Looking into some Nordic Skiing this winter I came across this :
Avoid wearing cotton? Can anyone expalin this?
If I layer with cotton socks, shirt, & sweater, then top it off with boots, gloves and hat, what’s the problem? I’ve been doing it this way for over 40 years.
Cotton fabrics don’t wick moisture away from your skin & holds moisture - so when you sweat, that moisture stays next to you and can chill you further.
IMO, this probably isn’t a big deal when you’re just going from home to work and back, but if you’re going to be doing significant exercise outside - say spending an hour shoveling your driveway or doing winter hiking, you want to make sure you dress with the innermost layer one that will wick any sweat away from your skin.
See this page
People who spend a lot of time in the outdoors have a knickname for it"killer cotton". For any kind of outdoor use it is a terrible (and perhaps fatal) choice. A cotton sweatshirt is fine for lounging around the house, but if I know I am going to spend any serious time outdoors, I wear synthetics. You never know what might happen on an innocent ski trip or a short hike. You could get lost you could become hurt and lose your partner, etc. It happens every year to people “just out for a walk”.
Sure, it’s not an epidemic killing thousands. Agreed. But, it’s also not a big deal to wear fleece instead of your cotton college sweatshirt.
Ah, thanks. I had no idea. Maybe that’s why I always got cold.
I’ll go buy some fleece.
Try some SmartWool (brand name) socks too. Very comfy and warm.
So what about pants, or undershirts/t-shirts? What’s a full winter-safe outfit?
Look to things like UnderArmor or base layer clothing made by Columbia or the North Face. These are designed to be just the thing.
As for pants, if you’re doing serious outside winter stuff you have snowpants.
Base layer; polypropylene undergarments like “Hot Chillys” (wicks moisture away from skin)
first layer; synthetic cloth garments (further wicking, accts as an intermidiary barrier layer between the second and base layer)
second layer; wool or poly sweater/fleece, fleece pants (insulation)
top layer; snowgear (ski parka and snow pants) (weather-barrier layer)
Hat and gloves (weather barrier)
the nice thing about the layering approach is it allows you to adjust your insulation layers based on your temperature, activity and air temps, a cotton T-Shirt and heavy parka is not the way to go
It’s been a while since I was into winter camping and backpacking, but I was under the impression that it was not about cotton’s wicking abilities, but rather about the fact that cotton looses its insulative properties when wet like down does. Am I wrong?
Either way, cotton sucks when you sweat or it gets wet in the winter.
Both are true, it depends on what layer you are talking about. The main problem is keeping the moisture near your skin where it conducts heat very efficiently. Cotton jeans, on the other hand, will freeze solid and be unable to get on or off. There’s a whole host of problems with cotton in winter.
Again, this really only applies when you are active enough to sweat, and are going to be out for extended times. Walking on the street it doesn’t really matter.
I’d like to say ditto to this and add a brief addendum. I spend a lot of time out doors in the winter, hiking, skiing, hockey etc…etc… and I have spent hundreds probably thousands on gear over the years. I don’t wear cotton, I like a good wool and fleece mix and I layer like there’s no tomorrow.
This year I bought a new NorthFace Bionic and it is the best coat I’ve purchased in a while. Light, durable, extremely breathable and wicks the sweat from your skin quickly and when you warm up in it you stay warm.
Cotton also takes forever to dry (body heat can significantly dry out synthetic undies) and in my experience it sticks and bunches much worse when it’s wet (as compared to synthetics and wool) which leads to some awful chafing/hotspots/blisters.
It’s not just if you are sweating, if you’re in a damp or wet environment (and in the outdoors you have to keep in mind that can happen any time) cotton will also be the wrong choice.
One more thing, cotton gets heavy when wet since it soaks up all that moisture and doesn’t release it. You can wring out synthetics and wear them (albeit damp, but they can dry fast) and fleece/wool outer layers are quite good at shedding water from the beginning (I’ve worn my Woolrich shirt as a rain slicker up Yosemite’s Mist Trail in full flow; it didn’t get heavy and was dry within minutes of getting out of the soak).
Thanks for that link. That’s a great price too.
Also, check out your local thrift stores. Maybe it’s because Seattle is an outdoorsy city but I often brands like Eddie Bauer, Lands’ End and L.L. Bean in excellent shape at the stores I frequent. I’m particularly liking my thin, all polyester T-shirt from R.E.I. that I got for a couple of bucks recently. It makes a nice, cozy, non-bulky first layer.
How about silk?
I figure for my outer layer I’ll go with the Swedish Army winter wool pants and perhaps my East German Field Jacket. Both wool and quite warm.
My gloves are cashmere lined leather, I was just planning to go nordic skiing with some co-workers. I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on clothing that I’ll wear only once.
Then again, I do need some new gloves for my new 
snow thrower.
I know that this one’s already been beaten into the ground, but anecdotally, after years of hiking in just cotton t-shirts, I’ve recently switched to synthetics with wicking properties. Even in relatively mild temperatures, it makes a big difference. It’s really nice to put the backpack on after taking a break and not have that horrible cold clammy feeling as the damp t-shirt is pressed against your back.
These socks are what I wear to work every day in cold weather. I work at a kindergarten, we’re outside for almost two hours every day, and I love 'em.
As said above, polypropylene is a great underlayer. Here is a set at a very good price:
Can’t say enough about gaiters too.
These are what I have. Outdoor Research Can’t say enough good things about them. They have a Velcro front and are very easy to take on and off. And they really help keep your feet dry and warm. I use them a lot. They really, really make a difference.
We live in snow at 11,200 feet. I plow a lot. It’s great to just wear some medium height/weight hiking boots slap on some gators and trudge through a foot or more of snow to the truck.
They keep snow from getting in your boots, and really help to keep your feet and lower legs warm.
And, once inside, you can pull them off with out having to deal with all the frozen wet pant cuffs.
I can’t imagine cross country skiing with out them.