Clothing system for wide range of conditions?

My idea:

* Thin and lightweight underwear. (GoLite Drimove Lite comes to mind)
* Mid-weight down jacket.
* eVent shell jacket.

Hi Stuart

We have worn our Taslan windshirt and pants combo through those conditions, supplementing them with a synthetic (not wool) thermal top in the cold (including light snow) and our ponchos in the rain. No worries. Australian and European conditions.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/make_your_own_gear_trousers.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/notes_from_the_field_bushwacking_shell.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/myog_mntn_poncho.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/caffin_gear_list_revisited.html

Cheers

Thanks guys. Definitely food for thought.

Roger – finding taslan clothing seems to be rather hard. Do you know if the railriders nylon shirts like their "adventure" and "oasis" shirts are similar? Also, I notice from your gear list that you also carry golite wisp wind shirts and BPL cocoon tops (which seem to be for in-camp use only) bringing the total to 5 garments. Do you think you could manage with less for shorter trips?

Cheers,
Stuart

Here what I tend to use and it covers a very wide range

Ibex Strider shorts: great as underwear or running shorts

BPL Thorofare pants: Awesome in cool to very hot weather

BPL Hoody: Still new to me but same type of wool I norm use from below freezing to temps in the low 70's. Plus this design allows you to forgo hat and gloves
Integral Designs eVent jkt: Can be used as a windshirt if I am really limiting what I carry. Def not hardshell perfection but a huge step in the right direction

Darn Tough socks: Last forever

Rocky GTX socks: for use in cold wet conditions

Inov8 Flyroc's: Have used these in 90+ deg temps all the way down to winter snowshoeing with GTX socks and layers under.

Wild Things Epic wind pants: Def not as light as other models but have increase water resistance and are awesome for winter summits. Great in combo with eVent jkt for warm summer rainy hike's. In temps 60+ the Thorofares are great for rain though.

Patagonia MicroPuff Vest or BPL Cocoon Pullover: All depends on warmth needs.

The conditions you describe perfectly meet some Minnesota summer days. I generally take:

Headsweats cap
S/S and L/S wicking shirt (sometimes leave S/S at home)
Montbell U.L. Thermawrap parka
fleece hat
fleece gloves
rain shell top: Rab Drillium (formerly Marmot Precip)
MLD rain mitts
zip off shorts
spandex running tights
Marmot Precip pants
Polypro wicking bottoms
Smartwool Adrenaline socks
ID eVent shortie gaiters
running shoes

I think the key to this is to have a decent base layer top that provides a wide range of comfort and an top insulating layer that covers you to the coldest temps you anticipate experiencing.

In the future, I am looking to potentially alter the list to look more like this. However, this requires investment and more skill on my part with tarps and poncho tarping:

Tilly wide-brim hat
BPL merino hoody
BD powerstretch gloves
MLD eVent rain mitts
MLD Cuben poncho tarp
Windshell top: Patagonia Houdini GoLite Ether, Acrteryx Squamish
Windshell bottom: GoLite Reed or Whim, ID Pertex
BPL Thorofare
Smartwool Adrenaline Minicrews
ID eVent shortie gaiters
running shoes

Rain coat/poncho (I use a Montane I can't remember the name of)
Windshirt (I use a Monatne Aero)
Lightweight base layer (I use BPL merino)
Lightweight nylon/taslan shirt and pants (I use BPL Thoroughfare)
Microfleece top (Mont (not MontBell) pullover)
Lightweight down jacket (MontBell UL down inner)
Wide brimmed hat of some kind
Windblock hat and gloves
Possum Down fingerless gloves for around camp
Neck gaiter (doubles as pillow case)

A variation on the above should see you through a wide range of conditions. The shirt and pants can be rolled up for hot conditions (provided they are not too closely fitted), rolled down and add a base layer for cool conditions, throw on a microfleece top +/- windshirt for very cold or windy conditions, down jacket for around camp and part of sleep system and obviously rain garment as required. Gaiters will help keep out snow, grit, stones and spikey bushes and also protect the bottom of your pant legs.

Hi Stuart

Yeah, that's the #1 problem – which is why I make our own clothing. You just can't buy good stuff any more. Actually, our Taslan clothing was originally bought from Macpac as Rockover trousers and Windshirts, but Macpac discontinued both products. They don't make any shirts these days, and their current 'Rockover' trousers are more for fashion than the bush.

The Railriders gear is tough all right, but I tested some bits and found many problems with them. The trousers were strongly oriented towards street wear, and had zips and huge buttons underneath the hip belt – most uncomfortable. The fabric tended to be rather breezy too – not good in cold weather. Designed for the dry USA summer I think.

Their shirts may be OK in some areas, but they offered little or no protection against the wind. Many of them have mesh panels which are quite breezy – OK in the heat but not in the cold. Again, designed for the dry fine USA summer.

The GoLite Wisp was carried in France as the lightest alternative shirt I could find. It did offer some added wind resistance over my Taslan top, but it also allowed us to have something to wear in the evenings if staying in an up-market Refuge (or cheap hotel). And I could wear it while putting the rest of our clothing through a laundromat!

The Cocoon tops were very nice in the tent in the evening – it got quite cold (snow) sometimes. But we *never* wore them under a pack – that would wreck them. We might manage without them for a night or two, using our sleeping bags as wraps (shawls), but remember that trip was 3 months long. So yes, you certainly could manage with less under the *right* conditions for short trips.

You could grab some very cheap nylon track pants from a discount sports store and rip the cotton knit liner out. That would be close. Dunno what to recommend about the top though – maybe a Wisp or a Montane Lightspeed, but neither are as good as Taslan for rough stuff.

Cheers

>Dunno what to recommend about the top though – maybe a Wisp or a Montane Lightspeed, but neither are as good as Taslan for rough stuff.

Thru-hiker.com has some excellent patterns for all sorts of windshirts, insulated jackets and pants. I can vouch for their quality and easy to follow instructions. If you or someone you know can sew, I would highly recommend these. Then you could just buy some taslan fabric and make it to suit you.

Wow, Allecat, that's one interesting environment you're dealing with. 'Nuf said, on to the clothes:
1) Capilene 1 LS shirt next to skin
2) Ibex Ribbed Wooly LS top 2nd layer for a skinny guy
like me-also part of my sleep system.
3) Montbell Windshirt for stops and sleep system-I'm not
looking to hike in it so I'm not worried about
breathability.
4) O2 rain jacket if no brush involved, otherwise ID Event
jacket.
5) Montane Terra hiking pants-especially good for off trail
and also breathe great.
6) Ibex Ribbed Wooly pants for next to skin around camp
and sleep system
7) Montane wind pants for rain/snow and around camp.
8) Montail Namches and plastic bags for vapor barrier in
rain/snow if necessary.
9) MH Powerstretch balaclava and MH Transition Feather-
weight Dome beanie for the head.
10) Rab Phantom Grip gloves

Tom – in Tasmania we say "if you don't like the weather, wait 20 minutes…" but 4 seasons in a matter of hours is a bit much even for us :) I like your clothing list as I can picture myself carrying those or similar items without too much fussing around.

Alison – I will have a look at thruhiker's patterns and try to persuade my other half to teach me (and allow me!) to use the sewing machine :)

Matt – your system seems quite simmilar to Tom's, although I have to draw the line at spandex tights in the interests of not scaring the wildlife…

Roger – I just noticed that railriders have a new shirt called the "regulator windshirt" which has zips from hem to cuff and mesh behind the zips. Maybe you can persuade them to send you one for testing :)

After all this it seems that I could manage with a baselayer, a good rain shell (I have a Montane Atomic DT which I love) and a warm/puffy jacket, *provided* that the baselayer can cope with a wide temperature range (and some wind) by itself.

I'm starting to think I should find a baselayer that deals with the colder end of the range and add some venting to it – pit zips or side zips as well asa front zip might do the trick.

Thanks all. I've got more ideas to do some experimenting now so that's great.

Cheers,
Stuart

Here's my layering:

*Silk-weight polyester base layer:
-Short sleeve tee for milder weather
-briefs
-Long sleeve tee for colder season
-Long bottoms for colder weather or under rain pants in cold rain

*Insulation:
-Power Stretch half-zip top for colder weather or expected cold sleeping, long johns to suit same
-Light quilted polyfill jacket

Outer layer
-Nylon zip off pants
-Light nylon button-down shirt in hot weather
-Windshirt

*Rain gear
-Poncho/cape or light breathable rain jacket
-Light breathable rain pants
-Short gaiters

*Accessories:
-Light rain gloves
-Windproof fleece gloves in colder weather
-Fleece beanie/Peruvian cap
-Fleece scarf
-Wide brimmed sun hat

*Other items to draw on:
-Fleece sweater
-Fleece vest
-Heavier polyfill jacket
-Waterproof mittens

> I have to draw the line at spandex tights in the interests of not scaring the wildlife…

I AM the wildlife….

"I AM the wildlife…."
Well, are you scared of spandex??

Nice to know that other people have experience conditions that are that variable. What I have worn has varied over the years… but what would have work for me with that range of conditions recently:

• Inov-8 Shoes
• Injinji Socks
• Gore-Tex Oversocks – don’t normally take them, but if I am expecting cold & wet, these work great. In the past I have also used Sealzskins.
• Ex Officio Boxer-Briefs
• Cloudveil Spinner Pants (zipoff version of Peak) – some people might some featherweight tights or rain pants… but this works well enough for me. Sometimes I bring 2.7oz dropstopper knicker.
• Feather Weight Power Dry Long Sleeve Zipper-Neck Shirt. Some people might want a second, warmer base, but this has been good enough for me.
• WM Flash Vest (if I could stay active).. Montbell Thermawrap Jacket if I was going to be standing around)
• Dri-Ducks Rain Jacket
• Polar Buff – used as a warm hat or a neck gaitor depending on conditions
• 4 Shadows Hat – sometimes layered under the sunday afternoon hat, or used stand alone
• Sunday Afternoon Hat
• Powerdry Liners
• MLD Rain Mittens

Other thoughts on my recommended clothing page.

> "I AM the wildlife…."
> Well, are you scared of spandex??

Not if it is bright green… :-)

Cheers

> Well, are you scared of spandex??

Not if it is bright green… :-)

Ah, yes, the elusive green flanked bush bunny. The most challenging of big game species. ;}