During the recent drop in temperature, I naturally resorted to a layering system. I have a physically demanding day job, so i need to be able to manage my core temperature as I work.
What I found surprising, was that the general tactic was to just ‘put a big coat on’, and huddle in a corner complaining about the cold.
This is all good if you're not being active, but my job involves physical labour, so there are reasons why this wouldn’t work for me.
Firstly, as I am active in my work, a thick cumbersome coat would restrict my movements.
Secondly, high visibility coats are also waterproof and made from manmade materials. These do not allow any sweat to be wicked away and it would end up trapped in other layers of clothing, next to my skin, which would make me feel cold.
So, what is layering? Layering is simply a way of controlling your temperature during changing weather, depending on your activity levels at the time. This is achieved by wearing multiple thin layers of clothing, which allow moisture to be wicked away from the skin to the outside environment. It also traps air between the layers to be warmed by body temperature and if the temperature drops, another layer can be added and if it rises a layer can be removed; if it rains a waterproof can be added. This makes it a very easy way to maintain a constant comfortable temperature.
So, what was my layering system? Firstly, I checked the weather forecast. -5 c at 7am, rising to a high of +2c. So the first layer was a wool base layer, this will trap body heat, but wick away any moisture, helping me stay warm. Then normal everyday workwear, heavy trousers, company t-shirt and hoodie. I wouldn’t be warm if I was inactive, but while working, I’d have freedom of movement and stay warm. I also added a buff and wool hat and took an extra fleece to wear in down time, and a light waterproof encase I had some wintry showers, or the wind got up. If i started to overheat, I could remove layers to stay comfortable, or add an extra layer if the cold set in.
So, did it work? Yes. I was comfortable all day, adding and removing layers as I needed to, stayed active and could move freely.
