Layering Clothing for Comfort and Survival Part Two

The base layer is the layer next to the skin and is the most important element because it forms the foundation, or base, of warmth and moisture control. A damp base layer is the main source of body chill. Wet clothing against the skin will transfer heat away from the body, at a rate up to 25 times faster, than one that is dry.

Many of today’s base layer fabrics are made from artificial fibres. Some fabrics only wick moisture away from the body when in contact with skin. Others will wick from the microclimate between skin and fabric. Modern fibres are designed to dry quickly and used to suffer from odour retention. The newest fabrics are treated to reduce the odours left after prolonged usage. More traditional fibres are making a comeback with the ‘reinvention’ of Merino wool base layers. Merino is very warm and comfortable to wear and resists odours very well naturally without chemical treatments. An important aspect of base layers is that the fabric is lightweight and sturdy so it doesn’t restrict movement or be uncomfortable to wear. Base layers come in different weights and the one you choose depends on the level of activity, prevalent weather conditions and how you react to the cold yourself. People with poorer circulation will need a heavier base compared to those who “run hot”.

In general, lightweight base layers are for higher levels of activity and moderately cool temperatures. Medium weight layers offer the greatest versatility, warmth and wicking when undertaking mid-level activities or cooler temperatures. Heavy or expedition weight layers are used for higher warmth when activity is low. Since the base layer is the most critical layer, and largely a personal comfort level issue, having several weight options available is a good idea.

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Layering clothing for comfort and survival Part One

Whilst out in the wilds, or your own backyard, your level of comfort and even your survival can depend upon your clothing. Why? Because you need to regulate your core body temperature and seeing as we, generally, don’t have fur, we need to use clothing to achieve this.

In the good old days, staying warm in cold or freezing conditions meant wearing so many thick clothes that it would be very difficult to move. ‘Michelin Man’ was order of the day! Luckily for us that technology has stepped into the breach and given us more options to help us maintain and regulate our core body temperature. The key to this regulation is called layering. The idea behind this is to combine clothing to optimise insulation, wind resistance, breathability, wicking, rapid drying, water repellency and durability without compromising your mobility.

The problem can be maintaining the desired level of comfort when activity levels vary and external temperatures change due to time of day or time of year. Early mornings are usually cold, but as the sun comes up and our activity increases, we tend to get warmer and sometimes too warm! Then temperatures once more drop as the day progresses. Throw in a stiff, chill breeze and things get more challenging. The key to dealing with such temperature variations is to use a flexible layering system. In the morning, you may well need to wear all your layers and then shed them as you warm up, and put them back on as you cool.
The number one rule for winter clothing layering systems is to never use cotton. Cotton absorbs moisture and does not dry very quickly and this moisture means loss of body heat. Cotton is great for cooling down the body in warm temperatures. Some people refer to cotton, perhaps unkindly, as cotton killer. Something to bear in mind when choosing your layers.

In Part Two I'll take a look at the first layer in this system, the base layer.

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Fox and chicken just don't go!

A little while ago one of our chickens went missing. She was getting old and was nearly totally blind and had often disappeared before only to turn up again. This time she didn't come back, so off I went for a little walk to try and find her hiding under a hedge or in an outbuilding.

I did find her, after a fashion, or at least the remains of her. She had been taken by a fox. This, and a few other piles of feathers were all that was left. Since she was blind she probably didn't know that a fox was about to get her and hopefully it was quick. She was a big girl so would have made an excellent meal!

One of the characteristics of a fox kill, apart from the pile of feathers, is the damage done to the feathers themselves. Foxes just rip out feathers in mouthfuls so the ends of feather always show the same kind of damage - ragged, torn ends to the feather shafts.

I also tracked the culprit for a short distance until it had gone through the hedge onto other land.

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Moving mountains

This last week really feels like I have moved mountains - literally! The work on the house is nearly complete but we have started a bunch of work on the garden areas. We have had the bottom, unused part of the garden dug out. We have dug out the space between the stables with a view to concreting it and had a wall built.

We have shifted about 15 tons of soil, 15 tons of hardcore, 8 tonnes of concrete and god knows what else. We are absolutely knackered. But the result is that we have a proper concreted area between the stables which is better for access and easier to keep clean from the chickens. It gives a better base for when we livery a horse here later on. We also have a fantastic stone retaining wall where we are going to have a fire pit, a new water feature and a bunch of new planting beds. Oh, and we have a new soil bank just inside our boundary.

So despite having spent the last week or so outside I haven't managed to do anything bushcrafty or wildlife-related. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometime!

Jetboil PCS review continued

A few blogs ago I wrote a quick review of the Jetboil Personal Cooking System. Well, I have used it a bit more and now have more to say about it!

I used it a couple of weekends ago whilst camping out in the woods - the weather was essentially dry but cold so first thing in the morning it was a bit damp. On the first morning I had left the Jetboil in the tent's porch overnight and the electronic ignition would not work! It lit with a match and then sparked OK after that. OK, thought I, must be the damp so I'll leave it in the tent with me overnight.

This I duly did. Next morning, tried the ignition and same thing happened. Once it had been used it would spark like a good 'un. So my conclusion is that it is susceptible to the damp. This in it's own right is not a problem as long as you are aware of it so you can keep another ignition source with you. Otherwise relying on its own ignitiion could make for some tealess times!

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Stormlite Ultralight mat review

First of all I would like to say that not all self-inflating airmats are made equal! I have had the Stormlite for about a year now and it is now not doing the job I bought it for. Let me explain.

This was the first self-inflating mat I had ever used. As a consequence I hadn't really noticed how well (or not) it worked because it was way better than my previous solutions! To cut a long story short, the last few times I have used it I have been cold. Now, some of this I put down to trying out a new sleeping bag (which I will review on another occassion) which was getting the blame for my cold, sleepless nights. Luckiliy someone suggested that it might be the sllep mat - so I put a blanket underneath the mat and ended up having a much better night's sleep.

Fantastic! Now this mat, in my opinion, is not up to scratch when used in late autumn. It seemed to be reasonably OK during the hottest months but even then I got chilly on some nights. I do run 'cold' most of the time. I have bought myself a Thermarest and will report on how it fairs when I get the chance to use it next.

So there you go - cheaper is not always better. The Stormlite was less than half price compared to the cheapest Thermarest and I now regret having been influenced by price rather than functionality. Lesson learnt!

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