Extreme Cold Weather Clothing
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In arctic or mountainous areas, the primary function of extreme cold weather
clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...
is to trap air as an insulator to prevent
heat loss Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems. Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, ...
from the wearer's body. Secondary and necessary is to conduct water vapor away from the body to keep the insulating layers dry. A shell keeps the wind from disturbing the still air in the insulating layers. In warmer conditions, the shell protects from water intrusion. The U.S.
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
defines '' extreme cold'' as with winds less than . In these conditions, the unprotected skin of a healthy adult will develop frostbite in ten to twenty minutes. The Canadian standard includes even lower temperatures.


Principles

A vacuum is the best insulator, but its use in clothing is impractical. Dry air is a practical insulator. Extreme cold weather clothing uses still dry air to insulate the body, trapping air via layers of material. The inner layers should conduct moisture away from the body. Outer layers should be windproof as well as suitable to the harsh terrain.


Materials

The original cold weather clothing was made of furs. The fibers of the fur trapped insulating air, lanolin on the fur repelled water. Knitted wool is an effective insulator when dry, but ineffective when wet. Goose down is the lightest insulator, and still used today. Its quality, called ''loft'' is a measure of its low density. It is ineffective when wet. Artificial fibers have good loft, and do not lose it when wet. One effective fiber is '' Hollofil'' a hollow fiber of
polyolefin A polyolefin is a type of polymer with the general formula (CH2CHR)n where R is an alkyl group. They are usually derived from a small set of simple olefins (alkenes). Dominant in a commercial sense are polyethylene and polypropylene. More speciali ...
. Outer garments are often made of nylon, which is strong and abrasion resistant. The nylon is often bonded to a layer of
polytetrafluoroethylene Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, and has numerous applications because it is chemically inert. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chemours, a corporate spin-of ...
(trade name Teflon) in a form that has holes small enough for moisture to escape, but not allow liquid water to intrude. This material is trade named ''
Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is W. L. Gore & Associates's trade name for waterproof, breathable fabric membrane. It was invented in 1969. Gore-Tex blocks liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabri ...
''.


Best practices

The U.S. Army describes cold weather best practices by the mnemonic acronym ''COLD''. * Clean * Avoid Overheating * Loose * Dry The protocol is aimed at keeping the insulation dry, so that it may be most effective.


Layering

Best practice indicates that for extreme conditions, clothing should be layered and loose. Near the core of the body, a soft, wicking layer is best. Wool or silk underwear is preferred. Then, by preference, a knitted layer of wool or synthetic fleece. A massive insulating layer and a windproof layer complete the ensemble.


Parts of clothing


Inner layer

Underwear, inner socks, and glove liners are typically thin, soft knits of silk, wool, or synthetic.


First insulating layer

Typically knit wool or synthetic fleece. A common material is
polar fleece Polar fleece is a soft fabric made from polyester that is napped and insulating. PolarFleece is a trademark registered by Malden Mills (now Polartec, LLC) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 6, 1981. Malden Mills dev ...
.


Massive insulating layer

Down or synthetic fiber sewn into bats of a (typically nylon) coat or pants.


Wind layer

The usual clothing for Arctic or mountain regions is a
parka A parka, like the related anorak, is a type of coat (clothing), coat with a hood (headgear), hood, that may be lining (sewing), lined with fur or fake fur. Parkas and anoraks are staples of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from Reindeer, cari ...
. A tightly woven fabric prevents wind from disturbing the still air in the insulating layers.


Footwear

Footwear is chosen according to purpose. In alpine conditions, insulated
mountaineering boots Mountaineering, expedition or high altitude boots are a type of footwear used in mountain climbing. They are designed specifically for moving over harsh terrain. Design Not to be confused with hiking boots, mountaineering boots are usually talle ...
are used. In other work conditions, pacs, or
bunny boots Bunny boots or Mickey Mouse boots (depending on the version) are the most common nicknames for the Extreme Cold Vapor Barrier Boots (Types I and II) used by the United States Armed Forces. These large, bulbous, waterproof rubber boots can be worn in ...
, with rubber soles and thick, removable wool felt liners are used. In camp, lightweight
moon boots Moon Boot is a snow boot brand first created as après-ski wear in the early 1970s by manufacturer Tecnica Group of Giavera del Montello in Italy. History They became a popular fad in the years following the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and resu ...
of foam and nylon are common. In the tent, down booties are comfortable.


Gloves

In severe conditions,
mitten A mitten is a type of glove that covers the hand but does not have separate finger openings or sheaths. Generally, mittens still separate the thumb from the other four fingers. They have different colours and designs. Mittens provide greater th ...
s with long gauntlets are preferred.


Headwear

A knitted or fleece cap is worn underneath the hood of the parka. The face is protected by a mask or balaclava. The water transmission properties of anything touching the face are of the highest concern. Another option is to use
heated clothing Most heated clothing is designed for cold-weather sports and activities, such as motorcycle riding, downhill skiing, Diving (sport), diving, winter biking, and snowmobile, snowmobiling, trekking and for outdoor workers such as construction work ...
, which contains battery-powered electrical heating elements or gel packs.


See also

* * *


References

{{reflist Environmental suits Sportswear Protective gear