Page 71 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2019

water and cool you off through evaporation. That’s why it’s awesome in
summer when you’re trying to stay cool.

Wool and synthetic fibers don’t work the way cotton does. Synthetic
fibers wick moisture well. They work just like the wick in a candle.
They transport moisture along the fiber. Wool has the ability to both
wick and breathe. It can transport moisture along the fiber like syn-
thetic fibers, but moisture (still in vapor form) can also pass directly
through a wool garment without ever getting it wet. This makes wool
the ideal fabric for layers in cold temperatures. However, that property
also makes wool awesome when it is hot outdoors! I was skeptical at
first, to say the least, but it really is the ideal fiber.

A critical distinction needs to be made while we’re talking wool—
traditional wool versus Merino wool. Merino wool comes from an
entirely different type of sheep than traditional wool. Merino is a much
smaller fiber, two-and-a-half times smaller than human hair! That
miniscule size is why it doesn’t itch, but traditional wool often does.

Furthermore, all wool is naturally antimicrobial. Consequently, wool
doesn’t hold onto odors because the bacteria that cause the odors can’t
survive. Synthetic fibers can and do hold onto bacteria and can become
odorous.

So, back to layering. Merino wool is the ideal base layer. It also makes a
great second layer if you need one. The outer layer becomes a balancing
act between weather protection and breathability. If it isn’t breathable
enough, your perspiration ends up as condensation and you get wet. If
Wool has the ability to both wick wet snow is falling, you may get wet. Does it really matter whether the
moisture came from the inside or outside? Wet is wet.
and breathe. It can transport moisture
The layer we haven’t discussed yet is arguably the most important in
along the fiber like synthetic fibers,
the cold/snow—the puffy coat. You have two choices, down or syn-
but moisture (still in vapor form) can thetic, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Down is lighter,
more packable, more durable, more expensive, and won’t insulate if
also pass directly through a wool wet. Synthetic will still insulate when wet, but isn’t as durable, light-
weight, or packable. Synthetics may also be less expensive than down,
garment without ever getting it wet. but not always. The primary cost factor of down is fill power. That’s the
number you’ll see referenced (typically ranging from 500-850). The
higher the number, the more poof each individual feather has. Since
office than I do when I’m skiing. That’s because I’m active and producing trapped air translates to warmth, that means you can use fewer feath-
heat when skiing, but not so much when working on a computer writing ers to achieve the same amount of warmth. Those loftier feathers are
things like this. For outdoor activity, you should be chilly when you start a lot more expensive though, hence the higher price tag for the lighter
out and expect to get warm within the first 15 minutes of activity. jacket. The fill power doesn’t tell you how warm a jacket will be, the
loft does!
When selecting clothing, be sure to buy outer garments looser fit-
ting than your undergarments. This allows the necessary loft to trap So before heading outdoors, check your clothing to ensure a comfort-
air and help keep you warm. Buying every layer the same size will able, pleasurable experience.
have you squeezed like a sausage when you get them all on. Keep in
mind, though, that some companies adjust the fit of a layer based on its Bryant Helgeland is owner/operator of Mountain Provisions on the Plaza in
intended use and thus a size large undergarment may fit tighter than a Ashland. Active in several outdoor sports (Telemark skiing, XC skiing, road and
size large outer layer. mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, Kayaking), he has been a seminar speaker
on many of these activities. He took part in a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership
If you start out warm and end up cold later, you were overdressed School) semester trip to Chile shortly after college, the unintended highlight of
and sweated, and are now dealing with trying to get all that moisture which was climbing over the downrange bunker of a Chilean Army rifle practice
out of your clothing layers. If they are cotton, it isn’t going to happen range just before practice was to begin. During high school, he was a counselor at
until you cozy up to a fire or take them off and dry them via some heat YMCA outdoor camps. Contact him at bryant@ashlandmountainprovisions.com
source other than body heat. What cotton does really well is hold onto or the store’s Facebook page – ashlandmountainprovisions.com.

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