Do you know whether to choose cotton or down jacket outdoors?
If you are buying cotton clothes used in outdoor sports and feel like most people do not know what to do, then we hope this article may be helpful to your choice.
Today, cotton garments on the market not only vary in style but also in style. Some of them are focused on specific activities, while others focus on serving as a middle layer to suit all types of sports. Since there are rivals such as down jackets, you may be interested in their respective strengths and weaknesses. Friends who like to pursue details may also be concerned about differences in the performance of fillers used in different brands of cotton clothing. Finally, we will introduce some knowledge about the maintenance of cotton clothing. If you are interested in these issues, you may wish to continue watching patiently.
Before answering how to choose these two types of clothing, we would like to first explain the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of materials.
1. Feather has the best warmth/weight ratio and excellent compression capacity. Synthetic cotton has the advantage that it retains warmth and has the ability to dry quickly when it is wet.
2. High-quality down feathers can still maintain their original fluffy and warmth effects during prolonged expansion and compression. The performance of synthetic cotton in this respect is difficult to compare with the gifts of Mother Nature.
3. The downside of down products lies in cleaning, drying, and then laboriously restoring their fluffy state. Using synthetic cotton products will not encounter this problem. You just have to put them in the washing machine and spin them dry.
Should you choose down or synthetic cotton as a warm clothing for filling? Our answer is that it depends on your use conditions.
If you plan to use it as a middle layer, then it is wise to choose cotton clothing. Because even the hardest air-permeable shells make it difficult to ensure that the middle layer will not be wetted by sweat during exercise, cotton garments in the wet state will undoubtedly be able to exert the best thermal effect, and they also have the advantage of quick-drying. Half an hour of sunlight can dry sweat-sweepers such as Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody and The North Face ThermoBall Jacket, which are difficult to dry completely in such a short time. If a down product is used as the middle layer, its disadvantage of being unable to keep warm in the wet state and the disadvantage of being compressed by the crust and failing to exert the best fluffy effect will greatly reduce the warming effect.
If you plan to use it as an outer layer, you only need to select the right product according to your environment. Down is more suitable for the use of warmth, lightness, and a more demanding dry environment. If you are faced with the disadvantages of heavy snowfall and ice melting that can cause you to wet your clothing, then it is certainly more appropriate to choose a heavy-duty cotton suit.
Recently, the material innovation technology between synthetic cotton and down materials has slowly brought the gap between the two sides and contributed greatly to the warmth of both. The North Face uses a ThermoBall synthetic cotton material that mimics the loose texture of the downhole to lock in more heat than traditional synthetic cotton at the same weight. In the progress of down materials, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear and Rab have adopted water-repellent down-filled down jackets, which has greatly changed the way that down products have performed poorly in wet or wet environments. Overall, the two are slowly narrowing the gap in their overall performance. Perhaps it will be easier to choose how to make warm clothing made of these two kinds of materials.
Questions to consider when choosing a cotton suit 1. Whether it is used as a lightweight warm middle layer or a heavy warm outer layerIn order to obtain the best warming effect, the type of padded clothes should be determined according to the climatic conditions in which you are active and what kind of layering system you use.
Most people who participate in mountaineering, hiking, and skiing choose lightweight cotton clothing as the middle layer to wear with Jackets.
For trekkers who travel fast and rarely rest on the way for long periods of time, the use of lightweight, breathable cotton suits with hard shells is suitable. Long-term or alpine climbing tasks require high performance, weight, and volume of the equipment. Warmer/heavier weight and lightweight cotton clothing with air release capability.
For moderate walking and people who often need to stop to take pictures, middleweight cotton clothing can meet their warmth requirements.
If you are planning on using them in camps or staying in cold climates for a long time, heavy-duty cotton garments can bring you the best thermal effect. Simply wear them as a jacket, and then you can also use them with the middle layer.
2. Pay attention to ventilation or windproofSince medium-heavy cotton garments are light and breathable, it seems more meaningful to discuss the breathability and windproof properties of lightweight cotton garments. For those who are engaged in intense exercise and who are prone to sweating, they should choose lightweight cotton garments that are very breathable. This also means that you no longer have to take off the warmth layer to prevent the body from overheating. Of course, this kind of cotton clothing is basically not windproof, so it is necessary to use it with a windbreaker when it is windy.
Some mixed-structure cotton garments are well-balanced in terms of wind resistance and breathability, and are therefore more suitable for use in outdoor sports where the environment is moderate and physical exertion is relatively even. Some lightweight cotton garments are also good for warmth and have excellent wind and water repellent properties, making them ideal for use in harsh winds and humid environments.
3. Capped or uncappedWhen asked if they want a hat with clothing, most friends will give a positive answer. Because hats only slightly increase the weight of the clothing and greatly increase the warmth and countermeasures against adverse weather. Clothing with a hat not only keeps the neck warm, but also has advantages that are not easily lost compared to hats.
Of course, all things have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, we also have to put forward some people who do not like hats. They think that the lightweight hooded cotton clothing as an intermediate layer will become an additional burden when it comes to hard shells. Hats that protrude from the shoulders under rain and snow will also become rain and snow collectors. Although most of the cotton garments we tested had caps, most of the lightweight cotton garments were actually sold at the same time as the capless version.
4. Is it convenient to store
Some outdoor people have special preference for cotton clothes with their own storage function. This fast and practical design can not only compress the cotton clothes to an ideal volume, but also is more conducive to carrying in the backpack. Some cotton clothes are also designed with hanging rings on the storage bag. This will undoubtedly simplify the carrying of rock climbing and climbing activities. These products with hanging loops and small storage volume are also a favorite warm-keeping equipment for rock climbing enthusiasts.
For people wearing light-weight cotton suits to participate in outdoor activities, they will choose to wear soft shells or hard shells against the harsh climate in case of weather changes. Smaller-sized cotton suits are more comfortable, while larger-sized cotton suits are more adaptable (and can be worn inside again). For those heavy-duty cotton garments with waterproof function, you do not need to consider the above problems, because they can only be used as the outermost layer, so you only need to choose the right size according to the clothes that you are going to wear during the purchase. . Because of the different types of clothing, try to be sure that their length will meet your warming needs while you exercise and lift your arms. Some of the products participating in the competition can meet the needs of sports. Some of them will leak out inner clothing during exercise to reduce the effect of warmth.
How to maintain and maintain cotton washIf you use a cotton garment as an intermediate layer, it will inevitably absorb the oil and sweat that are secreted by the body, and it will also produce an odor over time. The cotton clothing used as a jacket is also subject to a variety of dirt tests in the outdoor environment. Although the cleaning and drying of cotton garments is much simpler than down jackets, we still recommend that everyone refer to the instructions for washing labels before cleaning. In general, the use of washing machines with detergent can be very good cleaning, low temperature can be used when drying.
Cotton garments with a DWR water repellent coating require frequent cleaning to maintain optimal water repellency. Drying at low to medium temperatures will also extend its useful life. Even the best water repellent coating will no longer have the same effect as the use of time. At this time, water repellents such as Nikwax and Granger must be restored to their original capabilities. Because the inner layer of the cotton garment still needs to maintain a good perspiration ventilation effect, the choice of waterproof spray is undoubtedly more suitable than those of the waterproof clothing detergent. First complete the cleaning work, then use the dryer to heat at low temperature, and finally spray a special waterproof spray. The duration of the water repellent effect can also be enhanced if the hot air of the blower is matched during spraying.
The lightweight cotton garment used as an intermediate layer is best not to cross the environment where scraping is likely to occur without the protection of the outer garment. However, even in the event of garment damage, the cotton garments are easier to handle than those down jackets, because even if you do not seize the broken holes will not make the filler inside out. At this time, you can adopt two methods. One is to apply for after-sales service. Although this will take a small fee and waiting time, it can solve the problem most effectively. The second way is to do it yourself. You can buy TEAR-AID tape and cut it into a circle (about 1 cm larger than the hole) and place it on the damaged part. If you want to enhance durability, you can also apply a layer of Seam Grip glue around the tape. Although this method is not a perfect remedy, it is always more cost-effective than throwing a damaged cotton suit.
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