Extreme cold weather clothing

Last updated December 21, 2024

In arctic or mountainous areas, the primary function of extreme cold weather clothing is to trap air as an insulator to prevent heat loss from the wearer's body. Secondary and necessary is to conduct water vapor away from the body to keep the insulating layers dry. A shell keeps the wind from disturbing the still air in the insulating layers. In warmer conditions, the shell protects from water intrusion.

The U.S. National Weather Service defines extreme cold as −35 °F (−37 °C) with winds less than 5 miles per hour (2.2 m/s).^[1] In these conditions, the unprotected skin of a healthy adult will develop frostbite in ten to twenty minutes. The Canadian standard includes even lower temperatures.

Antarctic clothing [ECW] used by the British Antarctic Survey on Antarctica. BAScoldweatherclothing.jpg — Antarctic clothing [ECW] used by the British Antarctic Survey on Antarctica.

Principles

A vacuum is the best insulator, but its use in clothing is impractical. Dry air is a practical insulator. Extreme cold weather clothing uses still dry air to insulate the body, ^[2] layers of loose air trapping material are most effective. The inner layers should conduct moisture away from the body. Outer layers should be windproof as well as suitable to the harsh terrain.^{[ citation needed ]}

Materials

The original cold weather clothing was made of furs. The fibers of the fur trapped insulating air, lanolin on the fur repelled water. Knitted wool is an effective insulator when dry, but ineffective when wet. Goose down is the lightest insulator, and still used today. Its quality, called loft is a measure of its low density. It is ineffective when wet.

Artificial fibers have good loft, and do not lose it when wet. One effective fiber is Hollofil a hollow fiber of polyolefin.^[3] Outer garments are often made of nylon, which is strong and abrasion resistant. The nylon is often bonded to a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (trade name Teflon) in a form that has holes small enough for moisture to escape, but not allow liquid water to intrude. This material is trade named Gore-Tex .

Best practices

The U.S. Army describes cold weather best practices by the mnemonic acronym COLD.^[2]

Clean
Avoid Overheating
Loose
Dry

The protocol is aimed at keeping the insulation dry, so that it may be most effective.

Layering

Best practice indicates that for extreme conditions, clothing should be layered and loose. Near the core of the body, a soft, wicking layer is best. Wool or silk underwear is preferred. Then, by preference, a knitted layer of wool or synthetic fleece. A massive insulating layer and a windproof layer complete the ensemble.^{[ citation needed ]}

Parts of clothing

Inner layer

Underwear, inner socks, and glove liners are typically thin, soft knits of silk, wool, or synthetic.

First insulating layer

Typically knit wool or synthetic fleece. A common material is polar fleece.

Massive insulating layer

Down or synthetic fiber sewn into bats of a (typically nylon) coat or pants.

Wind layer

The usual clothing for Arctic or mountain regions is a parka. A tightly woven fabric prevents wind from disturbing the still air in the insulating layers.

Footwear

Footwear is chosen according to purpose. In alpine conditions, insulated mountaineering boots are used. In other work conditions, pacs, or bunny boots, with rubber soles and thick, removable wool felt liners are used. In camp, lightweight moon boots of foam and nylon are common. In the tent, down booties are comfortable.

Gloves

In severe conditions, mittens with long gauntlets are preferred.

Headwear

A knitted or fleece cap is worn underneath the hood of the parka. The face is protected by a mask or balaclava. The water transmission properties of anything touching the face are of the highest concern.

Another option is to use heated clothing, which contains battery-powered electrical heating elements or gel packs.

Related Research Articles

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal wool.

A parka and anorak is a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. These two kinds of garments are staple of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic. Some Inuit anoraks require regular coating with fish oil to retain their water resistance. Parkas are typically longer, often extending to the thighs or knees. Anoraks are usually shorter than parkas, often hip-length, and are traditionally a pull-over jacket.

A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on the water. Its purpose is to provide thermal insulation and protection from abrasion, ultraviolet exposure, and stings from marine organisms. It also contributes extra buoyancy. The insulation properties of neoprene foam depend mainly on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material, which reduce its ability to conduct heat. The bubbles also give the wetsuit a low density, providing buoyancy in water.

A diving suit is a garment or device designed to protect a diver from the underwater environment. A diving suit may also incorporate a breathing gas supply, but in most cases the term applies only to the environmental protective covering worn by the diver. The breathing gas supply is usually referred to separately. There is no generic term for the combination of suit and breathing apparatus alone. It is generally referred to as diving equipment or dive gear along with any other equipment necessary for the dive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacket</span> Clothing for the upper body

A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear. Some jackets are fashionable, while others serve as protective clothing. Jackets without sleeves are vests.

A bathrobe, also known as a housecoat or a dressing gown, is a loose-fitting outer garment worn by people, often after washing the body or around a pool. A bathrobe is considered to be very informal clothing, and is not worn with everyday clothes.

A horse blanket or rug is a blanket or animal coat intended for keeping a horse or other equine warm or otherwise protected from wind or other elements. They are tailored to fit around a horse's body from chest to rump, with straps crossing underneath the belly to secure the blanket yet allowing the horse to move about freely. Most have one or two straps that buckle in front, but a few designs have a closed front and must be slipped over a horse's head. Some designs also have small straps that loop lightly around the horse's hind legs to prevent the blanket from slipping sideways.

Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) with an average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. For a fiber to be called "acrylic" in the US, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer. Typical comonomers are vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate. DuPont created the first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name Orlon. It was first developed in the mid-1940s but was not produced in large quantities until the 1950s. Strong and warm, acrylic fiber is often used for sweaters and tracksuits and as linings for boots and gloves, as well as in furnishing fabrics and carpets. It is manufactured as a filament, then cut into short staple lengths similar to wool hairs, and spun into yarn.

Thinsulate is a brand of synthetic fiber thermal insulation used in clothing. The word is a portmanteau of the words thin and insulate, trademarked by 3M. The material is made by the 3M Corporation and was first sold in 1979. It was originally marketed as an inexpensive alternative to down; at the time, 3M claimed it was twice as warm as an equivalent amount of any natural material.

Polar fleece is a soft fabric made from polyester that is napped and insulating.

Mountaineering, expedition or high altitude boots are a type of footwear used in mountain climbing. They are designed specifically for moving over harsh terrain.

A gilet or body warmer is a sleeveless jacket resembling a waistcoat or blouse. It may be waist- to knee-length and is typically straight-sided rather than fitted; however, historically, gilets were fitted and embroidered. In 19th-century dressmaking a gilet was a dress bodice shaped like a man's waistcoat.

Sportswear or activewear is athletic clothing, including footwear, worn for sports activity or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons.

Layered clothing is the wearing of multiple garments on top of each other, often for warmth.

The Extended Cold Weather Clothing System is a protective clothing system developed in the 1980s by the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, Natick, Massachusetts. The first generation ECWCS consisted of parka and trousers plus 20 other individual clothing, handwear, headwear and footwear items which are used in various combinations to meet the cold weather environmental requirements of the US military. The Extended Climate Warfighter Clothing System, or Gen III ECWCS, is designed to maintain adequate environmental protection in temperatures ranging between −60 and +40 °F.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Building insulation material</span> Insulation material

Building insulation materials are building materials that form the thermal envelope of a building. As thermal insulation they reduce the heating energy requirement or the cooling load of buildings ; they can also provide soundproofing.

PrimaLoft® is a brand of patented synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material that was developed for the United States Army in the 1980s. PrimaLoft is a registered trademark of PrimaLoft, Inc., the brand's parent company.

Alpaca fleece is the natural fiber harvested from an alpaca. There are two different types of alpaca fleece. The most common fleece type comes from a Huacaya. Huacaya fiber grows and looks similar to sheep wool in that the animal looks "fluffy". The second type of alpaca is Suri and makes up less than 10% of the South American alpaca population. Suri fiber is more similar to natural silk and hangs off the body in locks that have a dreadlock appearance. While both fibers can be used in the worsted milling process using light weight yarn or thread, Huacaya fiber can also be used in a woolen process and spun into various weight yarns. It is a soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fiber.

Many clothing materials have been used to make garments throughout history. Grasses, furs and much more complex and exotic materials have been used. Cultures near the Arctic Circle, make their wardrobes out of processed furs and skins. Different cultures have added cloth to leather and skins as a way to replace real leather. A wide range of fibers, including natural, cellulose, and synthetic fibers, can be used to weave or knit cloth. From natural fibers like cotton and silk to synthetic ones like polyester and nylon, most certainly reflects culture.

The Russian all season set of field uniforms (VKPO) (Russian: Всесезонный комплект полевого обмундирования (ВКПО), romanized: Vsesezonnyy komplekt polevogo obmundirovaniya (VKPO) or All-season set of field uniforms in English) (Previously called VKBO - Russian: Всесезонный комплект базового обмундирования, romanized: Vsesezonnyy komplekt bazovogo obmundirovaniya All-season basic kit in English) is a layered clothing system (popularly known as капуста/kapusta "cabbage") manufactured by the Russian BTK Group (Russian: «БТК групп») and adopted as a standard uniform by the Russian military, designed for use at temperatures from +15 °C (59 °F) to −40 °C (−40 °F).

References

↑ "National Weather Service Plans to Issue 'Extreme Cold Warnings'". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16.
1 2 FM-31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual (PDF). U.S. Army. April 12, 1968. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
↑ Williams, J T, ed. (September 29, 2009). Textiles for Cold Weather Apparel (First ed.). Woodhead Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84569-411-1.

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[1] "National Weather Service Plans to Issue 'Extreme Cold Warnings'". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16.

[usacwm-2] 1 2 FM-31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual (PDF). U.S. Army. April 12, 1968. Retrieved 28 November 2017.

[3] Williams, J T, ed. (September 29, 2009). Textiles for Cold Weather Apparel (First ed.). Woodhead Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84569-411-1.

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