Originally Posted by
Mercian Rider
One last (I hope) point. I've given it some thought and I can see how some of you are getting the mistaken impression that I'm layering up to six sweaters. I'm not. I have a drawer full of merino wool base layers. Some are really thin, like a tee shirt. I start out with at least two base layers. I also have a couple of lightweight merino wool sweaters that are not much thicker than the base layers. The outer layers would be regular/average weight sweaters. Even with all that I don't end up looking anything like the poor overdressed little brother in Christmas Story.
Pants--they're relaxed fit and wool too--the fabric has some give, not like blue jeans. No problems with them.
I undestand the reaction. The layer or two under a shell is pretty standard and I've done plenty of riding that way.
I also understand the 5 degree difference is OCD. If it could be boiled down, it's basically add a layer for every 10 degree drop.
If you're open minded, try one ride with a couple extra layers instead of the shell. Give it a fair chance. You might have to experiment on how many layers work for a given temperature. Then tell me I have it all wrong.
It's not evil, honest. Evolution has used fur and wool to keep a lot of mammals warm for millions of years. Mostly without nylon shells.
I'm confused as to what I would learn by trying it. To me having to put on 6 layers at 15 degrees let alone what I'd have to wear at -20 (9 or 10 layers?) is already a fail. You're just substituting multiple "warmth" layers for a single suitable outer layer for aesthetic reasons that I don't care about.
Over the course of many many winters during my life I've worn all sorts of things including multitudes of natural layers with mixed success. I'd prefer one easy to put on layer if it were to actually work.
Besides, mammals don't rely on just their fur to stay warm. They typically seek shelter from the wind whether that's in a forest, in a den, under the snow, or just each other.
I also understand that one of the reasons you avoid shells is that you feel they don't breathe enough causing more sweat to accumulate. It could be that you were just dressing too warm. At 45 degrees I don't usually even wear a hat and in your system you're wearing a balaclava. At 15 degrees you're already up to 6 layers. That's still almost 10 degrees warmer than an
average January morning in Minneapolis let alone a cold one.
If breathability is a real problem then there are clothes that only have wind proof materials on the front where you most need it and a more breathable material on the back. I have XC ski pants like that.
Edit: Though I haven't said it, I'm a big fan of merino wool. It's just not that effective at blocking the wind. Blocking the wind gets increasingly important as the temperature drops. Technical fabrics aren't evil either and can have some real benefits.