Wet T-Shirt Contest

[HH8]

I found this article and thought it a good add to this post.
http://wp.me/pznYe-3H6

Good description of how it feels, but this picture made me blink

[HH8]

My thermostat's busted. I have experienced real hypothermia and heat exhaustion both. I always hike with my 10 essentials, but I'm too wimpy to pack along a "selection" of alternate clothing. I must layer, and a windbreaker (even with the sweaty cotton T-shirt removed) is not enough help in a sudden Sierra snowstorm.

On the other extreme, which is how I spend most of my Southern CA hiking, I carry less water weight if I use some as swamp cooler. A reasonable compromise for me has been a loose synthetic shirt with wet bandanas for head and shoulders. They whip off quickly for sudden chills and weigh less than a spare T-shirt. Besides, bandanas can even decorate my outfit!

I swear by wool for warmth, but synthetic fleece is cheap. I resent the claustrophobia I get from form-fitting synthetics.

About the bloody nipples - halfway through a journey is not the time to discover you should have brought anti-chafing underwear. Some body parts are easier than others to protect with a bandage. Swinging free and easy is only good if it stays easy. When it gets vigorous, bondage can be a big plus.

[halhiker]

The faux-environmentalism of the Patagonia catalogues I receive (by the dozens) really irks me. Granted, alpine mountaineering requires special clothes and I'm not qualified to bitch/talk about that end of their product line, but I do think most of the hiking/trekking clothes these catalogues sell are basically just bull@@#. .

I have to disagree with you on this end. I was a Patagonia dealer for almost ten years and was very impressed with their environmental commitment. Sure, part of it is marketing but alot of what they do doesn't add to the bottom line and is done out of a sincere desire to do the right thing. They started clothing recycling and using recycled fabrics in their items when there was no market for it and no supplier. They only sell organic cottons and started this almost 20 years ago. At their home office and distribution centers they offer good organic foods to their employees in their own cafeteria, they compost food waste, they pick up kids of their employees at the local schools and have onsite day care. I think their commitment to the environment is real and has influenced many others in the industry and in other industries. Granted, a large percentage of their items do come from China--as do other wool products and almost all down products-- but they list the source country of every item in their catalog and if you don't like buying Chinese produced goods you can choose not to buy those. Personally, I'd like to buy Italian made good--my lovely wife is Italian--but Gucci, Zegna and Prada are a bit out of my budget except if I can find them at the thrift store.

You should cancel the Patagonia catalog if you don't like getting it. They would be happy to do that. Anything in there is available online anyway.

This conversation has prompted me to order a pair of the wool shorts from Icebreakers. They're on sale right now and I'll let you know how I like them.

(Note to admin: this thread should probably be in a different category but I'm sure you've already considered that).

[neverwashasbeen]

I like silk. It has worked good for me in both hot and cold.

[Sally]

Wigwam "Merino Silk Hikers" are my favorite winter hiking socks. I recently had gaiter failure and my boots filled up with snow. Although my socks were soaked, my feet stayed toasty warm.

...and back to the subject of uncomfortable, oppressive garments... BRAS! Now THERE'S something I can live without while hiking!

[Florian]

Incidentally, I do agree it's weird to have all those silly ads on the biking jerseys. Nothing strikes me as more of a contrast than seeing an obese, middle-aged man biking along with one of those jerseys as if those companies were sponsoring him just to be associated with his athletic prowess!

Let it be noted all my cycling jerseys are plain with no lettering. Actually, i think one does say Nike on the sleeve but that's it.

-Florian

[cynthia23]

Wow, this has been an eye-opener. I learned that Hal used to work for Patagonia, that NeverWas wears silk (and thank you for throwing that wild card into the mix! I forgot about silk!), Florian's plain jerseys, TeraWanderers' multiple cotton shirts, and that Sally doesn't like bras. Oh yeah, and let's not forget HH8's 'bondage' of flapping body parts. I'm learning so much about all of you at a DEEPER level.

Seriously--Hal, thanks for giving us a closer view of Patagonia. I know you're right that I'm being a bit too hard on them. I do know that they preserve a lot of land with their profits and that they strive to recycle/reuse and be excellent corporate citizens, so I really shouldn't complain. I think my grumpiness is due to the multiple 'technical clothes' catalogues I get (I've tried, numerous times, to get my name off) many of which, like Athleta (an off-shoot of Gap) truly are green-washers with a very faux-environmental facade. I know Patagonia is by no means a bad company; it's more just the overall commercialization of wilderness activities I dislike. I hate magazines like Outside, where every other page is an ad for some (largely unnecessary, and very expensive) piece of gear or clothing. To me it pushes the idea that enjoying the outdoors can't be done without some kind of specialized high-status clothing or gear. I prefer the Desert Rat aesthetic, where people make do, recycle, or make their own gear, at least as much as possible. Part of what I dislike about 'performance clothes' is the corporate takeover of what I like to think of as the last hold-out of, well, ya know, freedom--the wilderness!

So, as Sally burns her bra, we should torch a big pile of polyester Nike jerseys and roast marshmallows over the melting plastic mess .....

[halhiker]

I didn't work for Patagonia. I had a shop and sold their stuff there.

I agree with recycling stuff. We give old clothes that are usable to people we know or to goodwill . I also Buy stuff there. Why get something new if youndont have to? Patagonia has a program where they help people sell their old stuff. It's pretty cool and they don't make a thing on it. http://www.patagonia.com/us/common-threads/reuse

[bluerail]

I love wool, one of the best fabrics ever....and truly an intelligent move on the humans part to borrow the sheeps protection.

I also love cotton..works great and feels good. in the summer if I'm hiking, thats usually my choice..have done skyline many many times in all cotton- just not a dress..( yet ). and btw Cynthia, I think a muu muu would be too long would'nt it ? could it be something above the knees ?

I also like the plastic clothes...they have a good place, if it's warm down below and i sweat alot, like on skyline, and i'm about to get to where it's going to be chilly in my sweaty shirt...i can do as little as to just carry my pack on the front for a little bit and the back dries off by the time i hit lower temps...if its a longer trip, you can dry them out on a bush and by waving them around for a few minutes...very helpful.

I dont seem to need the compression aspect of the tight stuff though.

I also love the idea of using old soda bottles to help keep me warm.

for liners....silk is great and completely befuttles me as to how it does such a good job.

I just really feel there is a good place for all of it and no real reason to rag on any of it in a bad way.

...unless you like doing that.

and melting marsmallows over a fire of plastic clothes ? yuck.

[HH8]

this thread has potential!

I love good scenery!

Although this could be read many ways, such as:
... but that was NOT good scenery.
... so I resent humans on my trails.

My intention was nothing like that. It is has been a tradition for my hiking buddies and me to comment on a fine specimen of passing humanity as "good scenery"

I meant it as a compliment, not anything derogatory.