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[at-l] Re: A Very Different Approach to Clothing

> > << I decided to try
> > using two layers, a Polartec 100 pullover right over my skin and an EMS
> > nylon anorak windbreaker over it. Polartec 100 was used instead of a
> > heavier fleece because the thinner the fleece the better it wicks
moisture
> > and the faster it dries. >>
> Michael, I checked out your web site and was intrigued by this idea,
however,
> I have a couple of questions.  #1) Doesn't the Polartec 100 fleece next
to
> your skin while you're hiking make you uncomfortably warm?  I wore a
midweight
> Capilene long sleeve shirt and in all but the most cold & windy weather I
> became warm enough while hiking to push up the sleeves.  As soon as I
stopped,
> even for a short time, I put on my polartec 200 pullover.


I only wear it in cold weather. As my Web page states, in warm rain I just
wear my Supplex shirt and shorts and get wet. In cool rain I wear the
poncho over the shirt and shorts, and in cold rain I wear the
Polartec/windbreaker combo and sometimes even add the poncho on top of
them, if necessary. I can control the temperature of the
Polartec/windbreaker combo somewhat by using the neck zippers of both
garments and the cuff adjustments of my windbreaker. The commercial
versions of this garment usually have zippers running all the way from the
arm pits to the bottom hem to help control overheating.

> #2) How about in camp in the evening.  If all you have then is polartec
100 &
> a nylon windbreaker, I would think you'd be pretty cold.  I wore my
capilene,
> polartec 200 & sometimes my Goretex parka when it was really cold until I
couldn't
> stand it any longer and had to crawl into my sleeping bag.  I don't think
> everyone is affected this way, but I always got extremely cold
immediately
> after eating supper.  Thank God for my down sleeping bag!  I'd like to
try
> your approach sometime, but just wonder how it would be warm enough in
camp.

If I get cold in camp, I get into my sleeping bag. I can cook, eat, and
chat from it just fine and it saves the weight of carrying "camp clothes".

> Another thing, do you have any idea how much this jacket combination
costs in
> the U.K.?  Is it available in their stores?  Does the company have a web
site?
> Thanks for the idea.

There are 4 companies in the UK and one in South Africa that makes this
type of clothing. The main manufacturer of it is Buffalo of the UK and they
don't seem to have any Web site. The other manufacturers do have Web sites,
but only sell through stores. I only know of three stores in the UK that
carry this type of product and have Web sites. Their URL's are:

www.servicesports.co.uk
www.cotswold-outdoor.com
eclimb.com

A shirt or jacket made of Pertex/Pile (as it's called in the UK) runs about
75 to 100 pounds, or about $125 to $165. Shipping would add about another
20 pounds (about $35). On top of that, there may be a tariff on imported
clothing that would be due to the US Customs. I have no idea what that
might run.

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
Michael Connick

E-mail: Michael_Connick@clmt.com
Michael's Ultralight Backpacking Page:
    http://www.monmouth.com/~mconnick/
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+


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