Δευτέρα 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2012

How to dress in layers

Since it's winter time, its fair that us players should know how to dress correctly in order to avoid any discomfort...

BASIC PRINCIPALS

We wear clothes in layers, as it is a tested way in order to keep us comfort in exterior spaces. This simple idea allows us to make fast adaptations depending on the level of our activity. Each layer has a different function. The internal layer manages the humidity. The intermediate layer isolates us from the cold. The exterior layer secures us from the wind and the rain.

INTERNAL LAYER: HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT

This is next layer from the skin. More from any other layer, it helps us to regulate the temperature of our body. If you have worn a cotton t-shirt under a raincoat, while you exercise, perhaps you remember the sense of humidity, even if you had not been in the rain. The natural perspiration trapped in our clothes, can create a feeling of discomfort. Cotton is an example of fibres that maintain the sweat and leaves us with undesirable shivers. The layer next to the skin should be made from material, like silk, wool or synthetic buckrams as REI MTS©, Patagonia©, Capilene©, Polartec©, PowerDry© and CoolMax©. They absorb the humidity and transport it from our skin to the exterior surface where it can evaporate. The result: We remain dry even after we have sweated and our clothes dry out faster. This is important for the maintenance of our body temperature during the summertime and the evasion of hypothermia in the wintertime.
The thermal underwear (a.k.a. technical underwear) is available in light-, mid- and expedition-weight levels. The choice of correct weight depends to the activity and the environmental temperature. Most of them are worn close to the body but with comfort for better output, the agility and the easier stratification of befalling layers.

INTERMEDIATE LAYER: TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT

The intermediate layer helps us to maintain our temperature with the entrapment of air near to our body. Natural fibres, like wool and goose feathers are excellent materials for insulation. Woollen jumper and shirts (special the new generation of products from merino wool) offer reliable warmth and they maintain their insulating attributes even when wet. For very chills and lands conditions, the feather of goose continues being an exceptional choice. It offers insuperable proportion of warmth-weight and is particularly easy to compress. Its disadvantage is that it should it is maintained dry in order to it maintains its insulating ability. Classic fleece as Polartec© 100, 200, Thermal Pro© polyester, or Thinsulate© provide warmth for various from conditions. These materials are widely used because they are light, breathable and warm even when wet. Also, they dry out more rapidly and have bigger proportion of warmth to weight even from wool. As with thermal underwear, fleeces are available in 3 weights for different uses. Light-weight, for aerobic activity or cool climate. Mid-weight for moderate activity or climate and Expedition-weight for cold climate. Par example, for high energy activities as cross-country skiing, bicycling, hiking or Airsoft (eeeeehh?) we select light fleeces in order to avoid overheating. Products from Polartec© 100or Polartec PowerDry© are exceptional for this use. For very cold conditions we select fleeces like Polartec© 200 or 300. Wind fleece as Polartec Wind Pro© or Gore WindStopper© add a high level of protection from the wind via a concealed membrane which does not influence breathability.

EXTERIOR LAYER: PROTECTION FROM WIND, RAIN, COLD

The exterior layer protects us from the wind, the rain or the snow. The wrappings oscillate from very expensive jackets of mountaineering in simple raincoats, but their basic principals are to block the surge of water and they keep our body warm, allowing simultaneously our perspiration to escape. The exterior wrapping is important affair because if the wind and the water can infiltrate in our internal layers, we will begin to be cold. Moreover, with erroneous faculty of airing, our sweat will not be evaporated but will be condensed in the interior of our nutshell. As an example the simple 100% plastic raincoats (usually manufactured from polyurethane) keep us dry if we are static, but in no case they do not allow the concentration of perspiration to evaporate correctly. The completely waterproof and breathable wrappings are usually most functional but also more costly. Usually they are constituted by buckrams Gore-Tex©, REI Elements© with insulated seams and waterproof covering which are based on nanotechnology. These garments are low weighted and can be wrapped easily, are more friction durable, etc. Wrappings that are characterized as Water-Resistant/Breathable are better for light rainfall and high level activity. They are manufactured from buckrams of dense weave (as mini-rip stop nylon) that they prevent the wind and are covered with hydrophobic material so that they deter the surge of liquids in their interior. Soft Shells offer good protection from the wind and the rain, they are soft and they mainly breathe very well. Most allocate panel of buckram with flexible attributes for comfort during the duration of the activity.

Now go out there and play your heart out!!!!!