The 3 Layer System
More Articles Related to ClothingClothing is used to create an environment surrounding your body that allows you to continue to function and stay comfortable. Your clothing should protect your body and help maintain its optimal temperature even when the outside conditions are very cold, very hot, or very wet.
Experience has shown that the best clothing system for the outdoors is the three-layer method. Having 3 layers of clothing allows for maximum heat retention and cooling efficiency in all weather environments as well as great flexibility in adapting to the constantly changing conditions the outdoors person faces.
Cool and Dry Stays Alive
Being active in the outdoors causes your body to generate heat. When you are feeling cold the creation of heat is a good thing, but as in all aspects of life too much of a good thing can be bad for you. As your body continues to generate more heat than it gets rid of, it can overheat and start to sweat. If allowed to continue, excessive sweat will saturate the clothing next to your skin, reducing its efficiency. Besides feeling wet and clammy, when the weather subsequently cools or your level of effort decreases you will likely become chilled or, in a worst case scenario, become hypothermic.
As your core body temperature deviates too far from normal your efficiency drops rapidly. When you are too hot you are liable to become lethargic and loose large quantities of precious water and salts through sweat. When your body cools it begins to burn precious calories at a higher rate. In both cases your mental and physical abilities deteriorate as your body temperature continues to depart on either side of normal.
The best layering system allows you great flexibility in maintaining the proper body temperature. By adding or removing layers you adapt the clothing you are wearing to the ever changing conditions you experience. While exerting yourself, you can strip off layers to help you stay cool and prevent sweating. When you lessen your level of exertion or stop for a break you can put on a layer to prevent your core temperature from cooling down too far. If the wind comes up you may choose to throw on a windbreaking layer so that air does not penetrate your clothing.
The bottom line is you want to sweat as little as possible and your want to stay dry as much as possible. The three layers of clothing system allows you to control this to a fine degree.
Elements of the Layering System
The 3 layers of clothing system consists first of an inner layer specially designed to quickly wick moisture away from your skin and toward the outer layers of clothing. This layer is commonly composed of various synthetic materials and is relatively thin, often much like a common t-shirt. When it is warmer or you are exerting yourself and producing a lot heat, you can wear this inner layer by itself in order to stay cool and dry.
The middle layer is the main insulation layer, having the purpose of making dead air space. This space captures the heat from body and prevents it from escaping into your surroundings. The middle layer is made up of wool, down, or synthetic insulations like fleece, pile, bunting, or lamolite. The thicker or loftier the layer the greater its heat retaining ability. The middle layer should be loose of fit. The middle layer can be composed of more than one garment. For example, if it is cold, a person might wear two wool sweaters or a sweater and a vest.
The outer layer is a heavy windproof shell that prevents the wind from penetrating into your insulation layer and robbing it of heat. The outer layer should be waterproof but also allow the moisture that is being wicked away from your body by the inner and middle layers to escape.
Basics of Regulating Body Temperature
Because of the dangers of wet clothing due to excessive sweating, it is better to try and keep your body temperature a little on the cool side. Cool and dry is far better in a survival situation than hot and wet.
With a little experience you will learn when to put on and when to take off clothing in order to keep your body at its most efficient operating temperature. Try to think ahead and adjust your layers accordingly.
For example, during a hike in cold weather you may find yourself to be hot from the heavy exertion of climbing a mountain. When you stop for a break you run the risk of cooling down quickly, especially if you have been sweating. Do no wait until you are chilled before putting on another layer of clothing. You will want to trap some of that heat before it escapes into the surrounding environment.
If the weather is warm and you are about to start heavy exertion that you know will warm you up, do not wait to become overheated before removing some of your clothing. Think ahead and strip down a little as a pre-emptive strike against overheating.
Tips for Regulating Your Body Temperature
If you find yourself overheating you can safely regulate your body temperature in a number of ways that include:
- removing your hat
- loosening the clothing from around the neck area, pulling up your sleeves to expose your arms, unzipping your outer layer to allow cool air in
- removing articles of clothing
- reducing the intensity of your efforts or taking a break
- drinking cold water
Conversely, if you find yourself cooling too much you can:
- add a hat
- batten down the hatches, so to speak, by closing off all areas where air can easily circulate out of your clothing – usually the neck, wrists, waist, and ankle areas.
- Add additional clothing to your middle insulation layer
- wear all three main layers for maximum protection against the cold.
- Drink hot liquids and eat high calorie foods
As you can see, by wearing layers of clothing, each layer with its special purpose, you can fine-tune the micro-climate you create around yourself. This gives you the ability to safely experience a wide range of climate and activities. Adapting to the conditions at hand is the hallmark of the survivor and proper clothing is the cornerstone of his or her survival equipment.
Next in the 3-layer system: The Base Layer.
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