Warmest Fabric/Insulator?
- Thread starter WMDunkin
- Start date
ssssnake529
Explorer
Down. Nothing else comes close in warmth to weight.
highdesertranger
Adventurer
well I agree nothing beats down the op said 1 material and without a shell down is worthless. so I vote for wool. highdesertranger
Cards81fan
Osage Hilltopper
Gore-Tex fabric is for waterproofing. It's insulating properties are negligible. Down is the warmest but in and of itself, it doesn't help much with wind or water.
If I had one material, I'd go with a very heavy fleece, like Polartec 300. The synthetic fabric is somewhat water resistant, repelling and retaining water less than wool. Wool is good but would be heavy, especially when wet. I'd compromise with the synthetic fleece.
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Jr_Explorer
Explorer
I know this is a little off topic but for the first layer I have tried synthetics but found that silk long underwear is still the best. It is very warm in cold weather. Remarkably it is perfect if you are going to transition between cold and warm because it is still quite comfortable at room temperatures. I found this out as I used to fly for business a lot to Italy. Those old TWA 747's would get COLD so I'd wear the long underwear under my pants. But then upon arrival it would be high 70's to low 80's and I didn't burst into flames.
762X39
Explorer
I am old school but have tried lots of stuff and for me it is still wool. Even soaking wet (been there so many times) it may weigh a ton but it won't kill me, in fact I'll still be warm. And I agree with Jr, as a base layer, silk rocks. I
discarded my issued base layer during my winter warfare course in favour of silk and used it during a dogsled trip (wearing wool pants and sweater of course).
discarded my issued base layer during my winter warfare course in favour of silk and used it during a dogsled trip (wearing wool pants and sweater of course).
Just my .02, but you really can't have only one layer... so there is no one material to rely on.
For pure insulation rating, down wins.
For a breathable waterproof, goretex wins.
For base layers, anything that wicks wins. (Merino wool and silk are my choices).
For wear and tear, canvas or leather or cordura (depending on type of use).
You simply need to mix and match layers to gain the best advantages of all of these materials. Saying wool is best is like saying vitamin C is the best vitamin... you need all of them. Not just one.
For pure insulation rating, down wins.
For a breathable waterproof, goretex wins.
For base layers, anything that wicks wins. (Merino wool and silk are my choices).
For wear and tear, canvas or leather or cordura (depending on type of use).
You simply need to mix and match layers to gain the best advantages of all of these materials. Saying wool is best is like saying vitamin C is the best vitamin... you need all of them. Not just one.
Arktikos
Explorer
Northface's thermoball jackets are reputed to be just as warm and lightweight as down, but have the advantage of retaining their insulative properties when wet. Wool with silk undergarmets is a pretty nice setup.
ssssnake529
Explorer
North Face claims its Thermoball insulation is the equivalent of 600 fill power down. 800 fill power is pretty much the industry standard for down, and 900+ is the upper end, so I think a more accurate statement would be that North Face's thermoball jackets are reputed to be about 70% as warm as down for the same weight.
Just for everyone's information, Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia (and a couple other companies, I think) have recently come out with hydrophobic down, which is essentially down that won't suck at insulating when it gets wet out. I just ordered a jacket with it and I will test it extensively in the fantastic Pacific Northwest winter.