Cycling UK Forum

I bought a Rab gilet for a long hiking trip. I wanted it for camp/shelters. I didn't want down as I was paranoid about getting it wet and knew I would be hiking even when it rained so got Primaloft.

It did the job well and has worn very well and is a favourite for spring and autumn. I would add that sometimes in the evenings on a trip it wasn't enough without sleeves and then the only alternative was getting into my sleeping bag.

Might come down to pack size for cycling I suppose.

Dave

They do say that the biggest loss of heat is through the head.

thirdcrank wrote:They do say that the biggest loss of heat is through the head.

They do but it is wrong apparently.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livesc ... -head.html

Down is crap when it's wet... but it's not that hard to keep it dry. Pop a waterproof over the top and problem solved. And/or don't stop in the rain, because it's miserable!

But it is expensive and it's a PITA to wash. I use a lightweight hollow fibre smock (a Rohan Spark, no longer made but there's similar about, and while the Spark was ~£100 when it was in the shops I got one on eBay for ~£20). My wife has a Montane synthetic insulated jacket that was last year's colour/model in TK Maxx, can't remember the exact price but not more than £50.

Synthetic fill insulation packs quite a bit smaller than fleece and is more insulating at the same weight. It also gets sandwiched between windproof and usually dreich-resistant layers, both of which make it good for a stop. Fleece is more breathable (i.e., less windproof) but that's not really that useful when you're stood about eating your pieces.

Pete.

I use a light padded gilet for eating stops and a mechanical. Also used on an under dressed ycling buddy when she started to show first signs of hypothermia last winter. I brought it in Costco for under 20 pounds a couple of years ago.

thirdcrank wrote:They do say that the biggest loss of heat is through the head.

You lose heat at a similar rate from most of your body, it appears that you lose more from your head because - well you are wearing clothes i take it?

There's pure surface area, there's hairiness and clothes, but there's also the decreased vasoconstriction in the face and scalp compared to eg hands and feet.

Jonathan

Dress so when cycling you don’t end up sweaty and chilled when stopped. Put an extra warm layer on when stopped and remove it when you get going again.

thirdcrank wrote:They do say that the biggest loss of heat is through the head.

Easy fix then: just lop it off and you won't feel cold any more!

This comes down to the old I'm a roadie and therefore wouldn't even consider carrying something even loosely resembling a saddle bag as it'd add an extra xyz grams/ruin my aerodynamics/look crap, crap whatever. Vs I'm a boring old fart who doesn't care about weight nowadays (mostly) but feels safe in the knowledge that I carry enough 'kit' with me to replenish a battalion.

I used to be the former, I'm now the latter, and much warmer at pit stops than I ever used to be!

An old error when hill walking: it's cold when you get out the car/bus so when you put your boots on you wear all your clothes then start your walk.

You're sweating when you stop for lunch)coffee so at that point you remove your outer garment.

You should do it in exactly the opposite way: set off a little cool (or remove outer within minutes) as you quickly heat up. Then when you stop add your outer.

If you happen to have cotton next to your skin (major error), when you stop the sweat quickly cools and you are sitting in cold water.

Cotton is the gel saddle of clothing. No other material has more nonsense extrapolated from a nugget of truth to try to sell even less appropriate specialist tat. If you don't wear thermal cotton, you're denying yourself a useful tool. Be sensible, don't let it get wet, but consider it.

mjr wrote:Cotton is the gel saddle of clothing. No other material has more nonsense extrapolated from a nugget of truth to try to sell even less appropriate specialist tat. If you don't wear thermal cotton, you're denying yourself a useful tool. Be sensible, don't let it get wet, but consider it.

Meanwhile, in a hillwalking forum somewhere...

Cotton Kills!

( )

NickWi wrote:This comes down to the old I'm a roadie and therefore wouldn't even consider carrying something even loosely resembling a saddle bag as it'd add an extra xyz grams/ruin my aerodynamics/look crap, crap whatever. Vs I'm a boring old fart who doesn't care about weight nowadays (mostly) but feels safe in the knowledge that I carry enough 'kit' with me to replenish a battalion.

I used to be the former, I'm now the latter, and much warmer at pit stops than I ever used to be!

I can easily put a rack on my winter bike and fit my rack pack, I’ll be carrying coats for both of us, so don’t want anything too bulky. I’ve found a company called Mac in a Sac which sells a jacket that might be suitable and packs down small enough to easily fit in my rack pack.

TrevA wrote: ... I can easily put a rack on my winter bike and fit my rack pack, I’ll be carrying coats for both of us, so don’t want anything too bulky. I’ve found a company called Mac in a Sac which sells a jacket that might be suitable and packs down small enough to easily fit in my rack pack.

That's a long way from your original mention of some sort of light down garment. If I'm thinking of the same thing, I saw Mac in a sac on sale at Boundary Mill a couple of years ago. It's a sort of emergency rain garment - "Boil in the bag" I fancy.