great way to get the worst back acne of your life!

What you haven't mentioned is what kind of baselayers you're using.
I'm sure you already know this, but these are specifically designed to transport moisture away from your body...
I'm a big sweater as well, however with a couple of capiline (Patagonia) layers I don't ever feel as though there's a puddle of water evaporating off of my back, chilling me to the bone.

+1 to what WML said about using a good puffy to keep the heat trapped in when you're stopped. On big mountains or sub-zero treks- this is an absolute must. The puffy will also help absorb the excess moisture that's coming off your layers. It works like a charm and the smell of your puffy after a few uses will confirm this.


Your body is a furnace. Start out on an approach a little cold and you're gunna be just fine after 5 minutes. Buena suerte.

CSUMarmot wrote:

spiritualspatula wrote:Damnit, I was hoping to be saved by otherworldly sage advice from everybody since you people seem to know everything.

i cant help but feel like we are the stimulation for such sarcasm

Ha-
FWIW, the phrasing was in jest, but the content was honest. There's always somebody who read something somewhere. It's why communities are so awesome for knowledge.

Thanks all.

I've never used it, but this is might be worth a try. It's probably better in very cold conditions.

http://www.40below.com/product_detail_p ... ductID=310

You could try looking an an Osprey pack. The back of their packs have little cone-like devices that hold the back panel off your back for better ventilation. I own one, although I didn't buy it for that feature. But it does help somewhat. As already mentioned, it's inevitable that you will get wet there, but once you stop and put on another layer it dries very quickly.

Grampahawk wrote:You could try looking an an Osprey pack. The back of their packs have little cone-like devices that hold the back panel off your back for better ventilation. I own one, although I didn't buy it for that feature. But it does help somewhat. As already mentioned, it's inevitable that you will get wet there, but once you stop and put on another layer it dries very quickly.

Yeah, I've actually got an Osprey pack, and it does seem a bit better with that pack than others. And really what I was getting at is that I know how to deal with it, but that it's frustrating. Sometimes it's wet enough that I can literally squeeze sweat out of it, and getting all that into my puffy sucks after a few days.