Insulation; The Thermostat for Your Own Personal Bubble

• A crash course in layering and the options that you have to choose from. 

                                                                                                      

The Goal 

The idea behind any system of layering is to move moisture away from the body, and keep the water and wind out. Advancements in fabrics, materials and weaves have put more options out on the market for the consumer to choose from. Think of layering as managing your own personal bubble. You need to know what works best for you. When you understand how your layers function, and what they can do for you, it opens up all seasons for you to explore. 

Three Categories

The three basic layers are:

• The Base Layer
• The layer closest to the skin that wicks moisture. It should be the most comfortable and is usable year around. It is the first order of business for your climate controlled environment. 
• Insulation 
• It's sole reason for existence is to provide warmth. Depending on how 'heavy' the layer is determines the warmth provided. This is also another important barrier that keeps the wind out but lets the moisture out, taking it from the base layer and moving it outside the bubble
• The Shell 
• In the simplest terms a shell is the wall of the micro-environment. It is there to keep the elements out, the heat in, and move all moisture from inside to the outside. Depending on the environment it can be a soft-shell or a hard-shell, if it keeps the elements out then it is doing its job. 

Mid-Layer Options 

When you are go outside in the mountains it is important to keep yourself warm. You do that by not sweating out our layers. Starting with a good base layer, and finishing with a good outer shell. These are just a few examples of the options you have to choose from.

• Pull Overs
• A light synthetic blend long-sleeved shirt, that is normal a 1/4 zip for some ventilation. It is designed to be light weight, and provides a little bit of warmth when you are expelling large amounts of energy. They come in varying thicknesses and are an inexpensive lightweight layer.
• Fleece 
• Fleece is a heavier version of the pull over, and shares many of the same features. Fleece does tend to be found in jacket from for ease of use. This is a good second layer for any endeavor where snow is on the ground. The wonderful thing about fleece is that it will still provide insulation even when it gets wet. It dries quickly and keeps the wearer warm. 

• Loft
• Is the amount of air that an insulator 'captures'. The higher the fill power, the warmer the jacket. The trick is finding a coat that will keep you warm while you aren't sitting still, but breath well enough that you don't over heat when you moving.

• Down
• Is made from the goose feathers, more accurately the soft stuff beneath the feathers, creating fill powers from 300 fill all the way up to 900 fill. The lower the number, the lower quality of down that is in the garment. Higher fills come from mature geese, whereas lower fills come from younger geese. The higher the number and the thicker the jacket, the more expensive the product.
• Synthetic 
• Is similar to down in concept, where the goal is to capture air. However, science has not yet been able to create an equal to mother natures insulator. It is less expensive, but not as warm. It's a trade off. 

Pro's and Cons

Down is warmer, lighter, and more compressible. While synthetic is getting close to matching the warmth of down, it's not there yet. What synthetic has going for it is it will keep the wearer warm even if it is wet. If a down jacket gets wet, game over. It doesn't have any loft because the water is now occupying the space between the feathers. No loft, no warmth. Synthetic jackets will stay warm and dry quickly. If you are going somewhere that water is present, either in rain or heavy snow, bring synthetic. If the environment will be cold and little to no moisture that accumulates, down is what you want. Case and point, Mt. Everest. Its high, and cold, but the snow that falls there is light, and won't melt onto the garment. Down is the way to go. You can brush the snow off the jacket and not compromise the properties of the loft. Any where that moisture will accumulate synthetic is the layer to have. 

Staying Warm Without the 'Down' Payment 

The secret to being comfortable in the mountains is not carrying too much but having enough to stay warm. If you want more control over your personal bubble the way to go is layering. For example, if it is a high of 5 degrees, and you plan on being on the move, then you could bring one down jacket, or you could bring a fleece and a synthetic layer. Both will keep you warm, but with the second option, you have way more control over your internal temperature. The goal is to keep your body from perspiring, but also provides enough warmth when you rest. If you only have a down jacket the only thing that you can do is unzip it, if that doesn't work you have to take it off. Where you are in danger of become cold as you have nothing but your base layer on. If were wearing a synthetic jacket with a fleece beneath it, you could remove the jacket and zip the fleece up and be at a happy medium. Either option will cost about the same, all in for less then $300, but the layers will give you more control over your bubble.



Final Thoughts

Some things to consider when you are looking at either jacket are: hoods, sleeve cut/sleeve length, and garment length. If you plan to wear this under your shell, you probably don't want a hood as it will be uncomfortable, it should fit nicely under the shell. If you plan on wearing this coat as your outer layer then a hood and longer cut makes sense. Its all up to you and what you want to do with it. Having a good mid layer is a very important step to being safe and comfortable in the mountains. 

Check it out.



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