How can such a soft, snuggly, comfortable fabric like cotton be so hated among
veterans of the high activity sports world? In this article, we'll cover the
basics of why cotton is a definite no-no when putting together your wardrobe
for any outdoor or otherwise high intensity sports activity. The first part of
the dilemma with cotton doesn't necessarily have to do with cotton. It has to
do with you. Your body has a built in cooling system that tells itself to
produce sweat when it gets hot. While sweat is great for cooling your body
down, it can also cause extreme discomfort if it is able to remain against
your skin through the duration of your activity and long after you have
finished. And this is where cotton comes in. Cotton has the ability to absorb
larger amounts of water than other fibers acting as a sponge when you sweat.
This spongelike feature of cotton does not allow your sweat to dry very
quickly. So, after just a short while of hiking up that steep mountain,
playing a friendly game of tag football at the park, or even just rowing your
canoe across the lake, your cotton clothing will begin to get wet with sweat,
soggy and very uncomfortable. If your activity lasts for an extended period,
then the problem doesn't stop there. Remember when you were little and you
would play around in the pool long after your mom told you to get out and your
hands and feet would start looking like prunes? That very same thing happens
within your cotton socks and clothing often causing chaffing and more
discomfort. Now, let's say that you are finished with whatever sport it was
that caused you to sweat so profusely. Let's also suppose you don't have a
locker room to change in and going home is not an option either. Your cotton
underwear, cotton shorts, cotton socks and cotton shirt are no longer the
warm, cuddly garments they used to be. Cotton is not able to retain heat very
well when wet. You're now stuck in wet clothing with a drying out time ranging
from hours to possibly days. For you, this might only mean a short period of
discomfort. However, if you are going to be somewhere overnight or even for a
few hours where the temperatures are around 50 degrees or lower, your wet
clothing can become a killer. Many hypothermia deaths are caused by wet
clothing in mild to cold temperatures. Your body just can't warm itself
quicker than your wet cotton clothing cools you in colder temperatures. That's
almost a tongue twister. Until fabric companies really started digging into
the whole science of fabrics, there really weren't many options. So the
outdoor sports participants, team sports players, joggers, and anyone else who
sweats just had to suffer through all of the downsides that cotton has to
offer.
Summary:
 Cotton retains water, dries slowly, and does not keep you warm when wet so
it is not ideal for high endurance activities that involve sweating.
Tips:
1.  Take all of your 100% cotton clothing that is supposedly for outdoor
sports or athletic activities and donate it to your local charity.
2. When you're at the meeting for your first winter klondike receiving
instructions on the dangers of such an activity, don't raise your hand and ask
how many pairs of COTTON thermals they would recommend you bring along.
3. If you have an annoying inlaw that is really into hiking, backpacking,
outdoor sports, etc., make sure that the clothing you give them is 100% cotton
and tell them it is for their next trip.
 
Darron Robbins
President of OuterSports, LLC
http://outersports.com


Selecting the Right Climbing Gear: Harness
A climbing harness attaches you to your climbing rope, so it's important that
you know what harness you will need for the type of climbing you'll be doing.
Your harness should fit your body shape for comfort and safety. There are
three general styles of climbing harnesses: Alpine, Sport, and multi-purpose.
Construction varies among these categories to meet your specific needs.
Women's and children's harnesses, for example, have special fit
characteristics. The following suggestions will help you find the right
harness.Consider Your Climbing Style
You should first decide the type of climbing that you will do the most
often. Once you know your climbing style, you can select the right harness for
your needs.
Multi-Purpose – Multi-purpose harnesses are known as all-around, crag or
sport harnesses. Multi-purpose harnesses are ideal for beginners because they
are designed for a number of climbing applications such as top-roping, sport
and gym climbing. Most multi-purpose harnesses have padded leg loops and
waistbelts for which provides more comfort, especially if you take a fall.
Some multi-purpose harnesses have detachable leg loops which will allow you to
detach your legs while remaining attached to the rope. Most climbing harnesses
have gear loops for carrying your climbing hardware such as carabiners, chalk
bag, quickdraws etc. Multi-purpose harnesses will usually have a front loop
that allows you to attach a belay/rappel device.
Alpine – Alpine climbing harnesses are made for long mountain trips. These
harnesses are pretty basic and usually have minimal padding and very few
extras so that they will be light weight with low bulk. Alpine harnesses are
made of non-absorbent materials so that they will withstand the rough
environment of glacier and alpine climbing. The waistbelt and leg loops on
alpine harnesses are very adjustable to make it easier to get in and out of
when the harness is not needed. The leg loops are sometimes removable so you
can take potty breaks while staying tied into the rope.
Big Wall – Big wall harnesses are for climbers doing multi-pitch, multi-day
climbs like in Zion's National Park or Yosemite Valley. Big wall harnesses
will have lots of padding on the waistbelt and leg loops to relieve pressure
during hanging belays or aid climbing. Big wall harnesses will also have
multiple gear loops that will help put much of the wait on your harness
instead of on your shoulder gear sling. They usually have a full-strength haul
loop in back for towing a rope or heavy gear bag.
Competition – Competition harnesses are the best choice for climbing
competitions like "On Sight Difficulty" or "Speed" events. Competition
harnesses have a slim design and narrow webbing to allow a full range of
motion. Most competition harnesses will typically have little padding and few,
if any extras.
Compare Types of Harnesses
Leg Loop/Waistbelt -- This popular style of harness consists of a padded
waist (or "swami") belt and a pair of leg loops joined together in front with
a belay loop. The waistbelt buckles in front or off to the side, and the leg
loops are usually held up in back of the harness with elastic straps. Leg loop
size may either be fixed or adjustable..
Full Body Harness -- Full-body harnesses are designed to keep you safe in a
wide range of climbing activities. The harness holds your shoulders as well as
your legs, preventing you from slipping out if you rotate upside down during a
fall. Since full-body harnesses have a higher tie-in point than seat
harnesses, they reduce the chance of flipping over backward in the first
place. Full body harnesses are often used in climbing safety courses to ensure
the safety of beginners while they are learning to climb.
Chest Harness -- Chest harnesses are typically worn only on climbs where
you could likely turn upside-down. Falling into a crevasse during a glacier
climb or rappelling with a heavy pack are examples of such situations. The
chest harness is made to be used in conjunction with a sit harness. The
resulting combination is the same as the full-body harness, but with the
versatility of adding or removing the chest portion, as needed.
Test Fit Your Harness
Finding a harness that fits you well is essential. If the harness is too
tight it will restrict your movement. If your climbing harness is too loose,
it will slip, chafe and, in an inverted fall, maybe even let go of you. Just
like clothing, different harness brands fit different body shapes better than
others. Be sure to find one that works well for you.
Whenever you test-fit a harness, make sure you're wearing the kinds of
clothes you're likely to be climbing in. If you plan on carrying a pack with
you as you climb, wear it as well so you can make sure it doesn't cause any
discomfort when worn with the harness.
The Waistbelt -- Your harness waistbelt should be snug, but not too tight
that it is uncomfortable. It should ride just above your hips, but it
shouldn't restrict your breathing. You should not be able to pull the harness
down over your hips, no matter how hard you try. Children and narrow-hipped
adults -- if you can't get a harness to stay above your hip bones, use a
full-body harness until your body shape works with a waistbelt-style harness.
Be sure that there is at least 3 inches of webbing extending out of the
waistbelt buckle once it has been properly secured and doubled back.
Leg Loops -- Your harness leg loops should also be snug, but not so tight
that it causes discomfort. If they are an adjustable design, the webbing
straps should be long enough for you to double them back through their buckles
with at least 2 inches left over.
You should be especially careful when fitting a seat harness. If you choose
one that's too small, it will squeeze your hips and legs, reducing mobility.
If you choose one that's too large, the harness may slide up onto your lower
ribs, restricting your breathing. You should have between 1 and 3 inches of
clearance between the tie-in loops at your waist.
Buckling up and tying-in
Most harnesses use full-strength buckles to join the waistbelt. Read the
manufacturer's instructions carefully and learn how to use your harness and
the buckle correctly. If your harness and buckle are not secured properly, you
risk injury and possibly even death.
Most harness buckles must be buckled a certain way to be secure. Be sure
you follow the recommended procedure every time. In a high risk sport like
climbing, you never want to take short cuts. Short cuts and carelessness will
put your life at risk. Always double back all webbing straps through your
harness buckles. Under the impact force of a fall, webbing straps that are not
doubled-back can pull through buckles, causing you to fall out of the harness
altogether.
Remember that your harness is only as reliable as the knot you use to tie
yourself into it. Make sure you know how to tie into your harness correctly.
Read, understand and follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with the
harness. Be careful -- different styles have different tie-in procedures. It
is your responsibility to know how to use your harness correctly, along with
all of your other climbing gear.
Harness Care
Protect your harness from direct sunlight, heat and harsh chemicals like
bleach. Wash your harness in cool water with mild, non-detergent soap. Always
check your harness before you climb for frayed stitching, cuts or other forms
of damage.
Remember that your harness will not last forever. If you climb every
weekend, your harness should last a couple of years. The harder you climb and
the more often you fall, the weaker your harness will become. Replace your
harness whenever it shows signs of wear or damage.
Darron Robbins
President of OuterSports, LLC
http://outersports.com


Layering for Cold Weather
For many, when the trees shed their leaves, the grass stops growing, and
winter sets in, the human hibernation begins. It's time to crawl into a
centrally heated cave, and wait out the cold winter months. After all, without
a natural fur coat, humans were never meant to brave temperatures below 65
degrees right? Their adaptation comes in the form of a small remote that
controls the garage door allowing an uninterrupted climate change from the car
to the house. However, with the advent of the outdoor retail trade, the idea
of turning otherwise harsh winter conditions into a recreational adventure is
proving to be contagious. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, major
Outdoor Chains combined with Specialty Stores had an estimated $12.3 billion
in sales for 2004 with winter sales up 8.5%.Now, if you're a part of that
group chipping in to boost winter sales for the Outdoor Retailers, you're
probably spending your hard earned money on gear to help make up where Mother
Nature left off. And, when it comes to cold weather, Mother Nature left
everything OFF! The problem is, if you're new to dressing for cold weather
activities, knowing what to shop for is only half the battle. Winter gear
represents a very diverse portion of that $12.3 billion spent in 2004. This
article will help you understand the basics of winter dress and guide you in
your selection of the proper attire for cold weather activities.
First of all, the key to dressing for any winter or cold weather sport is
LAYERING. Your body has its own heating and cooling system. Layering is a way
of maximizing the efficiency of your body's system. Layering also allows you
to adjust to various levels of exertion so that you can maintain a desired
comfort range. Layering isn't a new technique. As far back as the early 80's
the company Patagonia was instructing the outdoor industry about layering
through a series of essays presented in their product catalogs. To begin,
there are three main parts to layering. The first part is called the base
layer which you will also hear referenced as the "next-to-skin" layer. The
second layer is going to be your insulating layer. And your third layer is
going to be your outer layer or shell.
Your next-to-skin layer is just what it sounds like, an underwear or
undergarment that will actually be touching you. This is probably the most
critical layer in moderate to high endurance winter activities. As you begin
to exert yourself, you sweat. Sweating is your body's way of cooling itself.
Cooling is just fine during warm summer sports, but in cold weather it can
actually work against you. Your next-to-skin layer should be made of a
material that will pull the sweat from your body keeping your skin dry and
comfortable. The process of pulling sweat from your skin is often referred to
in the outdoor world as "wicking." Underwear designed for wicking come in an
array of materials, some natural and some synthetic.
The first rule of thumb when choosing a next-to-skin layer is to wear
anything but cotton. Cotton wicks sweat, but retains it and takes way too long
to dry, which keeps your skin wet and cold. 100% polypropylene is probably the
best material for the money. Polypropylene underwear does not absorb any water
so it dries very quickly. Polypropylene also has a lower thermal conductivity
rate than other fabrics, which means that heat is slow to leave the material.
Now, there really are too many fabrics and materials to list. If you are
really serious about finding out what will work the best for you, I would
suggest getting into some forums and researching what other enthusiasts have
experienced and what they recommend. Otherwise, just start with the
polypropylene. Polypropylene underwear costs much less than other high tech
thermals.
Next is your insulating layer. With this layer, you first have to determine
how active you will be versus how cold your surrounding temperatures will be.
For instance, if you will be snowshoeing(very high intensity) on a cold
blustery day, you would probably just want a thin insulating layer just to
keep the chill off. But, if you are going to be ice fishing(low or no
intensity) all day in below freezing temperatures, you would need a much
thicker insulating layer. It is important here to note that the more air a
material traps inside of it, the warmer it will be. For this reason, a nice
thick fleece top and bottom works very well. Polyester or polypropylene fleece
will help sweat move from your next-to-skin layer toward your outer layer.
Fleece is also very light weight and because of the design of the fleece
fibers it traps a lot of air in the material itself. As a general rule, the
thicker insulating layer, the warmer it will be.
Finally, your third and outer layer will provide you with a waterproof,
windproof barrier. This layer is referred to in the outdoor industry as your
"shell" layer. Like your second layer, the functionality of your shell will
depend on what you are doing. If it's going to be snowing hard on you or if
there is a chance that you could get wet, then you would want to have a
waterproof shell. If a material is waterproof, then it will also be windproof.
One of the problems with most waterproof materials is a lack of breathability.
Gore-Tex® and eVent® fabrics are popular waterproof/breathable materials used
in high quality shells.
While these fabrics are breathable, the breathability is still somewhat
limited. These fabrics perform very well during lower endurance activities
while performance is moderate at high activity. If you don't think that
there's a chance of getting wet, then you might opt for the popular "soft
shell," a stretchy windproof fleece shell that is often treated with a water
resistant coating to provide additional protection. One of the primary
benefits of the soft shell is increased flexibility as well as breathability.
The layering techniques presented here are really meant to provide an
awareness of the proper dress system for cold weather. It is important to
adapt these ideas to your particular need. Emerging fabric technology is
constantly changing the way we dress. You might be surprised to know that many
of the fabrics used to make high fashion dress today originated in the outdoor
industry. Now, don't hibernate this winter. Find an opportunity to get out and
enjoy the outdoors. If you dress properly, you will stay warm and enjoy
yourself no matter what the activity.
Darron Robbins
President of OuterSports, LLC
http://outersports.com