Dressing For Cold Weather

Keith Thomas  0:00  
Welcome to Typical Prepping, the podcast for those who would like to start their own disaster preparedness plan, or those who have gotten started, but are not quite sure where or how to take the next steps. Each week, I'll present a disaster preparedness topic with actionable tips and strategies that you can implement to start or grow your personal disaster preparations. Thanks for stopping by to listen today.

Keith Thomas  1:06  
Alright folks, this is Keith and welcome to typical prepping. It's good to be back. As you noticed, I had to take somewhat of a hiatus from the podcast, I found myself in a dilemma trying to juggle life work and hobbies. So we had to take a little break. But we're back now. And looking forward to making it through the entire year without having to take a break, I also want to take this time to tell you about some new things that we're planning to do. The first thing is that we're adding to the show what I'm calling random thoughts, rants and observations. So what we're going to do here is once or twice a month, in place of a regular topical show, I'd like to interject some of my own thoughts into what may be prepping techniques, human behavior, or just rants. Now on these segments, these could be just random thoughts. These could be a combination of random thoughts, rants and observations. Whatever the subject matter is for that show can be put into its own category. Maybe this would be something that's beneficial for your prepping efforts may be a deterrent to a certain technique, or just observable human behavior that could benefit or impede your ability to be prepared for disaster. The next thing that we're trying to add is a better way to communicate. I love to hear from you guys, because your feedback lets us know, if these topics are beneficial. It lets us know that you're listening. And it gives us a building block to improve the podcast. Watch the show notes, because we'll be adding links in there that you can provide your feedback on the podcast, It could be feedback on certain subjects, you can let us know that you enjoyed a certain topic. Or you can even tell us about a topic that you would like to see us cover. The main goal of better communication is for us to build a community around the podcast and to improve the podcast in general. So watch the show notes. And by all means, send us your feedback, comments, or suggestions. We definitely appreciate hearing from you guys. So before we get into today's topic, I want to give a shout out to one of our fans who contacted us who was concerned as to whether the show was discontinued, or if we will be posting new content. I really appreciate what this person has done. And I just want to give a shout out to Joel Lopez, Joel, I appreciate your concern. And I really appreciate the fact that you reached out to us, you don't know how motivating your simple message was for us. And once again, thank you so much for reaching out.

Keith Thomas  4:02  
 So let's dive into today's topic, which is dressing for cold weather. On today's episode, we'll discuss how to properly layer clothing for cold weather. We'll also discuss the types of clothing and what materials to look for when choosing your winter wardrobe. Whether you're working outdoors or enjoying nature, the weather can get tricky during the colder months of the year. Fortunately, there's a solution. Layering long before the advent of thermostats and portable heaters. People would stay warm by layering their clothing. Today we'll look at what it takes to effectively layer for cold weather. Many of us have heard of layering your clothing in the winter to stay warm. Many people are never taught how to properly layer clothing. Some find out too late that their layering system is not working. So What is an effective layering system for cold weather. In this episode, we'll explore each layer that makes up an effective layering system for cold weather. We'll give you an overview of each layer with options in regard to types and materials used for each layer. 

Keith Thomas  5:19  
The first layer is the base layer. base layers are the clothing layers closest to your skin. This includes underwear, bras and socks, and maybe long or short sleeve. Base layers are normally made of moisture wicking materials, which may be synthetic or natural fibers. The purpose of this layer is to allow the materials from which the base layer is made to wick moisture away from the skin to reduce the body's natural ability to cool itself through perspiration. 

Keith Thomas  5:55  
Ideally, these materials will wick the perspiration from your skin out to the mid and outer layers to be evaporated. In order for this process to be effective, the base layers must directly contact the skin creating a snug fit. Now that we have an overview of what base layers are and what they do now let's look at some important aspects when choosing base layers. Let's look at the type of material our base layers are made of. base layers are made of materials which have moisture wicking properties, including polyester, polypropylene, nylon, and natural fibers like merino wool and silk. Baselayers may also be found that are made up of a mix of both synthetic and natural fibers, such as polyester and wool or merino wool and silk. When choosing a base layer, ensure that the materials from which they are made do not cause an allergic reaction or irritation. Base layers may be purchased in three weight types, each dependent upon the type and intensity of the activity of which you plan to engage. The first is lightweight, which is primarily used for intense activity. The second is midweight.  Midweight Baselayers provide wicking and insulation and are intended for low intensity activity. And then heavyweight. Heavyweight Baselayers provide moisture wicking, but are intended to insulate. Heavyweight Baselayers are intended for low to no activity.

Keith Thomas  7:38  
 I want to make an important note here, cotton should never be used for winter Baselayers cotton has the tendency to soak up perspiration and hold it close to the skin. This could cause hypothermia, because in the winter months, we want to get that perspiration away from the skin so that the body warms itself. So we're actually reversing the body's normal reaction to heat which is to perspirate and cool the body. We're wanting to move the perspiration away from the body so that the body does retain warmth. 

Keith Thomas  8:15  
Next we have the mid layers. Mid layers are the insulating layer. The made layer can be made up of one or more articles of clothing. This can be a wool shirt covered with a fleece pullover for example. Mid layer clothing can be made of synthetic or natural fibers, such as merino wool, fleece, polyester down insulated jackets, or synthetic insulated jackets. Merino wool shirts provide the feel and look of traditional cotton flannel shirts. And if you're worried about the itchy feeling of wool, merino wool is made of very fine fibers, which eliminate the itchy feeling associated with traditional wool shirts or sweaters. Merino wool is a wonderful insulator and provides a moisture wicking ability. Fleece and polyester are breathable and stay warm when damp and have fast drying capabilities. These materials however, will allow wind to blow through stealing warmth. If you prefer fleece, there is a product called Wind fleece, which has a wind blocking membrane to keep the wind out. Our next option is down insulated jackets. Down insulated jackets are insulated with goose down and this makes these jackets very compressible. They do provide more warmth for their weight and they do provide some water and wind resistance. However, should goose down become damp it loses its insulating efficiency. Synthetic insulated jackets, on the other hand do retain their insulating ability when damp and also provide some water and wind resistance. However, synthetic insulated jackets are not as efficient as down and they don't compress as well. 

Keith Thomas  10:11  
Now our next or last layer is the outer layer or shell. The outer layer or shell is the layer that protects from wind, rain and snow. It also prevents the inner layers from getting wet. Outer layers can be compared to the functionality of a raincoat. There are many jackets that are made of tightly woven nylon or coated nylon, as well as fabrics available for outer layers. Please check with your local retailer to determine what fabrics are available in your area that provide wind, rain and snow protection. The four common types of outer layer or shells available are as follows.

Keith Thomas  10:57  
First is the waterproof, breathable shells. This type of shell resist when and rain while providing ventilation. They are the most functional and most expensive of the three types of shells. The second is soft shells. This type of shell emphasizes breathability. They feature stretch fabric panels for comfort. These shells may also combine rain and wind protection. The third type of outer layer or shell is the water resistant breathable shells. This type of shale is suited for drizzly, breezy conditions, and high activity levels. This type of shale is usually made of tightly woven nylon and polyester and block light wind and rain. This type of shell is more affordable than waterproof, breathable shells, but provides less protection. Our fourth type of outer layer or shell is the waterproof non breathable shells. These are made of coated nylon. They are wind and waterproof. And okay for rainy days with light or no activity. When wearing this type of shell. If you exert yourself, you will saturate innerlayers with perspiration. 

Keith Thomas  12:20  
Some other considerations that we should mention here are your head, hands and feet. Depending on the weather conditions. Your head cover may need to be waterproof, or some type of natural or synthetic material to retain heat. Since nearly 70% of all body heat is lost through the head and neck. When considering the hands. Be sure to select gloves that are both rain and wind resistant. And for the feet consider sockliners. There are also neoprene boot liners available on the market that resist water associated with leaky boots. As we close Please also take into consideration the following. Don't let yourself overheat. Err on having too many layers. Peel off layers as needed. Stay hydrated, and if you're active, and then plan to be stationary, such as walking to a deer stand or ice fishing spot. Then plan on packing extra layers.

Keith Thomas  13:22  
 Some added shopping tips for choosing your layering system include research the products available, do price comparisons. Shop online at both big box retailers and online stores. Ask your local retail salesperson or outfitter for help when choosing your layering system. These guys can provide you with in depth knowledge of the types of materials and systems available to meet your budget.

Keith Thomas  13:53  
 That's it for this week, folks, thanks for listening. Join me next week for another preparedness topic. Until then, stay safe and be prepared.

Keith Thomas  14:03  
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Until next time, stay safe and be prepared!