Recommendations for the Selection of Warm Clothes

In the old days, wool was the fabric of choice for keeping backpackers warm. More recently, polypropylene was popular because it’s lighter than wool and less scratchy against the skin. In this day and age there is wealth of polyester fibers, that unlike polyester of the 1970s, feel pleasant against the skin.

In order to brave the elements of cold, wind, and rain you must have clothing that will keep you warm even if you get wet. Relying on materials that will lose their warmth-retaining ability if you get wet can result in extreme discomfort and lead to death by hypothermia. For this reason, cotton and goose down should not be relied upon for providing warmth. Sleeping bags should be filled with a polyester fiber such as Polarguard.

Some highly respected outdoor equipment makers offer down jackets and sleeping bags with a waterproof Goretex shell. I love Goretex, but I once had a Goretex parka de-laminate and I got soaked to the skin. Since I was wearing polypropylene next to my skin and a polyester fleece jacket, I was able to stay warm and enjoy myself. However, if I’d been wearing down this would have been a disaster.

As you probably already know, it’s best to keep warm with several medium-weight layers than with one extra-heavy layer. Here’s the system I use. As an endurance athlete, I only have 15% body fat, which provides me with very little insulation from the cold.

First off all, a warm hat is absolutely essential. A Peruvian-style fleece hat is a good choice because it covers your ears. If you get one made from Polartec Wind-Bloc, you won’t have to pull up the hood of your parka as often. You should also bring along a balaclava, also known as a ski mask. You may need to shop around for one with an eye opening that fits your face comfortably. Make sure to choose a balaclava made from a fabric that’s comfortable against your skin; you may be wearing it all night if you sleep under the stars in subfreezing weather. The Peruvian hat can be worn over the balaclava.

Next to my skin I wear a layer of Coolmax, a proprietary fiber invented by DuPont. I wear Coolmax liner socks as well as a shirt and bottoms. Coolmax transports moisture away from the skin, so you don’t get clammy from sweating. Early in the morning, when first hitting the trail, it’s often too cold to be comfortable without long underwear. But after 15 minutes of hiking your body is generating enough heat to make you unpleasantly hot and sticky. Not so with Coolmax, it provides protection from both heat and cold. Coolmax garments are available from many different manufacturers. I’ve been told that lightweight MTS from REI is an equivalent product.

If it’s too cold for just Coolmax and jeans, I wear a second layer of Patagonia expedition weight Capilene. This is a very warm fabric. As with the Coolmax, I bring along socks as well as a shirt and bottoms. For the shirt, I recommend a zippered T-neck. There are other good fabrics that fit the same niche, but the Capilene has the best fit for my body. Something else may fit your body better. The REI house brand—made from Polartec Power Stretch 100—bunched up in my armpits.

If I need a third layer, I wear Polartec Classic 300, a heavyweight fleece. This fabric is now hard to find having been largely supplanted by the less warm Polartec Classic 200. As with my 2 layers of long underwear, I bring along both a top and bottoms, because insulation works best if it’s uniform from head to toe.

For my outermost layer I wear Goretex for protection from the wind as well as from moisture. Your Goretex jacket should be of the parka style; it should have a skirt that extends down to your crotch. If your Goretex jacket is too short, water can run down into the waist of your Goretex pants.

You’ll also need at least one pair of warm gloves. I’m currently using gloves made from Polartec Wind-Bloc. I also bought a pair of lightweight liner gloves, but I don’t like the way their fingers layer inside my Polartec gloves. If you want multiple warmth layers for your hands, I recommend that you wear mittens over your liner gloves. Other possibilities for glove insulation besides Polartec include Thinsulate and Thermolite.

If all this isn’t enough, I wear a sweater or vest between the Capilene and the Polartec. This combination has kept me comfortable at an altitude of 11,500 feet in September. As I said before, with only 15% body fat I easily get cold, so it’s not likely that this combination will fall short of your needs during spring, summer, and fall.