[at-l] Warming up after hiking.

[wolferrae@earthlink.net (Rogene Beers)]

Steve,
      Wool has been the tried and true method of keeping warm in the winter
for centries but I think the issue is more that wool does not dry out
quickly and weighs a bunch especially when wet.   Fleece weighs very little
and drys out quickley.   As for me wool just palin itches me to death
causing reddness and skin breakdowns. Allergic to of all things the lanolin
in the wool.
        If you are insistant on natrual products there are products from a
specialized small Ilama (Forgot the name of this animal)  Reportedly is much
warmer than wool and much softer.

Bear Wolf
Sorry my memory has failed to remember the name.  Anoy one out there konw
which animal I am talking about.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Adams" <stephensadams@hotmail.com>
To: <orangebug74@yahoo.com>; <delita@mindspring.com>
Cc: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 8:55 PM
Subject: [at-l] Warming up after hiking.


> Orange Bug,
>
> Reference your posts, dated January 4 & 5, 2002.  Thank you for your
> suggestions, and your thorough yet concise explanations.  I have a couple
of
> questions.
>
> Reference the post of Delita Wright, dated January 4, 2002.
>
> Ladies first.
>
> If I'm uncertain what the weather will be, especially how cold it may
> become, which is inherently true of winter hikes lasting even a couple of
> days in Virginia, I take a wool sweater.  FOR ME, a good sweater is
> inherently warmer than fleece.
>
> When I begin to feel warm wearing fleece, I know that within seconds the
> rate of my perspiration production will exceed the rate of it's
evaporation.
>   I need to remove something or I'm going to become too wet and,
> consequently, too cold.
>
> Fleece seems to restrict evaporation; wool sweaters, with their more open
> weave I suppose, offer better ventilation.  I can feel warm, wearing a
> sweater, without becoming wet from my own perspiration.  I remain drier
> wearing a sweater.
>
> I have found, if I remove my shell to avoid becoming wet, even when it is
> very cold, wearing a sweater over a shirt may be sufficient.  I hike
feeling
> cool but, oddly enough, warm at the same time.  If the wind increases, I
> will need to add or substitute the shell.  A sweater affords me a greater
> range of comfort.  (There is plenty of room for differences of opinion.)
>
> Bill,
>
> I consider the Vapor Barrier Effect useful as a survival technique, but
not
> as something to rely on for everyday camping. When someone who is relying
on
> the VBE recognizes his or her behavior suggests hypothermia, the effect of
> the Vapor Barrier Layer has become insufficient.  What then?  The combined
> deficits, fuzzy thinking and diminished physical ability, have exhausted
> much of the capacity for self-help.  Routinely relying upon the Vapor
> Barrier, therefore, reduces the room for error.  I don't know whether I am
> skeptical, based loosely upon science and logic, or merely averse, from my
> personal discomfort, to being wet.
>
> You advised, "This could really get interesting if a Vapor Barrier fan
gets
> going."  I'm not sure I understand your point.  I will appreciate any
> elaboration.
>
> I constantly juggle my gear list attempting to maximize comfort/safety,
ever
> mindful of the weight.  (This pursuit never really ends, does it?)  I
don't
> mind a cool feeling while I hike, but I hate being cold when I try to
sleep,
> or am engaged in camp chores.  In winter, I carry a quality down sleeping
> bag rated to at least the lowest temperature I expect to encounter,
> sometimes lower.  I also use a down jacket with removable hood, which
> unfortunately is heavy, for winter camping.  I have been considering
either
> using a lighter rated sleeping bag, and augmenting it with the jacket, or
> substituting a lighter weight jacket.  Your cautionary post is causing me
to
> reconsider; use the warm bag, AND lug the warm jacket along.
>
> You further advise, "Last March I got myself into a hazardous situation in
> the Smokies during a blizzard, alone.  I feel I was irresponsible taking
> such a chance."
>
> I appreciate you may feel uneasy discussing precautions to enhance solo
> winter hiking safety.  I recognize some may consider such statements an
> endorsement of solo winter hiking, which you have explicitly warned
against.
>   I hike alone.  So, I'm interested in precisely what you cautioned
against.
>   Would you have felt more responsible had you taken along more, or
warmer,
> gear, or was your feeling of irresponsibility due to something else?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Steve
>
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