The following is taken, with permission, from thebook, _Bringing Yourself Back Alive_ (available from Amazon.com):In the backcountry, “dress for success” means dressing to survive and to remain reasonably comfortable. Your life may literally depend on your clothing. Cold conditions can cause hypothermia and hot weather can lead to dehydration and exhaustion. Both comfort and safety depend on suitable clothing. Clothing needs vary with conditions, but the following general rules apply nearly everywhere: Cool Weather Clothing:The key to dressing for the cold is to keep warm and dry but to avoid overheating. The common saying is, “to sweat is to die.” Wet clothing does not insulate well, and it doesn’t matter if it got wet from rain or from sweat. I usually prefer to start a hike dressed so I am slightly cool because once I start walking I know I will warm up. My preference is to endure a bit of discomfort at the beginning rather than overheat and sweat when I start moving. Be careful if you do this. If the start of the hike is delayed, you may need to put on extra clothing to avoid hypothermia. The general rules for cool weather are:Dress in layers, then add or remove layers as needed.Try to adjust your clothing so you are warm but stop just short of sweating.Avoid cotton. Cotton is a great warm weather fabric but it is dangerous in cool weather. It is a poor insulator to begin with and can be worse than useless when wet. It soaks up water and then sucks heat from your body. The one exception to this is in very cold, dry climates such as Antarctica. Cotton has been successfully used there, but only as part of a more extensive wardrobe that includes warmer fabrics and with specific knowledge of how to use it. There is a reason rescuers often call cotton “the death fabric.”Wear wool or synthetic clothing such as nylon, polyester or polypropylene. These fabrics do not absorb much water and they provide at least some insulation even when wet. The newer synthetic fleece fabrics are excellent insulators and dry quickly if they get wet. The man (or woman) in the polyester suit may get laughed at in town, but he is better prepared for the backcountry cold than the guy wearing cotton isIf possible, keep your clothing dry. Use a waterproof outer layer to protect the insulating inner clothing.Wear a hat and neck insulation unless you are starting to overheat. The head gets first call on body resources, including heat. Your bare head probably won’t get cold, but the heat it Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society
