Wool
Wool is a material that is derived from the hair of sheep. It is a natural product which has many characteristics that make it an ideal material for clothing, particularly in cold and wet weather. Some of these characteristics include its ability to insulate, absorb moisture, and resist fire.
How it works
Wool is an excellent insulator. It keeps you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. That’s because it’s great at regulating your body temperature. It does this by trapping air in its fibers. The air trapped in the fibers is a poor conductor of heat, so it doesn’t conduct heat away from your body very well. This makes wool a great insulator.
Wool is also hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. This is important because when your clothes get wet, they lose their insulating power. But because wool repels water, it can still keep you warm even when it’s wet.
Advantages
Wool is an excellent material for winter apparel because it will keep you warm even when it is wet. Wool is also a durable material that will last for many years with proper care.
Down
Down is a type of feathers that are extracted from the undercoat of ducks and geese. The use of down feathers for insulation dates back thousands of years and is still one of the most effective insulators available today. When down gets wet, it loses much of its insulating ability. However, there are some types of down that have been treated to resist moisture and retain their insulating properties even when wet.
How it works
The loft of a down feather is created by a delicate web of fibers that connect the quill to the body of the feather. This gives the feather its cushiony three-dimensional structure. When down is heated, the fibers relax and the loft collapses. Once cooled, the fibers tighten again and the loft is regained.
Down’s ability to trap heat comes from its ability to trap air. The network of interlocking fibers creates countless tiny pockets of air. These pockets are what give down its exceptional insulating power. When dry, a single ounce of down can contain as much as two cubic feet of air. And when wet, it can still trap about half as much air — more than any other insulation material on the market today.
Advantages
There are many advantages to down. It is very lightweight, has a great warmth-to-weight ratio, is compressible, and is extremely durable. Down also has the ability to loft (or trap air) better than synthetic insulation, which results in better heat retention. In addition, down is a natural product that is hypoallergenic and biodegradable.
Synthetics
How it works
When you are outdoors in the cold and your clothes get wet, whether through rain, snow, or spilled drinks, your body loses heat faster. This is because water conducts heat away from your body 25 times faster than air does. So when your clothes are wet, they are not doing a very good job of insulating you from the cold.
Synthetic fabrics were invented to solve this problem. They are made of materials that can repel water instead of absorbing it. This means that even when they are wet, they will still insulate your body and keep you warm.
There are two main types of synthetic fabrics: hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Hydrophobic fabrics, such as Gore-Tex, have a coating that repels water. Hydrophilic fabrics, such as Coolmax, have fibers that wick moisture away from the body.
Both types of fabric will keep you warm even when wet, but hydrophobic fabrics will also keep you dry. This makes them a great choice for outdoor activities in cold or wet weather.
Advantages
There are several advantages to synthetic fabrics, especially when it comes to outdoor gear. One of the most important advantages is that synthetic fabrics are quick-drying, which means they will not hold moisture against your skin the way cotton will. This is important because wet fabric can make you cold, even when it’s not freezing outside.
Another advantage of synthetic fabrics is that they are often treated with chemicals that make them resistant to water and stains. This means your gear will last longer and stay cleaner, even if you use it in muddy or wet conditions. Some of the most common synthetic fabrics used in outdoor gear are polyester, nylon, and spandex.