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| Come winter and out come the sweaters
and coats to keep the body warm. This is our way of insulating the body
from the cold outside. The way to effectively battle the cold is to
layer and layer. The base layers of winter clothing must be effective.
They must be made of material, which allows the sweat to evaporate. The
clothing can be in the form of boxers, long or short underwear, and
vests.
The next layer is often called the mid thermal layer and is the
2nd line of defense. Zippered Jerseys, mock turtlenecks or
T-shirts are good choices. It is important to ensure that these are not
too tight or too loose, because tight clothes apart from restricting
movement do not insulate the body properly and loose clothes allow the
warm air to escape.
The clothing should also allow proper ventilation,
which is to allow heat to escape if it gets too hot or seal heat in if
it gets too cold. This should be achieved without having to take off any
layer. Openings like buttons and zippers achieve this to perfection.
Depending on the outside conditions decide whether to use more layers or
heavier clothing with not so many layers. If it is freezing, heavier stuff is
better and if variable conditions are going to be encountered, go in for
multiple layers that are not so heavy. Gloves and mittens can be used to
keep the hands warm. They are available as base layers or super warm
stuff that can take care of the cold. Balaclavas cover the neck and head
completely leaving only the eyes and nose exposed. Separate caps that
offer very good insulation can also be worn. Even shoes with insulation
and waterproofing are available to ward off the cold. When one thinks of
winter, woolen clothes are the first things that come to your mind. |
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Wool
is a very good insulator, can absorb moisture without becoming really
wet and is fairly inexpensive. It can be worn against the skin, but a
great disadvantage is that it tends to be very itchy and many people are
allergic to it. Pile or Fleece fabrics are good insulators but are not
very resistant to cold wind, so they invariably have to be used in
combination with other layers. Polypropylene and hydrophobic fabrics
prevent the skin from getting wet as they do not absorb the water and
also reduce heat loss. Feathers are good insulators but woe betide if
they get wet. Down is good only so long as it is dry. It is light and if
encased in synthetic fabric can be petty useful. Silk is a good
insulator and for those who are allergic to wool, it can act as an
efficient base layer. Super thin fibers have stormed the market and have
proved to be good alternatives to warm clothing. They offer twice the
warmth that down does, but they tend to be heavier. However as outer
layers of winter clothing they function as efficiently as parkas and
pants. Fur, Mohair, camel hair and angora are also good outer layers.
Winter clothing can be damaged if not taken care of. Moths and pest seem
to be attracted by them during spring and summer and they need to be
taken care of. Sweaters, coats and parkas that are not being used need
to be preserved in plastic zippered bags and mothballs need to be used
to control the pests. This ensures that your winter clothing is always
fresh every year.
~
Editor K Bajaj.
copyright @indianchild.com |
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