Questions tagged [insulation]
Questions about insulation or the insulating properties of gear
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Is it OK to use wash-in DWR on synthetic fill insulated clothing made with PrimaLoft? [duplicate]
I have heard mixed opinions on using wash-in DWR (i.e. Nikwax TX.Direct wash in or Gear Aid Wash In Water Repellent or Grangers Wash + Repel) for shells and other garments (some people say that it ...
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How does the R-value of goose down compare to cattail down?
I know that goose down is warmer than cattail down. But what are the R-values of each? How much warmer is the same weight/volume of goose down compared to cattail down? Is cattail down better than low-...
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Is sleeping on a yoga mat better than on an airbed during winter camping?
This is a follow up on question that my friend asked earlier, but I can't comment on. My friend and I have an ongoing argument about a question :
During cold winter camping (-20C air temperature, ...
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At what temperature should one switch from gloves to mittens?
Given comparable contstuction and insulation betwwen a pair of gloves and pair of mittens that are designed for winter / below 0C conditions, at what temperature range would mittens be preferable to ...
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Why are zip-in (fleece + hardshell) jackets so rare?
I'm currently looking for a couple of things for a Nepal trekking trip. Two things are a good hardshell and a thick fleece jacket. I once had a super cheap fleece + hardshell which I could "zip in", ...
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Primaloft vs Advanced Skin Warm
I am looking to purchase a ski jacket. I want it to be warm in the temperature range of -5ºC to -13ºC and have decent impermeability characteristics.
I am female, my height is 163cm, my weight is 52kg....
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Tent inside of a tent - any improvement in warmth?
I know that a pocket of still air is an excellent insulator.
Would placing a tent inside of another tent provide any substantive benefits to warmth? For a concrete example, consider placing a small ...
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How much does body fat actually insulate you against the cold?
I'm not a big guy, but I can sit in a cold pool of still water for a long time if I stay still and control my breathing, my skin gets cold, but after you get past the cold shock I can sit there rather ...
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Can Primaloft One be Layered?
I currently wear a Polartec Power Dry base layer and a 60g Primaloft One insulated jacket. This keeps me warm all the way down to about -10C when active(walking/hiking/Cycling).
At temperatures ...
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Old Down Sleeping Bag performance
I hear that because down feathers are so delicate, a down sleeping bag that has gotten a ton of use or rough use has significantly less insulating performance -- the feathers are broken down into bits ...
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Clarification need on layering principle for head in wet/rainy conditions
I've researched extensively and yet I'm still not sure what to do for rainy/freezing temperatures.
If I don't want to bring a beanie, how do I apply the layering principle to my head? Is it enough ...
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Will using a sleeping bag stop the body from adapting to cold?
The sleeping bag (at least as I've understood it) works in that way, that it uses the heat the body creates to create a layer of heat air between the body and the sleeping bag's border, therefore ...
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How much warmth dead leaves add if placed under your tent/pad?
During the fall season, fallen leaves from deciduous trees such as maple, oak, etc. can be found in abundance. Dead leaves can be gathered and placed under your sleeping system in order to sleep more ...
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Thermal rating on vintage sleeping bags
These days, almost every sleeping bag sold is given a thermal insulation numeric "rating", either the USA version or the more accurate European version. But vintage bags did not have this industry ...
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Different kinds of Down: comparing insulation
There's many different kinds of "down" filling:
"100% down" must legally be only down, while "down" can be any mixture containing down.
Then there's "fill power" ranging from about 400 to 1200, which ...
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What are areas of the body which lose heat more quickly, and how can I reduce that loss?
What are the higher heat loss areas of the body and how can I reduce heat loss in those areas?
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Which will drain less body heat: lying on bare earth or bare rock?
For years I backpacked without a sleeping pad, until one particularly chilly night during which I tried to heat up the earth with my paltry 98.6 degrees F (37°C).
In that instance, would I have been ...
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