53
votes
Why don't climbers use electrically heated suits?
Edit: It turns out battery-powered heating in clothing actually is used on Mt. Everest: Hotronic makes battery-powered heated insoles that are used by Everest climbers, for example. Battery powered ...
- 599
40
votes
Why don't climbers use electrically heated suits?
Firstly there's the weight issue - as Paparazzi commented, batteries are heavy!
Then there's temperature - battery performance drops considerably in the cold
And finally reliability - if your ...
- 24.9k
23
votes
Synthetic breathable fabrics vs natural fabrics for 'live-in' hiking clothing?
A lot depends on the climate, on your budget, and on how much you sweat on the move.
Pros and cons of merino
Merino is the king if you want to prevent odour and a good quality top can feel acceptably ...
- 11.7k
21
votes
Accepted
How to keep my legs warm in winter?
One thing you can look into are long-legged thermal underwear - this wouldn't effect how you look on the outside as they go under your clothes and create an insulating layer to help keep you warm. ...
- 15.4k
17
votes
Accepted
What makes flannel so popular?
Besides being the manliest thing you could ever wear outdoors:
Durability
Have you ever had a flannel shirt, or pair of pants? If you have, then odds are you still have them. They are extremely ...
- 53.4k
16
votes
Blizzard Chaser: What to take on a 5-hour Blizzard Hike?
Drinking alcohol in a blizzard with potential for whiteout conditions is reckless, irresponsible, and possibly dangerous. Alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate, which leads to an increased rate ...
16
votes
Accepted
What to wear to walk to showers: clothes or towel?
I wear my swimming trunks to the shower. My wife wears a pull over sun dress (light weight, thigh length). We wear our shower shoes, we carry our towels and shower supplies. We usually just take ...
- 30.3k
16
votes
Do I need a hard shell to ski in sunny weather conditions?
As a beginning skier you will probably be falling down a lot. This means that you are likely to end up covered in snow even if the weather is nice. If you are wearing a soft shell, the snow melting ...
- 3,034
16
votes
Accepted
What are Filson hats?
Filson (C.C. Filson Co.) is a company that sells many types of outdoor hats.
The particular style of hat you pictured in your question goes by several different names.
Here in Canada it is ...
- 9,589
16
votes
Under what conditions are light coloured long sleeve shirt and long pants cooler than bare skin?
British people (perhaps among others) are known for removing as many clothes as practical or possible when it is hot. But in many hot countries, they don't do that: they wear more clothes, perhaps ...
- 3,849
15
votes
Accepted
Blizzard Chaser: What to take on a 5-hour Blizzard Hike?
Caveat: Heading out into a blizzard seems an easy way to get killed. Personally I'd only do it in dire situations.
Regarding your layers:
Cotton stores about 27x it's weight in water. This makes ...
- 8,418
15
votes
Is a full waterproof coat more important than waterproof trousers for hiking?
I can totally see your point of view as your coming from forestry or generally working outdoors, but this is fairly straight forward from a hiking point of view:
Hiking is walking, meaning work for ...
- 21.7k
14
votes
How do I disinfect my wool hiking socks?
Simply throwing them in the wash should suffice, but if you want to be extra sure the fungus dies, you could soak your socks in a 1 part bleach to 10 parts water mixture for ten minutes. Keep in mind ...
- 53.4k
14
votes
Accepted
What are the differences between alpaca wool and merino wool?
Alpaca wool is both lighter and warmer than sheep wool due to it being hollow. It also may be softer, depending on the specific herd of animals. This is a nice rundown of different types of wool.
...
- 721
13
votes
Accepted
Rain soaked leather jacket- how to repair?
It is normal to a certain degree that wet leather, after drying, is a bit stiffer than before.
The effects will generally be worse
the longer your leather was in contact with water
if the water was ...
- 12.6k
12
votes
Why not use a cotton base layer?
There is a difference between just soaking up water and "wicking". Cotton is hydrophilic, which means it likes to attract and hang on to water molecules. Unlike a good wicking fabric (which relies ...
- 32.1k
12
votes
What are the differences between alpaca wool and merino wool?
The main difference between alpaca and merino (or any other) wool is the fur itself. Alpaca is not technically wool, as it has a different construction. It's fiber, which is more like hair. Because ...
12
votes
Accepted
How to keep socks from wicking rain off pants into boots
GoreTex Gaiters are what I've always worn, and I've never had a problem with wet socks before. The GoreTex is nice and light, and breathes so you don't overheat or get very clammy underneath. You can ...
- 53.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Suggestions for a winter lifestyle
I also can't offer answers to all your problems but on a couple of points:
2) Coconut oil is very good at restoring moisture to your skin. It's quite 'light' in that it won't leave a greasy film on ...
- 647
10
votes
In cold conditions, will you freeze faster wearing wet clothes than not wearing any?
It depends a bit on the circumstances.
If you have just fallen in freezing water than stripping off will probably get you warm faster as wet clothing will usually conduct heat away from your body ...
- 6,202
10
votes
How to keep my legs warm in winter?
Long thick socks will help in 2 ways -- they'll reduce heat loss through your feet/lower calves and reduce draughts up your legs. Even 2 pairs of normal socks would be better than nothing. There are ...
- 25.8k
10
votes
Does wearing too many layers have any negative impacts other than sweating?
In cold weather, I'm the guy that always has way more layers on than everyone else. I don't let myself sweat though, I just suck at retaining body heat. Sweating is the primary reason for not over-...
- 53.4k
10
votes
Suggestions for a winter lifestyle
You are correct: Mittens work better than gloves, but are usually harder to find. The best mittens come as separate outers and inners.
They dry much faster at the end of the day.
If they soak ...
10
votes
How do I disinfect my wool hiking socks?
(Late answer here.)
A scholarly report discusses fungus and laundry
Several years ago, a scholarly report was published. The report's "Appendix A" discusses, among other things, how you should do ...
10
votes
Accepted
Differences between the right and the left trekking sock
Well, basically the difference is just that their design is mirrored. However, I have the feeling that your real question behind the actual one is "Why do they have to be mirrored?"
Compared to "...
- 7,502
10
votes
Why not use a cotton base layer?
Cotton doesn't wick away any moisture, it will soak and capture it. Furthermore cotton is heavy (compared to other materials), doesn't insulate, becomes wet very quickly, and stays wet for a long ...
- 517
10
votes
Do I need a hard shell to ski in sunny weather conditions?
tl;dr
I don't think you need spent big money on a new jacket just to go skiing if you have a serviceable soft shell.
You can wear anything you want. I know when the ski season is coming to a close ...
- 9,668
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible