mattheus wrote:andrew_s wrote:Tigerbiten wrote:The trick I use on long rides in very cold dry weather is to put my windproof/waterproof layer in the middle.
This way a thin inner layer will get damp with sweat while the thicker outer layer stays dry.
As daft as it sounds, I stay warmer in the long run.
That's a common trick used in polar climates, particularly to stop sweat condensing in the down of your sleeping bag. Look up "
vapor barrier liner"
Oh wow - that has really messed with my head! Will have to think about this one ...
[Does this mean that a VPL - sorry, I mean VBL - would be even better worn
next to the skin? Wrap yourself in clingfilm?? ]
I guess the link quoted explains how it works for polar expeditions & stuff.
The way it works for cold & wet is that the vapour barrier prevents the wet-on-the-inside from coming into contact with a cold external barrier. A layer on the outside provides insulation to the vapour barrier and reduces condensation. The layer on the inside wicks sweat away. I learned to do that when I was working outdoors in work issued clothes, which were either insulating or waterproof (boil in the bag variety), but never both. I wore my own base layer(s) with the work waterproof over it, with the work warm jacket over that.
But honestly, I'd rather have Goretex or something that is, at least theoretically, waterproof & breathable as my outer layer. It doesn't keep me from soaking my base layer with sweat, but it's rather more comfortable, nonetheless. I suppose it because I get less condensation.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
