wetting out

Kinda off topic, but I have noticed that I can be wet and warm while active, but as soon as a I stop all of the moisture wreaks havoc on my core temperature. I end up going through crazy cool downs that can send me into shivers.
I spent a night with damp clothing and a damp bag once, I would get warm and then suddenly wake up with shivers. I think my body would warm up the bag to where it would start evaporating the moisture but the evaporative cooling with cool me down again. It's the same thing with clothing.

Kinda off topic, but I have noticed that I can be wet and warm while active, but as soon as a I stop all of the moisture wreaks havoc on my core temperature. I end up going through crazy cool downs that can send me into shivers.

thats the trick … you can generally stay warm even when soaked when active … the moment you stop your heat generation plummets …

which is why we wear belay jackets when we stop …

and have waterproof gear for STATIC situations especially ….

the general rule is that you can survive being either cold or wet … not both … and you become cold the moment you stop

wear as little as you can when active … and make sure they are quick drying, rather than "warm when wet" … because once you stop for a long period, youll take it off and put on a dry next to skin layer and/or try drying em out with a hawt nalgene

As Eric and others have mentioned, best to be slightly chilled while active and have something puffy to throw on during breaks.

Some material are more hydrophobic than others, grid fleece or a loose weave sweater will have lots of dead air pockets that won't hold water. They will feel warm under a windshell even when wet.

As a comparison, I have a dense poly fleece mid layer that is about the same thickness as a grid fleece that I normally wear.

The grid fleece isn't as warm worn alone, but is almost as warm as the dence fleece under a shell.

The grid fleece actually seems warmer compared to the dense fleece when wet. It's also lighter and dries much faster. I have even layered two grid fleece sweaters in really cold wet weather, but it was too hot while active.

Still, it's nice to have that puffy down jacket to pull on in camp or while sleeping. Just don't hike in it:-)

"Has anyone tried wearing a hooded windshirt with a wool or fleece layer underneath and doing the wet but warm thing? The windshirt should block the wind and slow the rain considerably.
I have let myself get wet in the rain like this a few times, but never in really cold and prolonged weather."

If i was going to go that route, i would use Polypro instead–significantly more hydrophobic than even polyester.

Besides Anti Gravity Gear's silnylon jacket with pit zips is there anything similar that is not breathable but fully waterproof with the pitzips or mesh pockets? Preferrably something similar or cheap?

http://www.spadout.com/p/outdoor-research-rampart-jacket/#

if it doesnt work for you … return it for any reason ;)