Intro
I'm horrible at larping. I know this slang-expression is overused, but i think it explains my hiking and mountaineering situation quite well. And with that I mean the preparation. Mostly gear and clothing, but I know there's a lot more to it as well. However, this is the blog where I mainly want to talk about hiking clothing. All the research and larping that I've done will hopefully help me write a, for the most part, comprehensible blog article, so that even people outside this crazy bubble of a hobby understand why I'm so frustrated lol.
Importance and clothing
NOW with the intro out of the way, I think a good start would be to explain what makes clothing and gear and allat so important in the first place. Bear with me here tho, I was never good at researching so don't take my word on anything my ass is typing. The core concept about clothing is that it's not about how much you wear stuff, but how "smartly" you wear it. You have to be a genius, not an idiot. Cotton for example: soaks up sweat and liquids, and stays wet. This is NOT GOOD. Wet clothes drain heat, and during hiking or mountaineering, this would put you in danger. Some exceptions would be light hikes during summer where you heat up a gazillion degrees.
Base Layer
Nonetheless, serious clothing requires layers as well. You have the base-layer worn for every hike regardless of conditions. I called out cotton as a bad example. A good example of a base layer would be merino wool or synthetic. I don't want to glaze or anything (I know I can't be entirely unbiased) but I've only heard good things about merino wool. It's extremely soft and comfortable to wear, with a layer keeping you warm during cold temperatures and cool during hot temperatures. Isn't that genius? Apparently it even stays fresh longer, so you won't stink like trash. There's probably much more to it that I'm missing, but you get the point, right?
Mid Layer
The mid-layer is known among us normal people as "puffy jackets", used to trap warm air to insulate. Now, there exists a trade-off triangle for this layer. First we have down. It gives the best warmth-to-weight ratio with one condition: it's expensive as f*ck. Second, there is fleece, the synthetic polyester stuff designed to trap body heat. For the third position, we have synthetic insulation. Synthetic has a puffy layer with an outer and inner shell. Insulates better when wet and is generally cheaper. Oh yeah, fleece is heavier too, but breathes far better. So yeah, that's the trade-off triangle. REMEMBER, this isn't a ranking. Personally, I haven't decided on which to pick, but preferably I will choose something cheaper.
Outer Layer
The outer layer (or also known as shell layer) is where you finish things off to protect yourself from wind and rain. Without it, your layers will soak up the rain and drain out your heat fast enough to lead to serious risks. That's why the shell matters a lot. Again, there is a difference between the types of shells.
The hardshells are against heavy rain, snow storms or high winds. You'll be like a tank against the weather conditions. They breathe less compared to other shells, so good hardshells have pit zips to expel extra body heat.
Softshell jackets are more durable and flexible compared to the tank armor. These jackets are best for cool, dry or mildly damp conditions. They are more stretchy and comfortable, and definitely more breathable than hardshells. But, consider that they are NOT suitable for heavy rainfall!!
The windshell jackets are the scouts of the shells. Call them ultralight or minimalist. They're best used for fast-paced hikes, or in general for clear or breezy days. The neat thing is that, obviously, they're extremely light and can be packed down to the size of an apple. Very practical, because I'm so sick of always having to carry stuff when I'm too hot. But on the downside, they barely offer rain protection, so it's mostly just used for stopping chilling winds.
What makes this system work is the flexibility you're offered. To be frank, I would personally go for a more breathable softshell rather than a waterproof hardshell, but first I have to do some training. Cardio, anything that can help me with my stamina. Another good practical tip that I read up on is to put on your mid-layer as soon as you stop to rest, and to add the shell the moment the wind or rain starts. This makes sure that your layers will stay dry.
Brands
work in progress
People worth following
work in progress
Closing words
twerk in progress
Huge thanks to my friend tankzu for sharing this interest!