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#1
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dress for -26 deg C
I'm interested in knowing how you folks dress at this temperature. x-c
skiing. I haven't found the right formula yet after all these years of skiing. For me, I found the important addition a inner liner inside mitts and outerboot. Extra clothing on my body actually causes overheating. I also found that my clothing tend to retain more moisture at this low temperature. It is fine while I am moving but becomes very cold when I stop, like when I am driving home. .... Mike |
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#2
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On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:09:59 -0500, "Mike Hui"
wrote: I'm interested in knowing how you folks dress at this temperature. x-c skiing. I haven't found the right formula yet after all these years of skiing. Racing or training? For training on my feet are normal wool socks, boots and boot covers. Legs are windbriefs, two pairs of thin wicking underwear and then windfront bib training pants. Up top a wicking longsleeve, covered by a stretchfleece undervest and then a stretchfleece longsleeve top over that. With a well-ventilated windbreaker on top. A fleece neck gaitor, thin wicking balaclava and normal wool hat. Lobstergloves (Yoko windstopper are good). Glasses. Lots of dermatone. With this set-up some condensation freezes inside my windbreaker, so when I take it off it looks like snow falling inside. This is good for me for a couple hours. In racing (one to thre hour event) I use racing tights on the bottom -- good quality ones that are thicker than normal lycra -- like CW-X tights, or cycling tights of "roubaix material", with Craft windfront longunderwear under that, and then a very thin pair of wicking underwear under that. Windbriefs with duct tape on the front. On the feet no boot covers. Up top it's a couple wicking tops, a stretchfleece undervest, a piece of tyvek over the chesk and then a strech top. Then the same stuff on my head as in training. I haven't used the lobster gloves the times Iv'e raced in temps like that - just Yoko Windstopper glove. But that might have been a mistake as I almost had a hand crisis a couple years ago. For an hour gloves would've been fine but not for two or three. I have fairly warm boots -- Salamon Actives. I also found that my clothing tend to retain more moisture at this low temperature. It is fine while I am moving but becomes very cold when I stop, like when I am driving home. You've got to change when you stop skiing. Get into dry clothes! At a minimum a dry top against your skinand a dry hat. If you're driving more than 15 minutes, change everything. JFT **************************** Remove "remove" to reply Visit http://www.jt10000.com **************************** |
#3
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On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:09:59 -0500, "Mike Hui" wrote:
I'm interested in knowing how you folks dress at this temperature. x-c skiing. I haven't found the right formula yet after all these years of skiing. For me, I found the important addition a inner liner inside mitts and outerboot. Extra clothing on my body actually causes overheating. I also found that my clothing tend to retain more moisture at this low temperature. It is fine while I am moving but becomes very cold when I stop, like when I am driving home. ... Mike I bring a pair of sweats that I change into for the drive home. Ben |
#4
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Mike Hui wrote:
I'm interested in knowing how you folks dress at this temperature. x-c skiing. I haven't found the right formula yet after all these years of skiing. For me, I found the important addition a inner liner inside mitts and outerboot. Extra clothing on my body actually causes overheating. I also found that my clothing tend to retain more moisture at this low temperature. It is fine while I am moving but becomes very cold when I stop, like when I am driving home. ... Mike Like the other poster said; when you get done and back in the car, you need to change into something dry. I find I can just change my top (always soaked) into a t shirt and sweatshirt and be good for a comfortable drive. My pants (Sporthill XC pants) are always dry (maybe this is the pants (they are great!) or maybe I don't perspire as much on my legs). I find my hands and feet perspire a great deal , so I have to wear wicking socks and gloves always. This is mostly smartwool, coolmax, or sometimes silk gloves, then an insulating layer on top of that (mittens or I get cold fingers for sure), and in really cold weather, another shell glove over those. Boots I have not been entirely succesful in keeping my feet warm. Just a few days ago at a bit warmer than-26C mentioned (-15 to -10 C) my toes got somewhat numb even though I had on the wicking liner socks, the expedition weight bulky socks, my heavy 3 pin leather (Karhu) boots, and extra foam boot gloves on the outside. Seems like with all that I should have been ok. Maybe I have the boots on too tight and am squishing one othe important veins or arteries (I think there is one on the top of the foot). The main trunk of the body doen't give me much trouble, I mostly have to vent the heat. Just one or 2 layers of thin wicking underwear and a ventilated shell. I used to also wear a fleece, which was ok until I got working a lot, then it was riduculous in being too warm. My hat always becomes sweat soaked, but If I try just a earband, the top of my head freezes. |
#5
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"Mike Hui" wrote in message ... I'm interested in knowing how you folks dress at this temperature. x-c skiing. I haven't found the right formula yet after all these years of skiing. For me, I found the important addition a inner liner inside mitts and outerboot. Extra clothing on my body actually causes overheating. The old adage is, if you're not chilly when you're putting your skis on, you'll be to warm when you're skiing. When touring or training, there's no substitute for being able to peel off a layer if you're too warm or adding a layer if you're to cold. A bumbag / fanny pack will hold a shell or small vest if need-be. I also found that my clothing tend to retain more moisture at this low temperature. It is fine while I am moving but becomes very cold when I stop, like when I am driving home. I'll get on board with the other guys who have advised that you need to change, at least the top, after you're done. This is a routine among everyone I know. I change my shirt in the parking lot at -20F if need-be. There's a half minute of discomfort, then immediate warmth. I always bring a dry stocking cap as well. If you change your shirt and put on a dry stocking cap, you'll feel great. I also change my socks if I can, but that's not as crucial. One definitely builds up more moisture inside when it's really cold. I get a lot of frost on the inside of my wind shell (a good quality Dahlie shell that works as well as anything I'ev ever used). The colder it gets, the more moisture doesn't evaporate - it gets to the shell layer (inside and/or outside of the shell) and freezes. That's just the way it is, but it also makes it doubly important to change after a work out if it's cold. Cam |
#6
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Hi Mike,
In that kind of temp, I find the issues I need to deal with a 1- Temperature management to minimize sweat-wet clothes 2- When clothes do eventually get wet, putting another layer on top to provide additional insulation, or even changing them. 3- If going for a long ski (30km +), keeping one's energy source stoked with food and drink. I eat and drink every 40 minutes or so. I find the key for me is to carry a backpack (~35 liters). I could use a "fannypack", but I find these over-constrained in terms of volume and not comfortable. The backpack allows me to comfortably take extra clothing: a breathable wind layer that I can throw on, as well as dry change of mitts/gloves, balaclava, hat, underwear, and socks. It also allows me to take food and drink All my tops have neck zippers so that I can do some temp control. You can't layer and de-layer at will, but you can open/close up a side zipper, open/close a neck zipper a bit more, put a hood on/off, etc. My wind layers are light and breathable (the material is called SuperMicroft) and have armpit and side zippers for the same reason. My wind top has a hood that I put on and off while moving depending on whether I'm going downhill, crossing an open field, etc. My wind pants have zippers so that I can put them on without taking my ski boots off, as well as doing temp control while moving. When I start off, I dress aiming to be cold on my trunk and a bit on my head for about the first 10 minutes or so. However, I always aim to be reasonably warm on my hands (I use thin gloves, inside a pile mitt, inside a Gortex outer mitt) and feet (I use reasonably warm ski boots, and always boot covers for cold temps). If I get it wrong and I'm too cold then I can always throw an extra layer on from my backpack. I start off without my wind layer, but I do use a balaclava, with ear muffs on, to protect my face and ears -- which have lots of Dermatone or Vaseline on. If I'm out for a 3+ hour ski, eventually things get wet enough so I throw on an extra wicking layer, or throw my wind layer on, if I have not already. I often change my iced up balaclava and gloves, and may throw on an extra hat, or change one. On the a really cold CSM I may do this twice a day over the 80km/9 hour ski. If I'm skiing somewhere like the Gatineau Park with huts, I could easily go in a hut and change a top wet layer: I tend to find this is not necessary and I hate to get all warmed up, melt, and then cool down. However, if my feet start getting cold because of wet socks (which very rarely happens with boot covers), I head straight to somewhere that is a bit wind sheltered and change my wet socks. I also find putting Dermatone on my hands and feet, as well as my face, tends to reduce sweating quite a bit. At -26'C , I'm not out set personal time records. I'm out to be skiing. So, I don't worry about the required extra weight, or time taken to adjust clothing, or eating, I go for comfort and safety: misery is often optional ;-) Parham. |
#7
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Thanks everyone for responding to my query about ski clothing at -26 deg C.
There are two key messages I have learned: 1. There are no magic solutions. At this low temperature, after a couple of hours' of vigorous skiing, you cannot keep dry. 2. Everyone suggests changing to dry clothing after skiing. I do change out of wet clothing most of the time after skiing. I didn't do it because it was bloody cold at -26! I guess I just have to next time. By the way, I dressed right to-day. Skiing at -20 deg was enjoyable and comfortable. .... Mike |
#8
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On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 00:27:27 -0500, "Mike Hui" wrote:
Thanks everyone for responding to my query about ski clothing at -26 deg C. There are two key messages I have learned: 1. There are no magic solutions. At this low temperature, after a couple of hours' of vigorous skiing, you cannot keep dry. 2. Everyone suggests changing to dry clothing after skiing. I do change out of wet clothing most of the time after skiing. I didn't do it because it was bloody cold at -26! I guess I just have to next time. By the way, I dressed right to-day. Skiing at -20 deg was enjoyable and comfortable. ... Mike Warm up the car a few minutes to get the heat going. Even if you don't warm it up, just being in the car will block the wind. Have the fresh clothes "in position" so as soon as the wet one comes off you can pop the dry one on. Also, when you're changing while sitting (as in a car) you tend to hold the same body position so you stay in the "envelope" of air your body has started warming. Ben |
#9
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"Mike Hui" wrote in message ... I'm interested in knowing how you folks dress at this temperature. x-c skiing. I haven't found the right formula yet after all these years of skiing. For me, I found the important addition a inner liner inside mitts and outerboot. Extra clothing on my body actually causes overheating. I also found that my clothing tend to retain more moisture at this low temperature. It is fine while I am moving but becomes very cold when I stop, like when I am driving home. ... Mike I skied yesterday at -22°C yesterday, with basically the same clothes I wear at -5°C. I have found, from experience, that adding extra layers only make me sweat; when I do sweat, I freeze. The only difference in clothing is addind wind-breaking pants (wind-breaking in the front, well vented in the back) for the downhills and thin polyproplene liners inside my gloves, which I can remove if my hands get too warm and start sweating. BarryT |
#10
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Changing at -26C isn't all that bad as long as you're fairly quick. It's
like getting out of a sauna and into a cold pool. Your body is generating enough heat that when the cold air hits , your pores snap shut and you stay warm long enough to get into your dry stuff. (That's the theory, anyway.) If the wind is blowing (as it always is at the Start/Finish of the Keski) you just need to be quicker. I also always change before putting my skis away - you need to be as warm as possible when the air hits your bare skin. Tim on 24/1/05 00:27, Mike Hui wrote: Thanks everyone for responding to my query about ski clothing at -26 deg C. There are two key messages I have learned: 1. There are no magic solutions. At this low temperature, after a couple of hours' of vigorous skiing, you cannot keep dry. 2. Everyone suggests changing to dry clothing after skiing. I do change out of wet clothing most of the time after skiing. I didn't do it because it was bloody cold at -26! I guess I just have to next time. By the way, I dressed right to-day. Skiing at -20 deg was enjoyable and comfortable. .... Mike |
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