This is pretty much the same system I've ended up with, but only after months of research and consideration. Really great advice, especially because it doesn't point at particular products but shows how to evaluate them. You may want to try out Shakedry for the shell jacket, it does not wet out. Not super durable though.
As you say, WPB jackets are amazing when they work. I've been using Outdry Extreme recently and have been pretty happy with it. It never wets out, so it breathes in the rain. That's kind of cool. My Outdry jacket also fits better (looser) and is more durable than ShakeDry. Outstanding vid, even when re-watching a year later. Thanks.
Very good video and article i l dig your way of designing the cloth presentation, its elegant and very helpful, thanks. As i understand that you covered all your kit, i assume you don't wear boxers?
Thanks! Yes, I actually do wear boxers for sanitary purposes but they definitely aren't a critical piece and I could absolutely go without them. I guess I'm just not at that level yet
@@Adventure_Logistics Yeah I was going to ask how the Sandfly pants you've mentioned are for commando hikers but i guess you don't. Things are a lot more humid in the southeast and too hot for underwear in summer lol. I have a theory that uncircumcised guys can go commando way more easily and those of us less fortunate have to get used to it with some difficulty.
If I'm wearing it by itself, it's a next to skin layer. If I'm wearing a fleece, I'll wear it over the fleece. Now, I prefer to make my own but in the past I've used Patagonia ones.
Super sick. I do historical costuming and when wearing historical clothing, I can see how all these considerations come up in what people were wearing. Much like in backpacking - historical people had limited clothing; textiles were difficult and time consuming to produce so having very few sets of clothes (which were mended and passed down sometimes for 100+ years) was standard. I've worn 12th century northern European and seen first-had how I can change the ways I am wearing certain items or layer staple pieces to account for the weather, etc. Making my own clothing is gonna be an important part of preparing for trips because I have the skills, it's fun and I can make it look how I want (both functionally and aesthetically) and this video and yr MYOG videos are gonna be really good, essentially academic reference. Are you trained in clothing design/construction/textiles or did you strictly do your own learning/research?
Ideally, I'll try to sleep in the clothes I'll be wearing in the morning but it depends on the conditions. I prioritize staying dry and I make sure I'm not unnecessarily compressing any of the insulation in my clothing or quilt/sleeping bag.
1) Puffy's are extraneous, dead weight, used only in camp. Most unpack their down quilt, lay it on the ground and put on their down puffy to relax before bed - never thinking they could simply wrap themselves in that quilt. Not to mention, the shirt/fleece/shell combo they weren't wearing while hiking is more than warm enough for most situations by itself. 2) Glove-system needs to breathe. Showa's don't breathe. Get EE-Visp gloves, MLD or Zpacks wpb shells instead. 3) MYoG'd poncho out of wpb-material, instead of rain-jacket/pants combo. Commercial ponchos refuse to use expensive wpb-materials, but ponchos are merely plastic-bags without them. Poncho covers shorts in one-layer (vs the unwieldy break at one's waist for pants/skirts), breathes incredibly well and is secured optionally to prevent billowing. A wpb-poncho is light-years better than a jacket or a jacket/pant combo.
Hey Tom! Ooof! That shot to the Showas hurt! I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that. WPB mitts are significantly less durable and will give you significantly less dexterity. When it's raining (when your WPB mitts are wet and humidity is very high), WPB mitts will not breath. They will also quickly wear out and become not waterproof. Ponchos are absolutely amazing for a whole bunch of environments. For a do it all clothing system though, ponchos do have some flaws. They aren't good insulation pieces and they don't do well in windy/exposed/above-treeline environments. They also don't do well bushwacking.
@@Adventure_Logistics - Showa's guarantee wet hands due to sweat. Ponchos are weak in the areas you outline only because they are attempted to be all things vs comparing directly with jackets. For example, when is the last time you tried to wear your jacket over your pack? Then why expect the poncho to act both as a jacket and a pack-cover? Wear the poncho within the pack's confines (under shoulder straps and optionally under waist-belt) and the poncho will not billow. Poncho will also insulate. In fact, poncho will insulate far better than a jacket or jacket-pant/skirt combo. And when wants less insulation, merely let the front-half of the poncho out from the waist-belt for free air-flow. As for bushwhacking, poncho used thusly will perform as well as any rain-jacket. No my friend, poncho gets a bad rap mostly due to user error, not due to poncho shortcomings. Utilize equal water-proof-breathable (wpb) materials, use comparably (e.g. not as a pack-cover) and poncho will outperform jacket in virtually every scenario.
No. In general I like polyester (or similar synthetic materials) over wool because polyester fibers don't absorb water. This means that they dry significantly quicker which is very important on long trips.
If you're comparing pieces with equal insulative value, wool might pack slightly smaller (because wool fibers are hollow and insulate well), but not by much. After a long trip, polyester smells SIGNIFICANTLY worse than wool! It's definitely a sacrifice
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This is pretty much the same system I've ended up with, but only after months of research and consideration. Really great advice, especially because it doesn't point at particular products but shows how to evaluate them.
You may want to try out Shakedry for the shell jacket, it does not wet out. Not super durable though.
As you say, WPB jackets are amazing when they work.
I've been using Outdry Extreme recently and have been pretty happy with it. It never wets out, so it breathes in the rain. That's kind of cool.
My Outdry jacket also fits better (looser) and is more durable than ShakeDry.
Outstanding vid, even when re-watching a year later. Thanks.
Hey this is so comprehensive. Great work Josh!
Excellent analysis.
You got a unique style of the video. I like it
This video is very useful. It's very easy to understand with comprehensive analysis. Thanks.
Very good video and article i l dig your way of designing the cloth presentation, its elegant and very helpful, thanks. As i understand that you covered all your kit, i assume you don't wear boxers?
Thanks! Yes, I actually do wear boxers for sanitary purposes but they definitely aren't a critical piece and I could absolutely go without them. I guess I'm just not at that level yet
@@Adventure_Logistics Yeah I was going to ask how the Sandfly pants you've mentioned are for commando hikers but i guess you don't. Things are a lot more humid in the southeast and too hot for underwear in summer lol. I have a theory that uncircumcised guys can go commando way more easily and those of us less fortunate have to get used to it with some difficulty.
absolutely amazing video, straight to the point, love your work.
keep it up!
Love your videos!!
hey mate. for the rain jacket and puffer did you make those yourself?
yes!
Do you wear your Pertex Quantum Air shirt against skin or do you use a baselayer (if so which one?)?
If I'm wearing it by itself, it's a next to skin layer. If I'm wearing a fleece, I'll wear it over the fleece. Now, I prefer to make my own but in the past I've used Patagonia ones.
Super sick. I do historical costuming and when wearing historical clothing, I can see how all these considerations come up in what people were wearing.
Much like in backpacking - historical people had limited clothing; textiles were difficult and time consuming to produce so having very few sets of clothes (which were mended and passed down sometimes for 100+ years) was standard. I've worn 12th century northern European and seen first-had how I can change the ways I am wearing certain items or layer staple pieces to account for the weather, etc.
Making my own clothing is gonna be an important part of preparing for trips because I have the skills, it's fun and I can make it look how I want (both functionally and aesthetically) and this video and yr MYOG videos are gonna be really good, essentially academic reference. Are you trained in clothing design/construction/textiles or did you strictly do your own learning/research?
Thank you! No, I don't have any formal education in clothing design.
What do you sleep in?
Ideally, I'll try to sleep in the clothes I'll be wearing in the morning but it depends on the conditions. I prioritize staying dry and I make sure I'm not unnecessarily compressing any of the insulation in my clothing or quilt/sleeping bag.
1) Puffy's are extraneous, dead weight, used only in camp. Most unpack their down quilt, lay it on the ground and put on their down puffy to relax before bed - never thinking they could simply wrap themselves in that quilt. Not to mention, the shirt/fleece/shell combo they weren't wearing while hiking is more than warm enough for most situations by itself. 2) Glove-system needs to breathe. Showa's don't breathe. Get EE-Visp gloves, MLD or Zpacks wpb shells instead. 3) MYoG'd poncho out of wpb-material, instead of rain-jacket/pants combo. Commercial ponchos refuse to use expensive wpb-materials, but ponchos are merely plastic-bags without them.
Poncho covers shorts in one-layer (vs the unwieldy break at one's waist for pants/skirts), breathes incredibly well and is secured optionally to prevent billowing. A wpb-poncho is light-years better than a jacket or a jacket/pant combo.
Hey Tom! Ooof! That shot to the Showas hurt! I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that. WPB mitts are significantly less durable and will give you significantly less dexterity. When it's raining (when your WPB mitts are wet and humidity is very high), WPB mitts will not breath. They will also quickly wear out and become not waterproof.
Ponchos are absolutely amazing for a whole bunch of environments. For a do it all clothing system though, ponchos do have some flaws. They aren't good insulation pieces and they don't do well in windy/exposed/above-treeline environments. They also don't do well bushwacking.
@@Adventure_Logistics - Showa's guarantee wet hands due to sweat. Ponchos are weak in the areas you outline only because they are attempted to be all things vs comparing directly with jackets. For example, when is the last time you tried to wear your jacket over your pack? Then why expect the poncho to act both as a jacket and a pack-cover? Wear the poncho within the pack's confines (under shoulder straps and optionally under waist-belt) and the poncho will not billow. Poncho will also insulate. In fact, poncho will insulate far better than a jacket or jacket-pant/skirt combo. And when wants less insulation, merely let the front-half of the poncho out from the waist-belt for free air-flow.
As for bushwhacking, poncho used thusly will perform as well as any rain-jacket.
No my friend, poncho gets a bad rap mostly due to user error, not due to poncho shortcomings. Utilize equal water-proof-breathable (wpb) materials, use comparably (e.g. not as a pack-cover) and poncho will outperform jacket in virtually every scenario.
No merino wool
No. In general I like polyester (or similar synthetic materials) over wool because polyester fibers don't absorb water. This means that they dry significantly quicker which is very important on long trips.
@@Adventure_Logistics hows it pack ie compress
@@Adventure_Logistics how it smells after days on the trail compare to merino wool
If you're comparing pieces with equal insulative value, wool might pack slightly smaller (because wool fibers are hollow and insulate well), but not by much.
After a long trip, polyester smells SIGNIFICANTLY worse than wool! It's definitely a sacrifice
@@Adventure_Logistics yeah been backpacking and bikepacking for over 35 years