What exactly is clo?

[Adam Rothermich]

So I've been reading a lot of threads that reference 'clo' when talking about synthetic insulation. I have never heard of this before and was wondering if someone could educate as to what it means and what it indicates. I'm assuming it has something to do with how well the material insulates but I'm not sure of anything beyond that.

Adam

[Richard Nisley]

It is a measure of thermal resistance for some specified thickness of insulation. clo, R value, TOG, and m2 K/W alll measure the same thing and you can convert from one representation to another. clo is the easiest to relate to because 1 clo is the value of a winter weight business suit ensemble that includes a shirt, ties, socks, underwear, and shoes.

For backpackers, clo/oz is very important because it allows us to compare the weight for specified amount of insulation.

This has been covered in the Forums many times. I suggest you do a forum search on this topic for more detail.

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