Posted by: Nick C.
Choosing a Backpacking Mid Layer - 08/11/11 10:58 AM
I'm starting to get serious about backpacking and trying to figure out what to use as a layer of insulation. In another topic I asked specifically why people like vests; now I'm opening up a more general question: What sort of mid layer should I choose?
How much warmth I generate:
Like most people I generate a lot of heat while I'm moving and have found that on a windy day with temps near freezing I can be reasonably comfortable in just my uninsulated shell and a mid-weight base layer. When I'm not moving, of course, I need more insulation, and I think I run colder than most guys. I actually like cold weather, but I look at it as a matter of being prepared, and for me that usually means pretty warm clothes. The bottom line is that there's a pretty big gap between the insulation I need while stationary and while moving.
Likely backpacking conditions and uses:
I live and do most of my hiking in the mid-Atlantic. Summer tends to have highs in the 80s and 90s (it can get warmer but you probably wouldn't find me hiking on those days) and lows in the 60s and 70s. In winter highs are often in the 40s or 50s and most of the time even the lows don't go too much below freezing. The result is that I'm unlikely to be hiking much in weather where I need more insulation on the move, it's mostly during the down time that I need the warmth.
In the summer, early spring, and late fall I spend most of my time being too hot (except maybe first thing in the morning), but I do figure it's good to carry some insurance against unexpectedly low temps, especially because I find it hard to get an accurate idea of what things will be like in the mountains (at < 5000 ft, you people out west might prefer to call them foot hills). I also use a warm weather sleeping bag which is small and light, but it means it's also not a bad idea to have something else to put on at 4 am if it turns out cooler than expected. In the colder seasons I'd generally want something to put on when stopped that will give me enough extra warmth to be comfortable.
Current gear (or lack there of):
I don't really have enough backpacking experience or knowledge of available gear to know what the optimal solution is. Up until now I've mostly made do with a normal flannel shirt or sweatshirt for extra warmth, but those are pretty heavy and bulky and the cotton material isn't ideal for backpacking. I do have one mid layer I got as a gift, which is a mid-weight fleece pullover (North Face SDS 1/4 zip). That's quite warm and vastly superior to my other options, but it still takes up a not-insignificant amount of space (maybe I'm not compressing it well?) and weighs 14 oz. At least for the warmer months that fleece is overkill and I'd much prefer to have something smaller/lighter if possible.
The question:
The question then is what will serve my purposes without adding too much weight and volume? My current thinking is that in the long term I should get some light compressible puffy insulation layer, probably down, for the colder months. Right now I'm a bit strapped for cash, so I may hold off on that and make do with my mid-weight fleece (although I'm still interested in theoretical suggestions if they're not exorbitant --say < $300). For the warmer months I'm thinking maybe a lightweight fleece pullover (100-weight) if one exists that would be significantly lighter/smaller (I even considered just using a heavy weight base layer). I'm not sure if price limitation is a big barrier here. I think together with my rain shell (which I'd usually have anyway) and a hat that could already offer significant warmth.
I'm open to suggestions along those lines or radically different ones. In looking at things myself on-line I could often find weights for items, but it's really hard to assess the compressibility. As far as cost, I realize that to some degree you will get what you pay for, but occasionally with such things you can actually find pretty effective solutions for a good bargain. I figure that, with more experience and probably much more knowledge of gear, some people here can probably point me in the right directions.
How much warmth I generate:
Like most people I generate a lot of heat while I'm moving and have found that on a windy day with temps near freezing I can be reasonably comfortable in just my uninsulated shell and a mid-weight base layer. When I'm not moving, of course, I need more insulation, and I think I run colder than most guys. I actually like cold weather, but I look at it as a matter of being prepared, and for me that usually means pretty warm clothes. The bottom line is that there's a pretty big gap between the insulation I need while stationary and while moving.
Likely backpacking conditions and uses:
I live and do most of my hiking in the mid-Atlantic. Summer tends to have highs in the 80s and 90s (it can get warmer but you probably wouldn't find me hiking on those days) and lows in the 60s and 70s. In winter highs are often in the 40s or 50s and most of the time even the lows don't go too much below freezing. The result is that I'm unlikely to be hiking much in weather where I need more insulation on the move, it's mostly during the down time that I need the warmth.
In the summer, early spring, and late fall I spend most of my time being too hot (except maybe first thing in the morning), but I do figure it's good to carry some insurance against unexpectedly low temps, especially because I find it hard to get an accurate idea of what things will be like in the mountains (at < 5000 ft, you people out west might prefer to call them foot hills). I also use a warm weather sleeping bag which is small and light, but it means it's also not a bad idea to have something else to put on at 4 am if it turns out cooler than expected. In the colder seasons I'd generally want something to put on when stopped that will give me enough extra warmth to be comfortable.
Current gear (or lack there of):
I don't really have enough backpacking experience or knowledge of available gear to know what the optimal solution is. Up until now I've mostly made do with a normal flannel shirt or sweatshirt for extra warmth, but those are pretty heavy and bulky and the cotton material isn't ideal for backpacking. I do have one mid layer I got as a gift, which is a mid-weight fleece pullover (North Face SDS 1/4 zip). That's quite warm and vastly superior to my other options, but it still takes up a not-insignificant amount of space (maybe I'm not compressing it well?) and weighs 14 oz. At least for the warmer months that fleece is overkill and I'd much prefer to have something smaller/lighter if possible.
The question:
The question then is what will serve my purposes without adding too much weight and volume? My current thinking is that in the long term I should get some light compressible puffy insulation layer, probably down, for the colder months. Right now I'm a bit strapped for cash, so I may hold off on that and make do with my mid-weight fleece (although I'm still interested in theoretical suggestions if they're not exorbitant --say < $300). For the warmer months I'm thinking maybe a lightweight fleece pullover (100-weight) if one exists that would be significantly lighter/smaller (I even considered just using a heavy weight base layer). I'm not sure if price limitation is a big barrier here. I think together with my rain shell (which I'd usually have anyway) and a hat that could already offer significant warmth.
I'm open to suggestions along those lines or radically different ones. In looking at things myself on-line I could often find weights for items, but it's really hard to assess the compressibility. As far as cost, I realize that to some degree you will get what you pay for, but occasionally with such things you can actually find pretty effective solutions for a good bargain. I figure that, with more experience and probably much more knowledge of gear, some people here can probably point me in the right directions.
However, I found out the other day, that Feline odor remover/cleaner also removes sweat smell from merino wool (searched on the internet, just before putting my only short sleeved merino (and therefore expensive) shirt in the hiking only pile.)