Winter is Coming
As the dark nights draw in, mornings become chilly and you start
having to wake up early just to scrape the frost off your windscreen, you
know winter is on its way. This year, don’t let winter catch you out. We
have put together the perfect guide to help you layer up for winter,
ensuring you stay warm and active this coming season!
STEP 1: THE BASE LAYER
In
the most general sense, a baselayer is what is worn next to or close to
the skin. It could be a t-shirt, long-sleeved top, or leggings, or a
more technical piece. To work effectively, baselayers should fit snugly
on your body. We offer many technical base-layers;
Icebreaker, Odlo and Rab to name a few. The more you move the more heat a base-layer
can trap, so the warmer you will be. Each brand comes in different
warmth ratings depending on how cold it is where you are going. All are wicking,
breathable and regulate your temperature to one degree or another.
•
Definitions
Wicking - Draws the sweat away from the skin and out to the next layers, which makes the wearer feel warmer and more comfortable and reduces the chances of chilling and hypothermia if you stop.
Breathable - lets air and moisture vapour through to the outside.
So what can we offer?
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Icebreaker - Merino Wool infusion
Merino sheep are regarded as having some of the finest and
softest wool around. Outside of New Zealand they have cross-bred with other breeds, so non-NZ Merino isn't neccessarily pure but must still be less than a certain thickness. Icebreaker use only New Zealand Merino wool in their base
layers; these base layers are breathable, and naturally
odour-resistant and fire-retardant. They possess a very high warmth-to-weight ratio and are great for cold climate expeditions where changing clothes regularly is unlikely to happen. Merino doesn't wick particularly well as it can hold 30% of its own weight in moisture without you feeling it. This makes it a bit slow to dry out, but that can provide cooling in really warm conditions (it's why desert nomads like wool). Our favourite use for Icebreaker baselayers is skiing and cold weather expeditions.
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Odlo - Original, Evolution, Revolution,
Original:
Classic warmth and comfort base layer, a more cottony feel. More static
warmth for if you are not doing constant vigorous exercise.
Evolution: Skin tight,
enabling more freedom of movement, with active warmth for when moving around.
The more you move the more these will keep you warm.
Revolution:
This innovative collection combines the very best of the two above. The
finest natural materials such as wool and silk are interwoven with
functional fibers into a highly modern product. The casual cut and
unique combination of materials make Revolution an absolute feel-good
product with the highest wearing comfort.
•
RabA classic
smart, comfortable, wicking base layer which is soft to touch, lightweight and breathable. It can be worn on its own or as part of a layering
piece and has integrated Polygiene stay fresh odour control treatment.
**We also offer many long and short-sleeved Tee’s and Vest’s that can work as a base layer.STEP 2: MID LAYER
The
mid layer is needed in cold weather to provide additional insulation.
It should be more loose-fitting than the inner base layer, as this leaves
insulating air between the layers. However, too great a gap between any
adjacent layers of clothing may reduce the moisture transfer by
capillary action from one piece of clothing to another. On the other
hand, very loose-fitting layers can allow more removal of moisture and
heat via air circulation.
 Emma wears a Rab Power Stretch Top
|  Emma in an Arc'teryx Delta LT
|
So what can we offer?
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Wool
Good
insulation even when wet, wool can absorb a considerable amount of moisture before feeling wet and transfers moisture well.
•
FleeceOnes
made from PETE or other synthetics have many of the features of wool,
but absorb very
little moisture and dry quickly. Like wool, fleece provides good insulation even when wet, but is a lighter material.
•
DownExcellent
warmth-to-weight ratio, and can be packed down to take very little room.
On the downside, it is expensive, makes a thick garment, dries slowly,
loses its insulating properties when wet or compressed, and can stop
lofting properly after being washed several times.
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Synthetic fibres
Thinsulate, primaloft and Thermolite are good examples of synthetic fibre being used to replicate down. It is less expensive, provides better
insulation when wet, dries quickly, and absorbs very little moisture. It does not, however, have as good a
warmth-to-weight ratio.
•
CottonA
cheap alternative, but a reasonable choice only for minimal activity where little insulation and
moisture transfer is needed. Most people involved in outdoor activities
would agree that cotton is a very poor material to wear in the outdoors
because it dries very slowly and does not insulate well.
STEP 3: OUTER LAYER
Ideally,
the shell layer lets moisture through to the outside, while not letting
wind and water pass through from the outside to the inside. While this
is enabled to some degree by modern materials, even the best and most
expensive materials involve a slight trade-off between breathability and
water/ wind resistance. If heavy sweating is expected, one should avoid
wearing any shell layer garments unless their protective properties are
essential. For example, when one is jogging, no traditional shell layer
is likely to be able to transfer enough moisture to keep the wearer
feeling dry.
 Emma dons a waterproof Hardshell
|  Emma with a Softshell
|
Our offerings
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RaincoatsComplete
protection from the water and wind, but let through no moisture - and
let’s face it, living in the UK you get plenty of wind, water and rain! Waterproofs can be breathable: essentially a thin, porous membrane that
blocks liquid water, but lets through water vapor (evaporated sweat).
The more expensive materials are typically more breathable. The
best-known brands are Goretex and eVent. The invention of ‘Pit-Zips’
(zips located beneath the armpits) help circulate hot air out of the
jacket, which increases breathability. Waterproofs can vary from the
very, very basic to a jacket suitable for extreme alpine
conditions. Each have individual specifications like pit-zips, tapered
seams, helmet compatible hoods or adjustable Velcro wrist straps,
depending on what the user wants and needs.
• Water Resistant SoftshellThe
term softshell is increasingly used to describe garments that combine
partial or full water resistance with partial or full wind breaking
ability. Most materials block water only partially, however, as
technology in the outdoor industry moves forward more fully waterproof
soft shells are emerging such as Polartec Neoshell or DryQ Elite. They
are usually more breathable, comfortable, thinner, and cheaper than
completely waterproof materials.
• DownThough
can be used like a soft shell, some extremely warm down jackets have a
built in “water- resistance” meaning they can be worn as an outer shell.
STEP 4: Accessories
Don’t forget about your
gloves,
hats,
buffs, scarves and
socks that will help keep those extremities warm and stop heat escaping this winter!
We hope you're now ready to layer-up against winter!