VAPOR BARRIER LAYER (VBL) in full effect! A week and a half ago I performed an experiment, based on information on VBLs I read in Robert Wood's Pleasure Packing, recommended by GP.
Below is my report, as posted to Facebook. My friends made a lot of fun of me, but I'm okay with that :) 12:19 PM: I am wearing a plastic dry cleaning bag as a tshirt today (rather than cotton or soft merino wool) as an experiment. It's called a vapor barrier layer, and increases body heat by 15-20*F. It's also supposed to modulate things like perspiration, temperature, etc. I feel weird wearing it, but really appreciate it's added warmth. Just thought you should know. 1:38 PM: So far, it's still weird and I make a crunchy noise under my wool sweater. My secretary laughed at me when she saw the $1.99 on the plastic bag that came untucked from the back. I still appreciate the warmth and no sweats so far. I'm experimenting based on Robert Wood's Pleasure Packing. For more on VB information Google Jack Stephenson + VB shirt. I'll follow up with more at the end of the day. The overwhelming feeling is that I still feel weird. 2:14 PM: Riding 15 miles to pick up my car at the repair shop. Adding plastic grocery bags under my wool socks. I'm nervous. Let's see how this goes ... 4:22 PM: Conclusion : it works remarkably well. Its around 35* with sometimes a 20-25mph headwind. For my torso, I wore the bag, a thin merino wool half-sleeved polo, and a light wind-breaker with pit and back vents. Feet, plastic grocery bags, thin smartwool merino socks and a pair of light puma shoes. Plenty warm, no overheating despite repeat 90% exertion uphills. For headwinds I felt surprisingly comfortable double-wind protection, even better downhills. Perspiration surprisingly regulated and I'm not thirsty! 5:28 PM: A surprise twist at the end. I am not sure is Facebook appropriate, so I won't share the details of the lake of sweat that poured out of the plastic shirt when I untucked it from my pants. It was shocking, weird, interesting and gross all at the same time. I was still exceptionally warm, wore only a few layers of clothing and *think* I did not perspire as much as I would have normally dressed in multiple layers of wool, nylon and sometimes down, whn not using the VBL. Despite its wierdness factor, I will use the cheap and easy plastic shirts and booties on future adventures when the weather falls below 45* F. Oh, you can use VBLs under your gloves too! Just slip on a polyurethane or plastic glove before putting on your normal mittens/ gloves and be amazed at the extra warmth! The Riv Family should feel free to make fun of me also. BUT, I have the feeling that there are other quirky people here who will give this a try ... if you do, make sure to post your experiences! :) On Mar 16, 5:04 pm, William <tapebu...@gmail.com> wrote: > A couple months back I stopped at the cafe in the middle of a cold > training ride. I had a conversation with an oldtimer on a custom > Mikkelsen who was wearing blue nitrile gloves. I didn't ask him why > he was wearing them but it got me thinking about emergency waterproof > stuff for cool and rainy brevets. I came up with a glove system where > I wore a pair of cheap knit gloves ($1 a pair at Joann Fabric) with > blue nitrile gloves over them. On a 45 mile hilly ride in constant > rain and temps in the mid 40's to low 50's, my hands were toasty warm, > not uncomfortably so on climbs, and still warm on fast descents. I > was very impressed. I feel like I've got a great glove alternative > that is 100% waterproof, essentially free, essentially weightless, and > packs to basically zero volume. These will be in my handlebar bag > anytime I think I might see weather. A few photos: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/sets/72157626131698281/with... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
