As the weather starts to grow a bit colder and our lives keep taking us outdoors with football games, baseball tournaments, deer season and the fair, we want to take a minute to educate you on the BEST way to keep warm. Though a good jacket is a great step in the right direction, there is so much more to keeping warm. We are going to start at the very bottom of it all, what you need to wear under your clothes, and work our way out to jackets, gloves, hats, scarves and even socks in this technical series on layering.
The Mid Layer: Part 2
By Staff Member Ross Lee
As
we discussed last week, base layer is the foundation of the whole layering system. It is what keeps you dry, and without staying dry, you will never keep
warm. The next layer in the system is the MID LAYER. The mid layer is essential
to keeping warm; it is the insulation layer.
Depending
on what you will be doing, the mid layer could range from a warm but thin pair
of Under Armour sweat pants with a sweat shirt or a 1000 fill goose down
jacket. No matter what you are doing, the object of the mid layer is to trap
air and use your body temperature to heat it up and keep you warm.
There
are many different materials that are used in mid layers. Cotton is the first I
want to discuss. Cotton can be a great insulator as long as you are not going to
be very active. Cotton does a very good job of retaining heat but a poor job of
getting rid of moisture. If you are sitting around the hunting camp, or ski
lodge, just hanging out, that old cotton sweat suit will be perfect to keep you
warm. But if you are doing anything active, other materials will be more suitable.
Let
me introduce you to some of these different materials. Fleece is another common
mid layer. It absorbs very little moisture and dries quickly. Fleece also retains heat well even when wet.
Fleece comes in many different weights, which makes it very versatile. For
those brisk cool days, grab one of our TKA 100 weight fleece pullovers from The
North Face. For those harsh, very cold days, grab an Arc’teryx Covert Cardigan.
It is made with Polartec Thermal Pro, one of the warmest fleeces on the market.
 |
| Arc'teryx Covert Cardigan |
Another
great mid layer material is synthetic down. Synthetic down is usually made with
a polyester fiber that is extremely warm for its weight, allowing you to have a
thinner and lighter jacket without sacrificing warmth. Check out our Arc’teryx
Atom jacket, The Nanopuff jacket by Patagonia or The Redpoint Jacket by The
North Face if you want to try a synthetic down jacket.
 |
| The North Face Redpoint Jacket |
Mid layer is very important to your cold weather layering system, so stop by Eagle Eye and let us help you find the perfect mid layer options for your needs. Next week, we will discuss outerwear and jackets to help you discover the best jacket material and style for your specific cold weather activities.
No comments:
Post a Comment