Drying polypro in winter ?

[pks4000]

During multiday, winter backcountry trips, how are you drying your poly pro?
I find the trip in & making camp usually soaks the layers I wore in.

I found (quite by acident on Katahdin) that you can shake polypro almost dry
(as long as it doesnt freeze first) and then wear it under XCR and let body heat dry it.
Climbing Stallion/BMT

 

[Rick]

Hi Pks4000,

If you are getting soaked from sweat heading in to camp, I would think the first course of action would be to remove layers as much as possible to avoid overhating and allowing sweat build up. With that said, when winter hiking or backpacking, I usually wear only a light polypro base layer and then over that is a very light nylon or microfiber wind jacket and pants with vents so that I am almost cold, almost warm, but never overheating. I can always quickly add something over that if I do get into a very windy area or decide to stop for a few minutes.

I try to never have on enough so that I am getting wet from sweat.
(which by default, would solve the drying problem too )

 

[pks4000]

Hey Rick

Thanks for the get back.
Yea I hike lightly pollyed too. My friend SK likes to sleep with his damp clothes but if you have a down bag it's a dicey idea at best.
I sometimes am able to "wear it dry" under some XCR Goretex. I am convinced that Gore Tex is about as breathable as a thin layer of cement.
Thanks again,
CS

 

[the starchild]

hello,

my name is william and i too am lightly pollyed in the winter

My friend SK likes to sleep with his damp clothes but if you have a down bag it's a dicey idea at best.
CS

my 20 bag and my -15 bag are both down. i have slept wearing or with wet clothes under my clothes to dry them many times on backpacking trips and never had a problem with the bag.

if something is really wet and i need to the next day i'll put it under the shirt i am wearing against my skin, or even better, if i am wearing two layers i'll put it inbetween.

if its just damp or i just want it to stay warm, i'll just put clothes in my bag.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Try this at home. I think you'll be surprised at the results.

Some day, when you the temperatures hit around -20 or so, take you polypro shirt, and soak it well in water. Then put it outside, spread out, not in a ball. If ou've got nice dry snow, lay it on top of the snow.

Let it stay our for the night. The next morning, go out, shirtless, (NOTE: if you are a woman, you may not want to do this, particularly if you have neighbors living close by) and pick up the polypro shirt, shake it, then put it on.

It's amazing how it feels. Not only that, but it can answer your questions about how to dry a polypro shirt.

 

[pks4000]

Hey Pete
he he, your kidding right?
However most climber's neighbors would understand the drill.
CS/BMT

 

[sleeping bear]

I've found that as long as the fabric isn't dripping wet, and I'm well insulated otherwise, it's not that bad just to wear it. It'll dry quick enough next to your skin, that's essentially what that fabric is designed for.

 

[spaddock]

If you are getting soaked from sweat heading in to camp, I would think the first course of action would be to remove layers as much as possible to avoid overhating and allowing sweat build up.

Sometimes, this Winter especially, that is just not possible. Even if I go down to just the polpro my back will sweat with the pack on. Maybe I need to start wearing my summer hiking shirts again...


-Shayne

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Hey Pete
he he, your kidding right?

No. It really is a learning experience. Much better to do it at home to get a feel for it.

BTW, it didn't phase my neighbors. They frequently see me walking barefoot in the snow, so being shirtless doesn't surprise them.

 

[Rick]

Sometimes, this Winter especially, that is just not possible. Even if I go down to just the polpro my back will sweat with the pack on. Maybe I need to start wearing my summer hiking shirts again...


-Shayne

OK, You got me on that one!!!!!!

 

[linehant]

I find the trip in & making camp usually soaks the layers I wore in

I agree with what other folks have said - that is... staying dry is key to staying warm - and try to adjust layers so that I sweat as little as possible (though there is ALWAYS some dampness underneath the pack). Have more-or-less dialed-in a layering system to the point where base layers dry while wearing them.

...wear it under XCR and let body heat dry it.

FWIW, for me (YMMV), stuff dries MUCH better when I AVOID wearing Gortex. The "hard shells" work great for water-proof rainwear or full-on winter conditions. But if it isn't raining, and there isn't snow falling off trees or whatever, and the wind isn't blowing gale force, the Gortex stays in the pack and I'll wear a much more breathable "shell" of some sort - a windshirt or an Ibex softshell made of skifans (Marmot DriClime, schoeller, PowerShield, etc. would work just as well). Those fabrics are much better than Gortex at permitting moisture to pass, but maintain enough of a "micro-climate" that there isn't a problem with evaporative cooling (which is what happens if the sweat evaporates TOO quickly).

Whatever is still damp at bedtime - socks, shirt, glove liners, etc - goes into the sleeping bag.

But, again, the first line of defense is to adjust layers to AVOID sweating to the extent possible.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I agree with Rick and Linehant in that I remove layers as much as possible to the point I am just slightly under being warm yet not chilled. I also don't wear the XCR shells until the weather turns bad or when I stop for any length of time while hiking. I am forever adding or removing layers to maintain the right temperature, but it's better than getting a severe chill when stopped or sweating too much while hiking. Of course, there is only so much that will help, occasionally I have had to slow down to bring my body temperature down some as well, so I didn't sweat as much.

I have never had a problem with drying Polypro jiust by wearing it. I usually bring 3 shirts, one for hiking, one for sleeping, and one to dry. Unless it's snowing or raining, the polypro will dry on the outside of the pack in the winter. They're light, only weighing a few ounces, so I don't mind the weight.

 

[Rick]

In a most timely fashion, I was cruising Whiteblaze and came across this intersting idea from 'Swift'. I will have to try it as an experiment, for at least 3-season hiking when I do get wet.

Look for Post #21

They have PV foam towels used for drying cars in Walmart in the automotive section...come in a clear plastic tube, cost 6 bucks. Its my most useful piece of gear. When completely dry and folded it feels and weighs about the same as a styromfoam block the size of a pack of cigarettes. It absorbs 20 times its weight in water and releases 96% of it when you wring it. Makes a great bath towel, cut up it makes great headbands and wristbands, it dries your tent off in the morning like nothing else does.

Here is the really cool trick: If you get soaked take your clothes and roll them up in it and wring, do it a few times. It is amazing how well it removes the water, enough to put everything back on, and your body heat will finish the drying process in minutes.

This is the best 6 dollars you'll ever spend on anything that goes in your pack. I was curious to see what exactly the water content was in my pearl uzumi shirt after I'd dried it like this so I ran some tests at home. I soaked the shirt in a bucket of water and wrung it out in the PV towel a number of times then weighed it on a digital postal scale. I then completely dried it dryer and re-weighed it. The difference in weight was only 6/10ths of an ounce.

 

[Neil]

The sacrifice method.

I still sweat even if I wear nothing but a see-through flimsy little synth thing and am almost hypothermic from the chilly wind. I would hate to climb into my sleeping bag wearing wet clothing. I recommend the sacrifice method. You sacrifice one polyprope shirt that remains wet for the entire trip. You remove it when your done sweating and let it freeze. Pete's lay it flat idea is a good one so yeah try and keep it flat. When you're ready to sweat some more put it on frozen and get moving. The suffering is short-lived and then you have the same wet shirt on that you took off the day before. If you were wearing it wet yesterday then you can wear it wet today.

 

[prino]

I agree with Pete!! If the shirt is thin enough you should be able to let the moisture freeze solid and just shake the ice out of it before putting it on.
Nothing like dry Ice!!

 

[pks4000]

Freeze it

Assuming that you've taken all sensible steps to stay dry, but you wet out your best polypro top, here's a summary of your answers and maybe a workable solution for staying dry on multiday winter backcountry trips.
1. Use my Katahdin discovery and shake the polypro aggressively (I observed that when I shook a slightly damp polypro top a mini rainbow appeared in the sunlight. Seeing this I shook the top almost dry. (Note the temp was slightly above freezing.)
2. Pete's idea about laying it flat and letting it freeze makes sense in that if you shake it right away in the sun if available , most of the moisture will come out before it freezes (unless it's sub zeroish).
3. Now add Prino's idea: Once its frozen you should be able to hit/shake the ice (water) off it.
It dawns on me: This is simlar to removing wax by freezing it snd then lifting it off the garment/object .
Now if the temp would go below freakin' freezing, I'll test the 3 steps out in sequence with various polypro materials.
CS

 

[randomscooter]

I still sweat even if I wear nothing but a see-through flimsy little synth thing and am almost hypothermic from the chilly wind. I would hate to climb into my sleeping bag wearing wet clothing. I recommend the sacrifice method. You sacrifice one polyprope shirt that remains wet for the entire trip. You remove it when your done sweating and let it freeze. Pete's lay it flat idea is a good one so yeah try and keep it flat. When you're ready to sweat some more put it on frozen and get moving. The suffering is short-lived and then you have the same wet shirt on that you took off the day before. If you were wearing it wet yesterday then you can wear it wet today.

I feel your pain man. I break into a sweat putting on my snowshoes at the trailhead. I don't believe I can possibly hike slowly enough to avoid breaking into a sweat, regardless of how lightly I dress. Wet is a fact of life for me. So much so that I pretty much like to sleep at home in my bed at night. Ultimately I solved the problem by moving to the mountains. A good alternative is to find a friend who lives in the mountains and will accept beer in exchange for shelter.

 

[Mark A.]

Minority report

Bag the poly on the move. Use a VB shirt and zip- or button-up outer(s). Vent when you start to feel too warm. All your insulation (of which you often need very little) is always dry, so you don't need to bring extra. Very unfashionable, and it requires regular zipping and unzipping (not all that onerous, actually), but it works for me.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[jfb]

Now if the temp would go below freakin' freezing, I'll test the 3 steps out in sequence with various polypro materials.

I just use Smartwool (preferably under a breathable shell jacket and pants) and don't have any problems with moisture. Their website has a very good explanation of how moisture is transported from your body to the environment through the wool without making you feel wet. If you're in the experimenting mode, try wearing one of their tops on a hike.

 

[sun=electric]

I use a variety of polyester bottoms with my Patagonia's Siliconized light weight pants. They breath well but I get condensation from the knees down even in dry cold conditions on rocky trails. My theory is the body heat in the lower legs isn't enough to eliminate the moisture. From the knees up I stay bone dry! When I stop for the day or a long break I quickly remove the outer pants, turn them inside out and give them a shake and quickly put them back on. This seems to rid the sysytem of the free droplets. The slightly damp poly doesn't seem uncofortable and seems to dry quickly under the reapplied pants. Now with my Mammut Schoeller pants this never happens. Its just that they weight twice as much as the super light Patagonia pants.