Warmth - part 4

Articles In This Section:

· Warmth - part 1

· Warmth - part 2

· Warmth - part 3

· Warmth - part 4

8) It is better to change to dry mitts at the end of the day before the hands become cold. Even though mitts which have been worn during the warmth of the day do not feel cold, they are probably quite damp from perspiration and are poor insulators. The same is true of socks.

9) Pressing the sleeping bag against the wall of a tent or pulling it very tightly over one's body decreases the thickness and resulting insulating value of the bag. This is one of the principal causes of a cold back. For the same reason the sleeping bag should be fluffed up by shaking well before using.

10) As many layers of dry wool clothes should be worn inside a sleeping bag as are necessary to keep warm. These include shirts, sweaters, pants, and socks as well as underclothes. To keep weight to a minimum, every item must serve as many uses as possible. Thus, clothing should serve as insulation both day and night. A sleeping bag that is adequate for sleeping in the near-nude at the lowest expected temperatures is unnecessarily heavy. Even damp clothing will dry during the early, warmer part of the night if there is enough insulation to maintain warmth and if temperatures are not so low as to freeze the moisture into frost within the sleeping bag.

11) Heat loss from a small portion of the body can result in chilling the entire body. The blood acts as a circulating heating and cooling system. Therefore, it is important to cover hands and head, even when not distressingly cold, if there is any indication or threat of body chill.

The reverse is also true. If a sleeping bag is too hot, exposure of head, arms, and chest will provide adequate cooling for the entire body.