It’s great to see someone educating instead of just selling the next wonder garment. If you didn’t know this was put out by a manufacturer you wouldn’t guess it to be anything more than a how to from an expert. This is why I choose to purchase items from HPG instead of just going to Amazon.
Evan, thank you for this VERY informative video. I know I will be watching it again and taking notes. This was all straight forward, no bull, lifesaving information for the good of any who would venture into the outdoors. This was everything but a sales pitch for your products. It was from the heart and just sharing your knowledge of clothing systems that have worked for you. Be well...................
I’m intrigued by the portion of the video talking about how cotton dries faster than wool. This has been counter to my personal experience. I’ve been using merino base layers as well as thicker wool shirts the last few fall/winter seasons and the wool doesn’t get as wet (it wicks well and evaporates fast) from sweat and does a much better job than cotton at keeping body temp regulated whether you are sweating or not. The video discusses cowboy shirts specifically, is there maybe some secret sauce in the tight weave and thin fabric that enables the faster evaporation? Thicker cotton (duck, tshirt material etc) takes forever to dry it seems to me.
I think he’s just wrong about wool vs. cotton. Wool has a high level of crimp along with other properties that causes it to insulate and retain heat. His statement that wool retains heat because it dries slower than cotton is simply false.
If anything, it’s the exact opposite. A material that dries faster and wicks moisture (like wool does) is going to keep you warmer because it minimizes the amount of time your skin is exposed to a wet material which causes evaporative cooling. A faster cooling material actually keeps your warmer than a slower cooling material.
Master class , where I am it doesn't get too cold but whenever I go to the mountains it does get cold and I sweat buckets so this info is invaluable . Thank you.
Thank you Evan for this video, learned a lot. So, share something with you, if don't mind? 17:05 Because some folks, wearing polyester causes a feeling of being in a plastic bag and if not resting, causes sweating; add warm ambient temperature and sweat pouring out like when sitting in a sauna; blends no different. I also find tight woven cotton, like most T shirts, to be uncomfortable when sweating, gets wet, stays wet, whereas wool undershirts stay cool and dry. Have you tried bamboo, which is a synthetic silk, also called rayon, with wool? I myself prefer it over a 100 percent wool base layer, especially in summer. Cheers, Adriel
I've been curious about both bamboo and silk baselayers as better potential alternatives to not just wool but also synthetic. I haven't investigated them because once something works out well enough for me I tend to move on to other problem areas -- and synthetic baselayers have worked out well enough. Both of those options are certainly worth trying out for someone who isn't happy with synthetic.
We just moved to Southern Idaho from Southern California and this guide is a fantastic guide for how-to appropriately dress/layer for the climate. Thank you!
My problem with synthetic polyester baselayer is I stink in 2 to 3 hrs. My only exception is the Sitka synthetic baselayers. Even wool and polyester blends cause me to stink quickly. As John Barlow says some people just can’t wear synthetic. I fine alpaca wool to be the answer for me as baselayer.
Love your gear, and use it often. You are wrong in this video stating cotton as a base layer will dry faster then wool or a synthetic. Cotton is well known to hold moisture which makes it great for cooling in hot temperatures. Wool wicks moisture away from the skin, and still retains insulating properties when wet. This is why wool socks are so popular. Anyone who has worn wool pants in the snow knows this as well. The snow and moisture builds on the outside but close to the skin a level of warmth is still retained. Synthetic material is king for fast drying. Polyester for example does not absorb moisture like cotton and wool does. The moisture is in the weave of the material only. Their are many studies that back this up with a simple google search.
Been wearing wool in the snow since the 70s. Well aware of wool's performance (or lack thereof) relative to cotton and synthetics. Synthetic retains less water than wool or cotton and therefore is drier faster than either. However cotton does indeed dry a lot faster than wool, hence it's superior evaporative cooling properties for when you're wanting to cool down.
@@HillPeopleGear hmm your experience is different then mine. From my experience cotton retains water a lot longer then wool, that is why people wear cotton to stay cool. Wool wicks moisture away from the skin and even insulates when wet. Synthetics dry the fastest.
@@nrspence8258 wool insulates better than cotton when wet, but not much better. When it was wool or cotton, wool was the choice for staying warm. However, neither is particularly good when wet. Synthetic which doesn't retain water to start with is far ahead of either. Now if you start talking about an old school wool garment with the lanolin still on it to keep it from absorbing moisture, it's a different discussion. So far as I know, there aren't any such available these days.
Cotton dries real good when it's super-thin and the humidity is really really low, you put on a sweatshirt and it gets soaking wet dressed it's 40° outside with humidity about 85% and a North Wind of about 15 you're in serious trouble
this is great thank you so much for all the info you put out. i sweat like crazy and i have been getting better at less layers for winter but im going to search for a good shell (probably yours haha) and use just a base i think it will work for me.
I’m actually shocked out bad some of the information is in this video coming from a respected company like HPG. Wool dries very quickly and keeps you warm even when wet. You think all those sheep could survive in the fields if their wool layer didn’t keep them warm when they got wet? Cotton dries incredibly slowly and provides almost zero insulation when it gets wet. A material that dries faster doesn’t make you cold, it’s the exact opposite. Meanwhile, a slower drying material like cotton will cool you down and speed up evaporative cooling because your skin is constantly touching something wet. A 70/30 or 80/20 merino wool/synthetic blend weighs almost nothing, wicks moisture incredibly well, keeps you warm even when wet, dries quickly and doesn’t stink. The biggest downside for wool is that it’s not super durable. Full synthetics (literally plastic) are bad for being in the field or in the mountains. Technically they dry quickly and provide a decent amount of insulation but they stink horribly especially if you’re in the field for multiple days, I also wouldn’t be surprised if all that plastic leaching into your skin through sweat isn’t very good for you. I love HPG and own several of their products but surprised by how bad this video is. Maybe it’s because they don’t sell any merino wool products, idk but expected better. The guy who left HPG and went to spiritus systems is really knowledgeable on materials and they’ve put out videos that give factual information.
I know wool is a sacred cow that is very trendy. That doesn't mean it's great. Back when you had a choice of wool vs. cotton baselayers, wool was king because it stays warmer when wet than cotton does. However, "warm when wet" is pretty limited compared to synthetic. Primaloft retains 90+% of its warmth when wet, wool only retains something like 50% -- pretty abysmal in comparison. And yes, wool takes forever to dry. I live off grid and line dry all my clothing. When you're waiting for something to dry so you can put it away, you get a pretty good sense of what dries the quickest. Wool takes FOREVER, cotton dries quickly - if you're talking about equivalent thicknesses of material. Wool / synthetic blends like the socks I use dry more quickly than wool, but still more slowly than cotton. The only reason I mention cotton in this video is because it works well in the summer when you want evaporative cooling. The reason sheep do so well is that their hair is coated with an oil called lanolin. The fibers are completely encapsulated and don't get wet. It works similarly to dry down. It used to be that you could get wool garments with the lanolin still on, but it's been decades since I've seen any of that. I think wool / high synthetic content blends are pretty good, but not as good as full synthetic. And of course for stink, high end synthetic garments that are stink resistant are available. Last we talked, Kevin's field experience with wool is the same as mine - he's no fan of it.
This doesn't go very heavily into layering, but covers it somewhat. I should probably expand to cover clothing better: hillpeoplegear.com/Education/Equipage/30
EDIT: I believe I ended up answering my own question... you use the Mountain Serape... that's why your insulation goes over your shell... but I'll leave my initial comment as is after this edit anyway! ----- Some good info in here, thank you. I think I heard you say a few times throughout the video something along the lines of "...put my insulating layer over my shell layer..."Do you not always wear your shell layer as your outermost layer? If so, why? I've always put my insulating layers under my shell layer as opposed to over it.A quick note on outer shells... at this point, I've come to the conclusion that keeping two lightweight outer shells works best for me (but only wear one at any given time... swap as needed). One is a Bergans Super Lett jacket (of the "100% waterproof/windproof" variety) while the other is a Fjallraven Greenland Jacket (65% polyester 35% cotton, I don't wax it). I think the Bergans is 19oz and the Fjallraven is 24oz and both pack fairly small. This allows me to swap between breathability/fire resistance/wind, brush & wear resistance (Fjallraven) and protection from precipitation (Bergans).
There are a variety of things at play. I would never be moving in insulation. Too hot. So insulation isn’t something I’d be pushing through brush with or otherwise exposing to abrasion. Then there’s a field discipline I have of always layering up and down additively, not exchanging one thing for another or taking off to put on over something else. Since I’m moving in my shell, it then becomes natural to throw the insulation on over it. Keeps my moving layers warm and as soon as I’m ready to go again, pull off the puffy overlayer and shove it into the top of my pack. One exception is precipitation. In those circumstances I might be wanting to put a shell on over insulation to keep the insulation from getting wet. Wearing the shell over breaks my rule of never taking something off to put it back on but it’s worthwhile if I’m going to be static in precip for a while. In the case of dry snow, most puffy layers shed it just fine so there’s no need to protect from dry snow with a shell. The final piece is that it’s very hard for a shell not to compress the insulation even if it’s cut big enough. Particularly heavier shell materials. The weight of the material itself compresses the insulation underneath it. Particularly the higher loft insulations like 850 down and primaloft gold. I too carry two different shells - 90% of the time I'd be wearing the not waterproof but great in every other way HPG Windcheater. The other 10% of the time a highly breathable WPB shell for high winds or high precip. ETA: My WPB shell will go over my Mountain Serape and I've used it that way a couple of different times. It's a rare circumstance though. And all of the above applies equally to puffy jackets.
@@HillPeopleGear im looking to buy a couple jackets when you have them in stock. Just discovered you guys. My chest rigs just arrived so looking forward to trying them out.
Executive EDC We are trying to minimize classroom time this year by utilizing an online video portion to be viewed before you arrive. The majority of learning will take place in the backcountry. That being said we will have the opertunity to see creatures if they present themselves. I will say that Evan is a savant when it comes to spotting fauna, especially elk at long distances.
A lot depends on weather. Elk mostly winter lower than that location, but not always. Bears will still be asleep. Deer also may be at lower elevations still. The winter forest at higher elevations is mostly critter free.
what are your thoughts on wool socks? Darn tough seems like a popular brand, but wouldn't synthetic socks be better based on what you said about materials.
Socks are the exception... I use merino / nylon blend socks. There is simply no chance for them to dry out throughout the day. Make sure you put dry ones on every night before getting in the sleeping bag. 24 hours later, hopefully the ones you took off are dry again to repeat the process.
@@HillPeopleGear thanks for the response! Because of shoes, no fabric is able to dry throughout the day? they're the exception because of the anti odor properties?
Outdoor Research something. Don't have a real glove recommendation -- none of them seem to last as long as they should. Buy what you can find on sale and go from there. I am testing a new brand starting this fall. Maybe in a year I'll be recommending them.
Hi I’m a little confused Are you saying that I can wear ECWCS level 1 polartec silks tops and bottoms, level 2 polartec waffles tops and bottoms and the wind cheater? What about something over the level 1 and 2 like a fleece? Thanks !
Great line of questioning. In summary, we go base layer and windshell for heavy activity. When activity level drops, we throw a puffy layer over the top. We also vary the weight of the baselayer depending on overall ambient temps. For sustained moderate activity, baselayer - mid layer - wind layer is a fine solution. Goretex and the like is sometimes fine on the bottom as a wind layer. On top, it will almost always wet you out from the inside in even moderate activity.
@@HillPeopleGear I’m still confused what do you consider a mid layer? If I’m wearing level 1 polartec silks and level 2 polartec grid, the the level 2 a mid layer?
Actually, the worst thing about wool isn't weight -- it's that it takes forever to dry and while it's wet, it's not particularly warm. Merino is no different. In fact, most of my experience is with merino. I bought into the hype and wore it faithfully for a couple of years until I finally figured out through experience that it wasn't performing nearly as well as synthetics. No experience with silk. Maybe some silk liner socks a couple decades ago that I don't remember much about.
I think the way these chaps consider it, a soft shell has an insulating layer (such as fleece) built into it. The windcheater doesn't and is a shell layer that breathes well doesn't keep a ton of rain out.
Jedwoods has it right. When schoeller softshell first came out, it had only a very thin bonded fleece on the inside and worked pretty well if you didn't sweat much. Then softshell came to mean something with pretty significant bonded fleece inner layer. Those aren't very good for the outdoors. Recently, there are some things out there closer to the original type. Also, as you say, things termed softshell that aren't really because they don't have any bonded insulation. Those are simply shells to my way of thinking.
HillPeopleGear Thanks for the follow up. I have seen some termed "winter weight" softshells. I have always preferred unlined, so I can adjust the level of warmth through layering. I have a OR Ferrosi hoody that is probably similar in material, but your jacket appears to be laid out much better and allows room for more substantial layering.
OR Ferrosi hoody was my top pick prior to the WC becoming available. They are similar in performance, with the WC being a more robust and less stretchy fabric. It's 300d Cordura Ambush Cloth. I'm guessing the Ferrosi is more like a 150d fabric.
It’s great to see someone educating instead of just selling the next wonder garment. If you didn’t know this was put out by a manufacturer you wouldn’t guess it to be anything more than a how to from an expert. This is why I choose to purchase items from HPG instead of just going to Amazon.
also appreciate how modest you are with talking about many other options for clothing and not just yours.
He's the real deal
The most informative video on the clothing system on UA-cam. There's so much information here I will rewatch every time i start my clothing rotation
Amen, Brother.................
Evan, thank you for this VERY informative video. I know I will be watching it again and taking notes. This was all straight forward, no bull, lifesaving information for the good of any who would venture into the outdoors. This was everything but a sales pitch for your products. It was from the heart and just sharing your knowledge of clothing systems that have worked for you. Be well...................
I’m intrigued by the portion of the video talking about how cotton dries faster than wool. This has been counter to my personal experience. I’ve been using merino base layers as well as thicker wool shirts the last few fall/winter seasons and the wool doesn’t get as wet (it wicks well and evaporates fast) from sweat and does a much better job than cotton at keeping body temp regulated whether you are sweating or not. The video discusses cowboy shirts specifically, is there maybe some secret sauce in the tight weave and thin fabric that enables the faster evaporation? Thicker cotton (duck, tshirt material etc) takes forever to dry it seems to me.
You have to compare thickness to thickness. What we like to use in the desert is the thin tightly woven cotton.
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the reply! @@HillPeopleGear
I think he’s just wrong about wool vs. cotton. Wool has a high level of crimp along with other properties that causes it to insulate and retain heat. His statement that wool retains heat because it dries slower than cotton is simply false.
If anything, it’s the exact opposite. A material that dries faster and wicks moisture (like wool does) is going to keep you warmer because it minimizes the amount of time your skin is exposed to a wet material which causes evaporative cooling. A faster cooling material actually keeps your warmer than a slower cooling material.
Master class , where I am it doesn't get too cold but whenever I go to the mountains it does get cold and I sweat buckets so this info is invaluable . Thank you.
Wow. Great video. It's like a masters thesis on layering.
The only downside is I need to watch the whole thing again to catch all the fine points.
Thanks Evan. This is by FAR your best video. Very good info
Gem of a video on outdoor thermal regulation. Sound wisdom. Thank you.
Thank you Evan for this video, learned a lot. So, share something with you, if don't mind?
17:05 Because some folks, wearing polyester causes a feeling of being in a plastic bag and if not resting, causes sweating; add warm ambient temperature and sweat pouring out like when sitting in a sauna; blends no different. I also find tight woven cotton, like most T shirts, to be uncomfortable when sweating, gets wet, stays wet, whereas wool undershirts stay cool and dry.
Have you tried bamboo, which is a synthetic silk, also called rayon, with wool? I myself prefer it over a 100 percent wool base layer, especially in summer.
Cheers,
Adriel
I've been curious about both bamboo and silk baselayers as better potential alternatives to not just wool but also synthetic. I haven't investigated them because once something works out well enough for me I tend to move on to other problem areas -- and synthetic baselayers have worked out well enough. Both of those options are certainly worth trying out for someone who isn't happy with synthetic.
We just moved to Southern Idaho from Southern California and this guide is a fantastic guide for how-to appropriately dress/layer for the climate. Thank you!
My problem with synthetic polyester baselayer is I stink in 2 to 3 hrs. My only exception is the Sitka synthetic baselayers. Even wool and polyester blends cause me to stink quickly. As John Barlow says some people just can’t wear synthetic. I fine alpaca wool to be the answer for me as baselayer.
Love your gear, and use it often. You are wrong in this video stating cotton as a base layer will dry faster then wool or a synthetic. Cotton is well known to hold moisture which makes it great for cooling in hot temperatures. Wool wicks moisture away from the skin, and still retains insulating properties when wet. This is why wool socks are so popular. Anyone who has worn wool pants in the snow knows this as well. The snow and moisture builds on the outside but close to the skin a level of warmth is still retained. Synthetic material is king for fast drying. Polyester for example does not absorb moisture like cotton and wool does. The moisture is in the weave of the material only. Their are many studies that back this up with a simple google search.
Been wearing wool in the snow since the 70s. Well aware of wool's performance (or lack thereof) relative to cotton and synthetics. Synthetic retains less water than wool or cotton and therefore is drier faster than either. However cotton does indeed dry a lot faster than wool, hence it's superior evaporative cooling properties for when you're wanting to cool down.
@@HillPeopleGear hmm your experience is different then mine. From my experience cotton retains water a lot longer then wool, that is why people wear cotton to stay cool. Wool wicks moisture away from the skin and even insulates when wet. Synthetics dry the fastest.
@@nrspence8258 wool insulates better than cotton when wet, but not much better. When it was wool or cotton, wool was the choice for staying warm. However, neither is particularly good when wet. Synthetic which doesn't retain water to start with is far ahead of either. Now if you start talking about an old school wool garment with the lanolin still on it to keep it from absorbing moisture, it's a different discussion. So far as I know, there aren't any such available these days.
Thank you for sharing your experience and opinion Evan.
Looking forward to more videos and HPG products. We rely on them.
Best regards.
Denis
Great video! Awesome content! Thank you for sharing your years of knowledge.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge and I ordered the book. As a farmer I am always interested in animal behaviour.
Your products rock!
Cotton dries real good when it's super-thin and the humidity is really really low, you put on a sweatshirt and it gets soaking wet dressed it's 40° outside with humidity about 85% and a North Wind of about 15 you're in serious trouble
Agreed
this is great thank you so much for all the info you put out. i sweat like crazy and i have been getting better at less layers for winter but im going to search for a good shell (probably yours haha) and use just a base i think it will work for me.
We need the video on winter boots!!
Discovered TREW cosmic jacket/hard shell....excellent.
Wish I knew the wind cheater existed, also looks 👍👍
When is this mountain parka going to become a reality? Also, what do you use to attach your knife to the bottom of your kitbag? Thanks!
Just heard you say you don’t want to wear a base layer under grid fleece.
Aren’t USGI level 1 and level 2 designed to be worn together?
What pants are those?
Waiting expectantly for your windcheater to be back in stock in my size :)
Great video
Great video! I watched a couole of your videos, just one question. What pants are you wearing?
I’m actually shocked out bad some of the information is in this video coming from a respected company like HPG. Wool dries very quickly and keeps you warm even when wet. You think all those sheep could survive in the fields if their wool layer didn’t keep them warm when they got wet? Cotton dries incredibly slowly and provides almost zero insulation when it gets wet. A material that dries faster doesn’t make you cold, it’s the exact opposite. Meanwhile, a slower drying material like cotton will cool you down and speed up evaporative cooling because your skin is constantly touching something wet. A 70/30 or 80/20 merino wool/synthetic blend weighs almost nothing, wicks moisture incredibly well, keeps you warm even when wet, dries quickly and doesn’t stink. The biggest downside for wool is that it’s not super durable. Full synthetics (literally plastic) are bad for being in the field or in the mountains. Technically they dry quickly and provide a decent amount of insulation but they stink horribly especially if you’re in the field for multiple days, I also wouldn’t be surprised if all that plastic leaching into your skin through sweat isn’t very good for you. I love HPG and own several of their products but surprised by how bad this video is. Maybe it’s because they don’t sell any merino wool products, idk but expected better. The guy who left HPG and went to spiritus systems is really knowledgeable on materials and they’ve put out videos that give factual information.
I know wool is a sacred cow that is very trendy. That doesn't mean it's great. Back when you had a choice of wool vs. cotton baselayers, wool was king because it stays warmer when wet than cotton does. However, "warm when wet" is pretty limited compared to synthetic. Primaloft retains 90+% of its warmth when wet, wool only retains something like 50% -- pretty abysmal in comparison. And yes, wool takes forever to dry. I live off grid and line dry all my clothing. When you're waiting for something to dry so you can put it away, you get a pretty good sense of what dries the quickest. Wool takes FOREVER, cotton dries quickly - if you're talking about equivalent thicknesses of material. Wool / synthetic blends like the socks I use dry more quickly than wool, but still more slowly than cotton. The only reason I mention cotton in this video is because it works well in the summer when you want evaporative cooling. The reason sheep do so well is that their hair is coated with an oil called lanolin. The fibers are completely encapsulated and don't get wet. It works similarly to dry down. It used to be that you could get wool garments with the lanolin still on, but it's been decades since I've seen any of that. I think wool / high synthetic content blends are pretty good, but not as good as full synthetic. And of course for stink, high end synthetic garments that are stink resistant are available. Last we talked, Kevin's field experience with wool is the same as mine - he's no fan of it.
Interesting video, but I'd prefer a text, because it's much easier to search in text and to reread it again if you missed something then rewind video.
This doesn't go very heavily into layering, but covers it somewhat. I should probably expand to cover clothing better: hillpeoplegear.com/Education/Equipage/30
EDIT: I believe I ended up answering my own question... you use the Mountain Serape... that's why your insulation goes over your shell... but I'll leave my initial comment as is after this edit anyway! ----- Some good info in here, thank you. I think I heard you say a few times throughout the video something along the lines of "...put my insulating layer over my shell layer..."Do you not always wear your shell layer as your outermost layer? If so, why? I've always put my insulating layers under my shell layer as opposed to over it.A quick note on outer shells... at this point, I've come to the conclusion that keeping two lightweight outer shells works best for me (but only wear one at any given time... swap as needed). One is a Bergans Super Lett jacket (of the "100% waterproof/windproof" variety) while the other is a Fjallraven Greenland Jacket (65% polyester 35% cotton, I don't wax it). I think the Bergans is 19oz and the Fjallraven is 24oz and both pack fairly small. This allows me to swap between breathability/fire resistance/wind, brush & wear resistance (Fjallraven) and protection from precipitation (Bergans).
There are a variety of things at play. I
would never be moving in insulation. Too hot. So insulation isn’t something I’d
be pushing through brush with or otherwise exposing to abrasion. Then there’s a
field discipline I have of always layering up and down additively, not
exchanging one thing for another or taking off to put on over something
else. Since I’m moving in my shell, it then becomes natural to throw the
insulation on over it. Keeps my moving layers warm and as soon as I’m ready to
go again, pull off the puffy overlayer and shove it into the top of my pack.
One exception is precipitation. In those circumstances I might be wanting to
put a shell on over insulation to keep the insulation from getting wet. Wearing the shell over
breaks my rule of never taking something off to put it back on but it’s
worthwhile if I’m going to be static in precip for a while. In the case of dry
snow, most puffy layers shed it just fine so there’s no need to protect from
dry snow with a shell. The final piece is that it’s very hard for a shell not
to compress the insulation even if it’s cut big enough. Particularly heavier
shell materials. The weight of the material itself compresses the insulation
underneath it. Particularly the higher loft insulations like 850 down and
primaloft gold. I too carry two different shells - 90% of the time I'd be wearing the not waterproof but great in every other way HPG Windcheater. The other 10% of the time a highly breathable WPB shell for high winds or high precip.
ETA: My WPB shell will go over my Mountain Serape and I've used it that way a couple of different times. It's a rare circumstance though. And all of the above applies equally to puffy jackets.
@@HillPeopleGear whats WPB shell
@@herrent "waterproof breathable"
@@HillPeopleGear im looking to buy a couple jackets when you have them in stock. Just discovered you guys. My chest rigs just arrived so looking forward to trying them out.
From doing some research prima loft gold provides 500-550 fill power?
Awesome video. If i participate in your winter skills retreat, will we see wildlife or is it more skill sets etc ?
Executive EDC We are trying to minimize classroom time this year by utilizing an online video portion to be viewed before you arrive. The majority of learning will take place in the backcountry. That being said we will have the opertunity to see creatures if they present themselves. I will say that Evan is a savant when it comes to spotting fauna, especially elk at long distances.
awesome thanks so much!
A lot depends on weather. Elk mostly winter lower than that location, but not always. Bears will still be asleep. Deer also may be at lower elevations still. The winter forest at higher elevations is mostly critter free.
What gloves are you wearing?
He talks about them in the video...
Mark Arnsdorff somehow I missed that part 😬👍🏻
Happens :-p
Funny too, because I asked the same question about the gloves in a prior video.
@@evo8dude67 So then what are they? lol
@@ExecutiveEDC they have an OR on them, so I'm guessing Outdoor Research.
what are your thoughts on wool socks? Darn tough seems like a popular brand, but wouldn't synthetic socks be better based on what you said about materials.
Socks are the exception... I use merino / nylon blend socks. There is simply no chance for them to dry out throughout the day. Make sure you put dry ones on every night before getting in the sleeping bag. 24 hours later, hopefully the ones you took off are dry again to repeat the process.
@@HillPeopleGear thanks for the response!
Because of shoes, no fabric is able to dry throughout the day? they're the exception because of the anti odor properties?
@@Laenify because of shoes (particularly goretex lined shoes - hard to find without goretex these days) there is no drying throughout the day.
What gloves are you wearing?
Outdoor Research something. Don't have a real glove recommendation -- none of them seem to last as long as they should. Buy what you can find on sale and go from there. I am testing a new brand starting this fall. Maybe in a year I'll be recommending them.
Do you have them in Stock at the Store?
Windcheaters? Yes.
Hi I’m a little confused
Are you saying that I can wear ECWCS level 1 polartec silks tops and bottoms, level 2 polartec waffles tops and bottoms and the wind cheater?
What about something over the level 1 and 2 like a fleece?
Thanks !
Great line of questioning. In summary, we go base layer and windshell for heavy activity. When activity level drops, we throw a puffy layer over the top. We also vary the weight of the baselayer depending on overall ambient temps. For sustained moderate activity, baselayer - mid layer - wind layer is a fine solution. Goretex and the like is sometimes fine on the bottom as a wind layer. On top, it will almost always wet you out from the inside in even moderate activity.
@@HillPeopleGear I’m still confused what do you consider a mid layer?
If I’m wearing level 1 polartec silks and level 2 polartec grid, the the level 2 a mid layer?
@@MarcP5267 Yes, grid fleece makes a good mid layer.
So obviously you aren't a big fan of wool because of the weight. Do you include merino in that assessment?
And for base layers, what about silk?
Actually, the worst thing about wool isn't weight -- it's that it takes forever to dry and while it's wet, it's not particularly warm. Merino is no different. In fact, most of my experience is with merino. I bought into the hype and wore it faithfully for a couple of years until I finally figured out through experience that it wasn't performing nearly as well as synthetics. No experience with silk. Maybe some silk liner socks a couple decades ago that I don't remember much about.
When you getting stock of the wind cheater?
We still have a little over 100. Next shipment will probably arrive in the spring.
@@HillPeopleGear what color Elk?
Various colors and sizes
Is the Windcheater considered a soft shell?
It seemed that you mentioned you specifically don't like soft shell jackets.
I think the way these chaps consider it, a soft shell has an insulating layer (such as fleece) built into it. The windcheater doesn't and is a shell layer that breathes well doesn't keep a ton of rain out.
Jedwoods Thanks, good to know.
I like their jacket design, but I already have a couple unlined soft shells... which I think are pretty similar.
Jedwoods has it right. When schoeller softshell first came out, it had only a very thin bonded fleece on the inside and worked pretty well if you didn't sweat much. Then softshell came to mean something with pretty significant bonded fleece inner layer. Those aren't very good for the outdoors. Recently, there are some things out there closer to the original type. Also, as you say, things termed softshell that aren't really because they don't have any bonded insulation. Those are simply shells to my way of thinking.
HillPeopleGear
Thanks for the follow up.
I have seen some termed "winter weight" softshells.
I have always preferred unlined, so I can adjust the level of warmth through layering.
I have a OR Ferrosi hoody that is probably similar in material, but your jacket appears to be laid out much better and allows room for more substantial layering.
OR Ferrosi hoody was my top pick prior to the WC becoming available. They are similar in performance, with the WC being a more robust and less stretchy fabric. It's 300d Cordura Ambush Cloth. I'm guessing the Ferrosi is more like a 150d fabric.
pretty good stuff