The warmth vs sweating up

[Omegarod]

I can't seem to reach a good compromise at the moment between warmth and sweating up too much when exercising! Its not especially cold at the moment, such as today which was just under freezing point on my daily walk, although with a bit of a breeze which added a wind chill. My outer layer is a new Norrona Recon jacket...

"The Norrona Recon Jacket is a superb GORE-TEX garment for use both in the UK and overseas, offering fantastic protection from wind, rain and snow."

Yes.... it does all that. BUT.... Inside, after just a 4 mile walk I was sweating up and wet. Yesterday I had a woollen vest, thin shirt and fleece. Today the woollen vest and just a Swanndri woollen shirt underneath the jacket.

OK.... my walks are up and down hills, and I use up a fair amount of energy, and I am 65 years old and a bit overweight, but I can't seem to get it right these days. With a fleece and without the Noronna jacket the wind cuts through and I am cold. Got home today lathered in sweat, wet inside, and with sweat dripping off my forehead.

Suggestions?
Or is it harder to regulate temperature when you get older?

Rod

 

[susi]

I can't offer a solid solution, perhaps more sympathy, for I suffer similarly. I try to use ventile smock 95% of the time when out walking. If the weather is particularly bad, then I carry a separate waterproof. My goretex jacket has been out once in the last couple of years, and it was wet inside as usual.

I try to wear wicking underwear and a wool jumper on top of that, then ventile. This works best for me. It's especially important in winter, as a wet layer is dangerous in extreme cold. One positive side here is that the air is so dry when it is -25°C, that sweaty clothes dry quicker.

Last tip - if you get very wet inside you clothes, keep moving, don't stop until you're somewhere where you can strip and dry-off.

 

[scanker]

On a walk last weekend, I wore a t-shirt (one of the polyester wicking type), a thin fleece (bog-standard supermarket) and a Montane featherlite windshirt on top. It was the comfiest I've been on a decent walk for a long while. The shirt stops the wind completely and the fleece gave just enough warmth without getting sweaty. I just need to dig out my buff now, as my neck was a bit cold.

 

[forestwalker]

One trick is to use your hat and mittens as adjustors. It is quick and easy to remove a knitted hat and a pair of gloves (and open up the neck, this is why a scarf is so nice; it can easilly be adjusted from "revenge of the woollen mummy" to "not there"). When out skiing -- or hiking -- is is a common practice to stop after about five minutes and adjust clothes; by then you know what is too much or little.

 

[woof]

Rod, have you thought about a buffalo shirt ?. I currently use a wax cotton, with a Swannie ranger over a t shirt. The waxxy is a lightweight backhouse.


Rob

 

[andybysea]

I sweat like mad in my buffalo doing anything other than sitting around, yesterday it was snow and ice storms very windy and cold i had on a lowe apline base layer,a ulffrotte 400g waist coat,and swanny shirt and a ex swedish snow smock and i was very dry and comfy, the jacket wetted out on the outside, but when i got in the swanny underneath was dry and i had'nt sweated at all.

 

[The Cumbrian]

Rod,
Although Goretex is breathable, it's not actually all that breathable. I've stopped wearing mine in all but heavy rain. A pertex or cotton shell, preferably one that it's possible to vent via pit zips or mesh pockets is what works for me. I tend to run hot, and being able to vent excess heat is essential. This, in combination with removing / adding hats and gloves as mentioned above has transformed the way that I dress outdoors.
Start your walk slightly cold too, you'll soon warm up.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Jaysurfer]

What kind of baselayer are you using?
That is the most important layer as it will move moisture away...
Your midlayer then needs to be the right density/thickness for the temperature and activity your doing. If you are wearing a full 3-layer system then your midlayer proabably doesn't need to be too thick as as soon as you get moving and active you will start to over heat unless you're in -10 or below...
Your outer layer (jacket) needs to be able to help you regulate your core temperature, as mentioned before pit-zips are the best to do this by letting enough cool air inside your jacket to stop you over heating but not so much that you get cold.

J

 

[Nonsuch]

Another thought. Absorbent layers in the middle of a layer system like a shirt (especially if cotton) become a horrible soggy mess if working hard. They will remain wet long after all the other layers have dried out. The best place for a non wicking garment is on the outside.

Many people here talk badly about experiences with Goretex but I have always found it fine with the right wicking underlayers. Having said that, I now prefer a Ventile outer layer or a Paramo windshirt unless it is raining hard, just to preserve the condition of my extortionately expensive Goretex jacket (same as yours). Perhaps you should carry a small backpack and regulate the layers as required ?

I have also managed to get cold and wet wearing a Ventile jacket on a hill-walk because I had a Fjallraven G1000 shirt on underneath which turned itself into a wet rag after half an hour hacking uphill hard and stayed that way for the rest of the day !

NS

 

[big_swede]

thin woolen base layers, use the vent zips and try regulating air flow with the main zip, I think you should be able to have an open zip and closed wind flap, right? Open the wind flap if needed. Hats and gloves are as mentioned also good for regulating. If it's really windy but you're sweating try going with out a hat but with the hood. Another version is to roll up the sleeves a bit. And as they others have said, Start cold!

In really cold weather (i won't state any temps since there has been a severe inflation in these lately) I found it sufficient with a wind proof layer and a thin woolen base layer. But that was skiing with a pulk, which is heavy work. Back in the army I used a snow blouse with nothing under for intensive work though it was quite cold.

 

[Omegarod]

What kind of baselayer are you using?
That is the most important layer as it will move moisture away...
Your midlayer then needs to be the right density/thickness for the temperature and activity your doing. If you are wearing a full 3-layer system then your midlayer proabably doesn't need to be too thick as as soon as you get moving and active you will start to over heat unless you're in -10 or below...
Your outer layer (jacket) needs to be able to help you regulate your core temperature, as mentioned before pit-zips are the best to do this by letting enough cool air inside your jacket to stop you over heating but not so much that you get cold.

J

In this weather I wear wooollen thermal underwear. (Trousers and vest). The bottom half is fine with that and Craghoppers. Its my body that sweats up and becomes wet. It doesn't help that most of my walks from home start with an uphill stretch.

The jacket is really the problem. Its great at keeping out the wind but not so great at allowing the sweat to get out. I DO open the armpit zips, and often half of of the main zip open unless I am head on into the wind. Gloves and hat come off once I start to warm up, although a thin neck scarf is needed which I adjust according to the conditions and wind direction.

It is the upper body that's the problem, because once the moisture builds up on my back and chest then I have to close up more of the front zip of the jacket to avoid the wet clothing becoming cold.... and then the viscious circle really sets in.

I am going to try wool vest/ Swanndri woollen shirt/ fleece (plus scarf).... and then just carry the Naronna jacket in a small pack, although it doesn't pack down very small, and once I need to put it on (rain/snow) then I'll really sweat up unless I strip off one of the other layers.

Rod

 

[johnboy]

Hi,

The Norrona Jacket or any other clothing isn't making you sweat. The exercise you are doing coupled with the insulation value of the clothing you are wearing is.

I'm not a physiologist but I have done a lot of exercise and I have sweated a lot while doing it.

Simply as you exercise you create a lot of heat the body deals with this heat production by sweating if you insulate a body that is creating lots of heat then it's going to sweat more as the body tries to regulate it's temperature.

Going to extremes it's possible to get severly dehydrated from loss of fluids from sweating even in cold weather. Big Swede and his pulk pulling in the army might vouch for that. Nordic Skiing in Norway and working hard I and a lot of the other guys were just wearing a Helly Hansen base layer or norgie top and our snow camo on top of that in -30 conditions while we were moving it was ok but you have to insulate when you stop.


I'd be inclined to wear less on top and probably do without the thermal long johns also. I'd think a decent thermal base layer or what ever material with good wicking properties and a thin light weight windproof top pertex or some other wonder material would be ok. You'll start off cold but once you get going you'll warm up and the lighter layers will not overheat you. if you take a pack with a spare warm layer fleece etc then if you have to stop you can whip that on to stay warm. Also keeping hydrated will help.

Hope this helps..

 

[Omegarod]

Going to extremes it's possible to get severly dehydrated from loss of fluids from sweating even in cold weather.

Yesterday's walk finished at a pub out in the middle of nowhere....
and I ordered.... "a LARGE mug of tea please!"

I'd be inclined to wear less on top and probably do without the thermal long johns also. I'd think a decent thermal base layer or what ever material with good wicking properties and a thin light weight windproof top pertex or some other wonder material would be ok. You'll start off cold but once you get going you'll warm up and the lighter layers will not overheat you. if you take a pack with a spare warm layer fleece etc then if you have to stop you can whip that on to stay warm. Also keeping hydrated will help.

Hope this helps..

That all makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

Rod

 

[BorderReiver]

As an old git who's always run hot, I find that merino base, wool shirt and a ventile jacket, work for me.

The important thing for me is, that apart from the base layer, all the rest of the stuff must open fully, no pullover gear. Already mentioned is taking off the hat and gloves; it is also worth, when active, wearing the outer and base only, putting on shirt or fleece when at rest.

Sometimes nothing works and grin and bear it is the only answer.

EDIT: Reading through again, the hot legs caused by longjohns or overtrousers can make the rest of you sweat like a pig.

If I have to wear "hot" trousers, I usually cut down on the upper body insulation.

 

[Omegarod]

Well..... I am just back from today's walk. Nothing strenuous and most of it pretty flat. Only about three miles.

The sweating up problem isn't the Norrona Recon Jacket. I didn't take it. Today's weather here was overcast but bright, snow on the ground and temperatures just below freezing.

I started off with the woollen vest, Swanndri shirt and a fleece. A shemagh scarf tied very loose just around the neck, gloves and just a simple wool hat.

After a few hundred yards the hat and gloves came off..... the scarf was loosened further.... after a mile the fleece was unzipped most of the way. I kept generally much cooler, and my head and hands were chilly but OK. But my forehead was sweating (and hence cold) and when I got home I was distictly sweaty damp (and hot) inside the vest and shirt.

I pottered around the garden a while when I got home to cool off. I think it would have been silly to wear less in these conditions.

I guess I am just a sweaty bar steward.

Rod

 

[andybysea]

Sounds like it,, only joking i have the same problem find it hard to get the right balance to keep me warm but dry when out walking, i heat up and sweat quickly when doing activity but run cold when static,my only option is light airy layers that i can remove etc and spare warm stuff when out camping/just sitting around.

 

[susi]

I guess I am just a sweaty bar steward.

Hormone imbalance can, I believe, cause some sweatiness. Also thyroid function. Might be worth mentioning it to the doctor next time you're there. They can check things out through a simple blood test.

 

[BorderReiver]

Rod, you didn't mention the trouser; just windproof or insulated?

 

[Omegarod]

I am not normally a "sweaty" person. Even when I spend time in Kenya (three or four times a year) right on the equator I am OK. ....... IF I wear loose clothing and not a tight fitting T shirt. So that's started to get me thinking....

I am starting to think that it is the wool thermal vest (tight fitting) that may be causing my problem. So on my next walk I am going to do away with the woollen vest, and just wear loose fitting clothes instead. We'll see how that works. I am determined to be comfortable one way or another!

Rod

 

[Omegarod]

Rod, you didn't mention the trouser; just windproof or insulated?

The same thermal woollen long johns, with Craghoppers.
My legs, crotch and bum are fine. Its just my torso that is sweating up.

Rod