Camping Clothing

Camping and Outdoor Equipment

Camping Clothing

When you have specialized clothing amongst your camping and outdoor equipment any camping trip will be more comfortable to you. The clothes you have at home will work when you are outdoors but specialized clothes made from special fabrics and designs, along with boots and waterproof rain wear will help make the most of the terrain, climate and weather you can expect when you go camping. Nowadays because of the popularity of camping there has been a massive influx of innovations regarding outdoor activity clothing. In fact the camper has never enjoyed a better or wider range of camping clothing as that is available these days.. There are waterproof breathable fabrics and membranes, insulating materials and foot wear that are now all available to anyone going camping to buy and use. Clothing worn when camping or backpacking is not just for comfort and fashion. These clothing garments are in fact the first line of defence against injury, insect attack and weather conditions which can fluctuate dramatically.

Gore-Tex

You will not be able to buy Gore-Tex clothing itself but instead clothing and footwear that incorporates Gore-Tex within it. If you do purchase camping clothing items to add to your camping and outdoor equipment with Gore-Tex incorporated in it then you will be buying items of clothing that will definitely be more comfortable when outdoors. Any particular item of camping clothing may feature Gore-Tex itself or another Gore membrane in one or several different applications. Each of the Gore membranes offers different kinds of weather protection and comfort levels.

There are 4 different types of Gore-Tex membranes and each one offers a mix of characteristics that can be matched to the particular outdoor conditions you are likely to encounter when out camping. These characteristics are breathability, water protection and wind protection. Depending upon your location and time of year when camping each characteristic has it’s importance level. Every Gore brand is windproof but it is only Gore-Tex that is completely waterproof. And what we mean by waterproof is that no water from the outside can get in. Breathability means that your natural body moisture vapour can pass through the clothing and evaporate in the outside air.

Gore-Tex itself is very breathable, completely waterproof and totally windproof. With this attributes it makes it perfect for rain, snow, the cold and wind. Gore-Tex happens to be also extremely durable so combined with it’s attributes it is a perfect substance to incorporate in to any camping and outdoor equipment clothing. Gore-Tex is made of 2 substances. The first is a membrane which contains 9 billion pores per square inch. Each pore is smaller than a droplet of water. Liquid water can be blocked and the water vapour is allowed to pass whilst the material does not absorb any of the moisture. This membrane is incorporated in one or more of several techniques.

Two Layer Gore-Tex Fabric

Here there is a high performance fabric that has the Gore-Tex membrane bounded in to it. The purpose and result of this is a piece of clothing that is supple and lightweight perfect for weather protection.

Three Layer Gore-Tex Fabric

Here there is a high performance fabric that has the Gore-Tex membrane bound in to it and then a knit liner fabric bonded to the other side. This has been designed to give the user ultimate durability and is often used to strengthen any weak wear areas in two layer garments.

Gore-Tex LTD

With this the Gore-Tex membrane is actually bonded to the fabric that is used as the garment’s lining. This means that the Gore-Tex is closer to the skin of the user. This makes it the best way from taking moisture vapour away from the skin when the wearer sweats.

Gore.Tex Z-Liners

These liners are hung between the outer shell and lining of any camping clothing. The result here is a complete fully seam sealed piece of clothing.

The Gore Windstopper

The Gore wind stopper membrane is another product from Gore-Tex. Where this membrane is breathable and completely windproof, it is not waterproof and will not offer any protection against water. It is ideal for wearing in cool and windy conditions when camping or pursuing outdoor activities. The wind stopper fabric is made by laminating the windstopper fabric to a high performance fabric. It is especially effective and mostly used in creating wind proofing fleece that is used for outwear, gloves and hats. When the weather takes a turn for the worse and becomes colder, these items come in to their elements as they are twice as warm as ordinary fleece, yet just as breathable.

Gore Dryloft

This is extremely breathable, completely windproof and water resistant. It is generally found in sleeping bags and cold weather parkas. What it does is to keep insulation dry from the inside and avoid any moisture build up that can occur from light rain and snow. It also copes with water vapour from sweat.

Gore Activent

This is the most breathable, water resistant and windproof fabric available that has been designed and developed for outdoor activities.

3M Thinsulate Insulation

3M has been making Thinsulate for many years and outdoor enthusiasts and those that go camping have kind of become to rely upon it and add garments to their camping and outdoor equipment that are made from it. There is a high level of customer loyalty with 3M Thinsulate products and it is no wonder as the goods are good quality and provide an excellent user friendly service when camping in cold periods.

Insulation works by the actual trapping of air amongst it’s fibres. And with the more air that is trapped, the better the insulation is. Now Thinsulate fibres are smaller than 10 microns in diameter which is a tenth of the size of a human hair to give you a better idea of the size. These tiny fibres that Thinsulate use allow more fibres to be used in a smaller space which means that more air can be trapped than in any other insulating product that is used in the clothing industry. When you compare products by identical thickness, the Thinsulate insulation is twice as warm as other high loft insulation and 1 and a half times warmer than down. The types of Thinsulate insulation are as follows:

1- Thinsulate Type C which uses the natural down structure as a pattern.

2- Thinsulate Type B which is used in footwear because it can resist compression.

3- Thinsulate Lite Loft which is good for outerwear as well as sleeping bags. This type offers the most warmth for the least weight of any synthetic insulation out there today.

4- Thinsulate Ultra has a medium loft structure that makes it suitable for many different clothing styles.

5- Thinsulate Type R which is the newest addition to the Thinsulate line. It is made from 50 per cent recycled polyester fibres. It does resemble the Type C Thinsulate but is more environmentally friendly.

3M has a reputation to uphold and realises that it has a huge customer loyalty. It will not allow anyone to use it’s products in the making of outdoor wear. It will work with manufacturers to ensure that the insulation is used correctly, ensuring you a high quality product every time you buy a garment with the Thinsulate label attached to it

Layering Clothing To Deal With Wet And Cold Conditions

When camping out on a cold or wet day it is very easy to adapt to the conditions by dressing correctly. The way to dress correctly is to dress yourself up in layers. This is a very simple concept where you use several layers of light clothing and then have yourself a windproof or waterproof outer shell. When dressing like this though it is always important to ensure that there is enough ventilation to allow the carrying away of your perspiration where it is able to evaporate.

Materials Used For Layering

When choosing layers for yourself it is important to choose the correct materials. These material principles below are well worth keeping in mind and will help you along your way with the selection process.

1- Cotton and especially denim is a loosely woven material and will allow water and air through it. Neither of these work to your advantage unless you are in tropical heat. Many experts dismiss cotton and it does have potential dangers. It is not really a good product to wear when pursuing outdoor activities.

2- Down will stop wind and hold heat. But if it gets wet then it will perform very badly

3- Synthetic materials like polar guard or Thinsulate will give good insulation and allow any perspiration to pass

4- Outer shell clothing will come in a variety of fabric types. Nylon taffets is one example which will let sweat pass but does not block the wind well.

Nylon micro fibre lets sweat pass and blocks wind. The surface of nylon fibre can also be treated to make it water resistant.

Urethane coated nylon is cheap and completely waterproof. But it will not allow your sweat to pass through.

Breathable coated nylon is quite expensive and the range includes Ultrex, HP Ripstop and Helly Tech.

Gore-Tex Membrane will block the wind and rain but does not work as well as microfiber or urethane nylon in allowing sweat to pass or keeping water out respectively..

Footwear For Camping

When camping or backpacking a person must pay particular attention to their feet and acquire the best footwear that can find. For a day hike a pair of sports trainers will easily suffice, but for ended walking a pair of lightweight hiking boots are advised. These can be in the form of low cut or high cut depending upon the amount of foot and ankle support you desire.

Hiking boots come in several categories and these can be classified as below:

1- Trail shoes. These are low cut hiking boots and are a medium between a pair of running shoes and half a hiking boot.

2- Day hike boots. These are for casual walks or bike riding and can be even worn for light scrambling on rocks and such surfaces.

3- Hiking Boots. These have moderate weight with the the maximum possible features and functions. They are rugged enough to be worn on multi day exertions, yet light enough for a day hike.

4- Backpacking Boots. These are made for long hikes and carrying heavy loads. They can be expensive to buy but are built to last.

The stiffness of a hiking boot is generally a good price guide. The stiffer the boot, the higher the price.

Good Fit

When buying footwear to go camping with there are a couple of pointers that you should adhere to regarding the fitting of the boot.

1- Snug Heel. This will prevent your foot from slipping and moving within the boot. Any movement can cause blistering.

2- Snug Instep. This will give you excellent balance and control

3- Toe Room. You need room here to allow for thick socks. Also you do not want to be jamming your toes in to the end of the boot when you are walking downhill.