|
There's no such
thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes - Billy Connolly
This is the layer that takes the
direct battering from the elements. It should be at least windproof
and preferably waterproof too (but see below in very cold temperatures).
Antarctica is the windiest place on earth, so don't skimp on this
or imagine that you can get by with an outer garment that is "pretty
windproof".
Antarctica does proper wind.
Proper biting - gets through every nook and cranny - straight to
the bones - wind.
Some garments such as duvet jackets
have a wind-proof outer nylon layer but are not waterproof. This
has the advantage of reducing the cost and also of making the garment
softer, pliable and comfortable.
Water-resistant or water-repellent
are adequate if you will not use the garment in extended wet conditions
or and will have the opportunity to dry it out between uses. In
cold conditions, waterproof is not necessary as there's not a lot
of liquid water about!
500 / 600 / 700
fill down?
What's it all mean?
The number is a measure of "fill power". This measures
the amount of space taken up by one ounce of down. Take one ounce
of down, compress it and then release it - on release the down will
expand and fill up a certain volume. The volume it occupies is measured
in cubic inches and is the down's "fill power".
So if a jacket
is said to have "550 fill down" for example, it means that one once
of down in the jacket will fill 550 cubic inches of space. The higher
the number, the higher the quality of the down - generally.
As well as down quality, the fill power is what gives the down
its insulating properties. The more the fill power, the warmer the
jacket - generally.
Generally? It
also depends on the amount of down in the garment too. A small amount
of the highest quality down won't necessarily be warmer than a larger
amount of slightly lower quality down.
Waterproof shell jackets
Waterproofing has come
on leaps and bounds in recent years due to the development of new
light-weight, soft waterproof fabrics that all importantly are now
breathable. Old fashioned coated nylon is now only found in the
cheapest of garments and is to be avoided. Materials such as
GORE-TEX®
mean that being waterproof no longer means that the inside
of the garment becomes damp and clammy from perspiration. New ways
of using the material mean that the outer surface remains soft and
pleasing to the touch.
A fully waterproof shell
is not required for very cold climates however and is not appropriate
in that the breathable characteristics become less effective at
very low temperatures. For coastal and maritime Antarctica in the
summer such fabrics are ideal and I unequivocally recommend the
use of an outer layer garment that is made using
GORE-TEX®
in such conditions. This also has the advantage of being useful
in the less cold, but often wetter conditions in everyday life,
so the garment continues to be very useful for many years to come.
Gore-Tex is also an excellent windproof barrier too and
in appropriate conditions (above about -15°C / +5°F in my experience
- though my Gore-Tex jacket is several years old now and the fabric
has advanced since then) performs excellently.
See all Goretex jackets
Choosing clothing for cold and
extreme weather
The ankles, wrist and neck area should
also be covered with no chance of exposing bare flesh when stretching,
reaching or otherwise moving around. A scarf of some kind around
the neck makes all the difference to losing warm air that can be
"pumped" out by even small movements.
Dressing should follow the "layer
principle". The number of layers can be adjusted according to how
cold the temperature is and the activity of the wearer. A three
layer system is most typical:
|
Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Down Jacket -
Women's
$199.96
The Mountain
Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Jacket wraps you in 650-fill down for
the coldest possible conditions this winter.
|
Canada Goose Chilliwack Melton Parka - Women's
$674.95
The Canada Goose
Women's Chilliwack Wool Melton Parka brings the sophisticated look
and texture of wool melton to enhance the incredible warmth only
100% duck down can provide.
|
Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Down Parka -
Men's
$294.95
The Mountain
Hardwear Sub Zero SL Parka covers you in 650-fill down to keep you
warm, and is made with Conduit laminate to be water- and windproof.
|
Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Down Jacket -
Men's
$274.95
The Mountain
Hardwear Men's Sub Zero SL Hooded Jacket surrounds you with 650-fill
down for the coldest possible conditions this winter.
|
The North Face McMurdo Down Parka - Men's
$298.95
- $318.95
The North Face McMurdo
Parka gives you urban expedition style with Antarctica-capable weather
protection.
|
Canada Goose Expedition Arctic-Tech Down Parka -
Men's
$609.95
The Canada Goose
Men's Expedition Arctic Tech Parka is the original, undefeated champion
of extreme cold-weather utility jackets.
|
|
 The
North Face Aconcagua Down Jacket - Women's
$148.95
The North Face
Women's Aconcagua Jacket gives you the warmth and comfort of down
without making you feel like an ambulatory marshmallow.
|
The North Face Nuptse Down Jacket - Women's
$198.95
If its too cold
to wear The North Face Womens Nuptse Down Jacket, you mustve exited
our solar system.
|
The North Face Arctic Down Parka - Women's
$298.95
The North Face
applied its technical outerwear magic to the street-ready Women's
Arctic Parka.
|
Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket - Women's
$200
Take care of
the frigid breeze blowing through camp by reaching for the ultralight,
compressible Patagonia Womens Down Sweater Jacket.
|
