[pct-l] clothing question

Tue Jan 15 08:45:53 CST 2008

Good morning, Wheeew,

It's hard to guess what someone else may need for insulation.  As L-Rod mentioned, tolerance to cold is a personal thing, varying considerably among individuals.  Reasons can be physical, situational, and mental.  I think the primary physical attribute in favor of staying warm is size: A large person may not only have a layer of subcutaneous fat for insulation, but they would also have a higher percentage of body mass for their skin surface area.  That configuration is not vary prevalent among long distance hikers.  I've been told I may have a an unusually high percentage of residual brown fat, i.e. brown adipose tissue (BAT), to help keep me warm but, since physiology isn't my field, I really don't know mitochondria from a hole-in-the-ground.
Situational differences require a bit of experience.  For most people, garment selection is based upon walk-around judgment: We put on a coat, go outside for a while, then say if it is, or isn't, enough.  This neglects the effect of heat production from activity.  One extreme example is an ice fisherman who sits in the cold all day.  The general rule for that situation is, estimate what insulation is necessary, then double it.  On the other extreme, if I started hiking with "average" insulation it would be too much and I would be removing layers within 10 minutes.  I'm generally warm from hiking all day, and I crawl into the bag soon after stopping and before I cool off.  The only real use for something warm is early in the morning while I pack my stuff and for the first 10 minutes on the trail.  I object to carrying an extra pound .. or two, or three .. just to be a bit more comfortable during that brief period.  For times when it's cold and I'm not active, my sleeping bag is my fall-back protection.  I mentioned that situation in my TrailJournal entry for 6 Jun 07.  It was cold, there was snow on the ground, and I had wet shoes and socks from fording the previous day, so when I stopped for a while to wait for another hiker I wrapped my bag around my feet and legs.  That was no big deal; it worked fine, and a heavier coat wouldn't have helped much.

The mental aspect is simple:  I just don't let myself object to being cold for a while.  Whenever I start worry about being cold I re-read my copy of Jack London's short story, To Build A Fire, and I realize what a sniveling, thumb-sucking, whiner I've become.

Steel-Eye

^^^^^^^^^^  Serious hikers gather at:  http://www.aldhawest.org/  ^^^^^^^^^^

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: G. Lowe aka Wheeew 
  To: Steel-Eye ; PCT 
  Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 3:36 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] clothing question

  You bring up good points Steel-Eye.  I was concerned about carrying "all things down" on my hike.  I was going to post a question regarding this same issue.  Here it is:  If I have serious Capilene long johns, a long sleeve shirt, DriClime wind shirt and rain gear, do I really need a down jacket too???  Or any other jacket for that matter???

  Wheeew

  Steel-Eye <chelin at teleport.com> wrote: 
    Good morning, Moondog,
    I haven't found the PCT to be particularly cold in the hiking season.  Frost in the morning and occasional light snowfall aren't uncommon, but that's nothing for an active hiker.  All I use is: 1) a poly tee shirt, 2) a 200-weight, pull-over fleece shirt/jacket, and 3) a thin, hooded windshirt.  The jacket is an off-brand that I bought on sale for about $10. and it weighs 10.5 oz.  The GoLite Ether windshirt weighs 3.0 oz.  Wearing both, I'm comfortable until I warm up on the trail.  Soon, first the wind shirt comes off, then later the fleece.  During a break the windshirt goes back on.  Examples of that can be seen at: 
    http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye on the entries for 5 & 6 June, except in that on the 6th the windshirt was a Marmot rather than the GoLite.  I couldn't do that with a Flight Jacket.  
    I'd love to have a Flight Jacket, and several times I've come close to buying one since it weighs about the same as my fleece alone, but for me it would be too warm and I couldn't get the same ventilation when layering.  Besides, the Flight Jacket costs over $210. more than the cheap-o fleece.
    I have three down jackets by other manufacturers, but in the more chronically wet areas .. like where I live in the Northwest .. they are usually too warm and they seem to get sopped around the shoulders under rain gear.  The fleece performs much better for me under those circumstances.
    I have several vests, both fleece and down, but I don't often take them on the trail.  My problem:  With advanced years I notice the cold on my arms more than I used to, so I like long sleeves.

    Steel-Eye

    ^^^^^^^^^^  Serious hikers gather at:  http://www.aldhawest.org/  ^^^^^^^^^^

    ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: David Stewart 
      To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
      Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 4:59 AM
      Subject: [pct-l] clothing question

      I am having some trouble deciding about an insulating layer. Everyone raves about the WM Flight Jacket. I have no doubts that that sucker is nice and warm. But I am a warm sleeper and generally warm all the time. I hardly ever use a 2nd layer while hiking, unless it is cold and raining. 

      I will have two baselyer shirts with me, Marmot Precip Jacket and a TNF Windstopper Vest. I am debating to go with the WM Flash vest, or the Flight vest. I could imagine the Flight Jacket being simply too warm, except perhaps in the Sierras (but there is some 2300 other miles of trails to carry the jacket...). 

      Layer up? or is it really that cold?

      my bag will be the WM Summerlite. 

      one last question to ponder: Is anyone slicker than Tom Brady? seriously.

      -moondog

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  -Wheeew-
  www.trailjournals.com/wheeew/
  ---->MexiCan----> 2008 

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