How to choose outdoor clothing? Understanding fabrics is the key
It is April again, and it is the right time for outdoor outings. At this time every year, many "newbies" who participate in outdoor sports for the first time will join in. The popularity of outdoor sports not only brings endless fun to people, but also brings unlimited business opportunities to the outdoor equipment and supplies market. However, many consumers are often blind when purchasing outdoor products. They either spend money in vain or buy equipment that they can't use at all. For this reason, starting from this issue, this edition will be divided into three issues, respectively, in terms of outdoor clothing equipment, accommodation equipment, and auxiliary equipment, to introduce the relevant knowledge of outdoor products in the purchase and use for the majority of outdoor sports enthusiasts.
When doing outdoor sports, the first problem that hikers face is the change of weather, especially in some high-altitude areas, it is likely to experience the change of wind, rain, hail, and snow in one day. Therefore, the requirements for clothing are particularly high, and functions such as windproof, breathable, and warm are indispensable. However, when purchasing outdoor sports clothing, in addition to paying attention to its function, what is more important is practicality. For many consumers, outdoor sports are mostly around the city, so there is no need to buy those expensive and professional outdoor clothing.
Don't go astray when choosing clothing
Senior hiker "Seal" told reporters that there are two types of people who like outdoor sports: one is to use good equipment or ordinary equipment to play outdoors, known as the public donkey; the other is to play with equipment or "showy" equipment outdoors, known as the equipment donkey.
If you are an outdoor sports enthusiast, keen on outdoor adventures and other exciting activities, then for safety and applicability, you should purchase a set of more professional equipment, so that you can better protect yourself when doing outdoor sports. "Internationally, there are many top outdoor equipment brands, and the prices of these brand equipment are relatively expensive, no less than the prices of international first-line high-end brand clothing. For example, an ordinary brand of outdoor clothing may cost only a few hundred yuan, while the price of high-end brands is around six or seven thousand yuan. Therefore, if you don't have a certain financial strength, it's best not to pursue it blindly." "Seal" said.
As ordinary consumers, the number of outdoor activities each year is very limited, and most of them are leisure sports and travel. Many people also like to wear outdoor clothing when going to and from get off work. In this case, it is enough to choose ordinary outdoor clothing. "Seal" introduced that taking jackets as an example, there are many brands of jackets currently sold on the market, and some domestic brands of jackets have been continuously updated and improved. They have done a good job in rainproof, windproof, and warmth-keeping functions, and the price is cheaper than foreign brands, which can fully meet the needs of daily outdoor leisure, travel and other activities. "Seal" told reporters that one of his friends spent a lot of money to buy an Arc'teryx jacket because of his pursuit of famous brands, but his usual outdoor sports are mostly limited to climbing mountains around Beijing, and the rest are only worn when going to and from get off work. The jacket's excellent outdoor protection function is not fully utilized, which can be said to be a waste.
"Seal" believes that many hikers now turn playing with outdoor equipment into playing with equipment. Going outdoors is not for the fun of mountaineering, but for the opportunity to show off their equipment, which can easily have a bad influence on some new hikers. He also said: "Of course, I don't oppose people with financial strength to buy some high-end outdoor equipment. After all, this is also a kind of protection for themselves, but blindly pursuing high-end equipment for the sake of showing off is not right. People in the circle usually call this practice "going off track."
Understanding fabrics is the most important
Whether buying outdoor clothing or hiking shoes, its waterproofness and breathability are very important. Especially at the turn of spring and summer, when climbing in some relatively high altitude areas, when encountering light rain or fog and dew, if the jacket is not waterproof, then the rain or water vapor will soon penetrate the clothes and contact the skin. At this time, when the wind blows, the body surface will feel very cold. But if it is only waterproof but not breathable, when wearing it, the inside of the clothes will be like a steamer, making people very uncomfortable.
Waterproof and breathable sound like a pair of contradictions. So can outdoor clothing be both waterproof and breathable? Experts told reporters that the molecular volume of water in liquid state is about 20,000 times larger than that in gas state. Since there is a difference of tens of thousands of times, imagine if there is a sieve with a sieve hole size just between the diameters of water and water vapor molecules, then only water vapor can pass through, while liquid water cannot. Therefore, almost all waterproof and breathable films are designed with microporous structures. Take the well-known American GORE-TEX fabric as an example. This fabric is densely covered with up to 9 billion small holes per square inch. The diameter of these small holes is 700 times smaller than that of liquid water molecules, but more than 20,000 times larger than that of gaseous water molecules. The fabrics used in various outdoor clothing sold on the market are actually the same as the above principle. The difference lies in their anti-aging properties and breathability when the surface of the fabric is wet.
The reporter learned that the surface of the outer fabric of the jacket will be treated with water repellent before leaving the factory. The final waterproof effect should be that after the fabric is sprinkled with water, the water drops will roll off quickly like dripping on a lotus leaf, and will not be absorbed by the fabric. In addition, another function of waterproof fabric is to keep the surface of the clothes dry and facilitate breathability, because most waterproof and breathable membranes will lose their breathability after being wetted.
However, the so-called waterproof is not absolute. A salesperson at an outdoor goods store told reporters that waterproof means that water can be prevented from penetrating the fabric within a certain period of time, not that the fabric will never penetrate after being soaked in water. Even for better waterproof fabrics, it can only achieve waterproof effect within a few hours. Therefore, consumers should objectively view the waterproof function of outdoor equipment when purchasing.
Choose according to climate characteristics
As we all know, outdoor sports are highly seasonal, so consumers should also consider seasonal factors when purchasing clothing, shoes and hats. At present, the functional classification of outdoor clothing is relatively detailed, including inner and outer clothing classification, seasonal classification, etc. At the same time, each major category also contains many subcategories, but for general consumers, it is not necessary to purchase a full set of outdoor clothing, but to determine according to their own outdoor time.
Functional outdoor clothing is generally used in specific environments, such as rain, strong wind, etc., so if consumers do not plan to go to the above-mentioned climate-prone areas frequently, they do not necessarily need these equipment. A raincoat, an ordinary windbreaker or outdoor clothing is enough.
Generally speaking, according to the climate characteristics of different seasons, functional outdoor clothing needs to be configured in spring, autumn and summer. The climate characteristics of spring and autumn are that the weather is cooler in the morning and evening, so a jacket is a must-have. In summer, because it often rains, quick-drying clothes and hats and hiking shoes with good breathability are necessary equipment. It is also worth noting that when choosing quick-drying clothes, its anti-ultraviolet function is one of the factors that must be considered. For more professional hikers or those who intend to climb in winter, in addition to jackets, they should also purchase outdoor down jackets with strong cold-proof functions to keep warm.
●Related links
Classification of outdoor equipment
The so-called outdoor equipment mainly refers to some necessary items that people need when doing outdoor sports such as camping and traveling. It can be divided into three categories: clothing, shoes and hats, travel and lodging supplies, and auxiliary supplies. Among them, clothing, shoes and hats include hiking shoes, jackets, trousers, sunshade tools, etc.; travel and lodging supplies include: tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, moisture-proof mats, etc.; auxiliary supplies include: stoves, headlights, etc. These three types of outdoor supplies cover all aspects of clothing, food, housing, and transportation necessary for a shallow mountain crossing.
When doing outdoor sports, the first problem that hikers face is the change of weather, especially in some high-altitude areas, it is likely to experience the change of wind, rain, hail, and snow in one day. Therefore, the requirements for clothing are particularly high, and functions such as windproof, breathable, and warm are indispensable. However, when purchasing outdoor sports clothing, in addition to paying attention to its function, what is more important is practicality. For many consumers, outdoor sports are mostly around the city, so there is no need to buy those expensive and professional outdoor clothing.
Don't go astray when choosing clothing
Senior hiker "Seal" told reporters that there are two types of people who like outdoor sports: one is to use good equipment or ordinary equipment to play outdoors, known as the public donkey; the other is to play with equipment or "showy" equipment outdoors, known as the equipment donkey.
If you are an outdoor sports enthusiast, keen on outdoor adventures and other exciting activities, then for safety and applicability, you should purchase a set of more professional equipment, so that you can better protect yourself when doing outdoor sports. "Internationally, there are many top outdoor equipment brands, and the prices of these brand equipment are relatively expensive, no less than the prices of international first-line high-end brand clothing. For example, an ordinary brand of outdoor clothing may cost only a few hundred yuan, while the price of high-end brands is around six or seven thousand yuan. Therefore, if you don't have a certain financial strength, it's best not to pursue it blindly." "Seal" said.
As ordinary consumers, the number of outdoor activities each year is very limited, and most of them are leisure sports and travel. Many people also like to wear outdoor clothing when going to and from get off work. In this case, it is enough to choose ordinary outdoor clothing. "Seal" introduced that taking jackets as an example, there are many brands of jackets currently sold on the market, and some domestic brands of jackets have been continuously updated and improved. They have done a good job in rainproof, windproof, and warmth-keeping functions, and the price is cheaper than foreign brands, which can fully meet the needs of daily outdoor leisure, travel and other activities. "Seal" told reporters that one of his friends spent a lot of money to buy an Arc'teryx jacket because of his pursuit of famous brands, but his usual outdoor sports are mostly limited to climbing mountains around Beijing, and the rest are only worn when going to and from get off work. The jacket's excellent outdoor protection function is not fully utilized, which can be said to be a waste.
"Seal" believes that many hikers now turn playing with outdoor equipment into playing with equipment. Going outdoors is not for the fun of mountaineering, but for the opportunity to show off their equipment, which can easily have a bad influence on some new hikers. He also said: "Of course, I don't oppose people with financial strength to buy some high-end outdoor equipment. After all, this is also a kind of protection for themselves, but blindly pursuing high-end equipment for the sake of showing off is not right. People in the circle usually call this practice "going off track."
Understanding fabrics is the most important
Whether buying outdoor clothing or hiking shoes, its waterproofness and breathability are very important. Especially at the turn of spring and summer, when climbing in some relatively high altitude areas, when encountering light rain or fog and dew, if the jacket is not waterproof, then the rain or water vapor will soon penetrate the clothes and contact the skin. At this time, when the wind blows, the body surface will feel very cold. But if it is only waterproof but not breathable, when wearing it, the inside of the clothes will be like a steamer, making people very uncomfortable.
Waterproof and breathable sound like a pair of contradictions. So can outdoor clothing be both waterproof and breathable? Experts told reporters that the molecular volume of water in liquid state is about 20,000 times larger than that in gas state. Since there is a difference of tens of thousands of times, imagine if there is a sieve with a sieve hole size just between the diameters of water and water vapor molecules, then only water vapor can pass through, while liquid water cannot. Therefore, almost all waterproof and breathable films are designed with microporous structures. Take the well-known American GORE-TEX fabric as an example. This fabric is densely covered with up to 9 billion small holes per square inch. The diameter of these small holes is 700 times smaller than that of liquid water molecules, but more than 20,000 times larger than that of gaseous water molecules. The fabrics used in various outdoor clothing sold on the market are actually the same as the above principle. The difference lies in their anti-aging properties and breathability when the surface of the fabric is wet.
The reporter learned that the surface of the outer fabric of the jacket will be treated with water repellent before leaving the factory. The final waterproof effect should be that after the fabric is sprinkled with water, the water drops will roll off quickly like dripping on a lotus leaf, and will not be absorbed by the fabric. In addition, another function of waterproof fabric is to keep the surface of the clothes dry and facilitate breathability, because most waterproof and breathable membranes will lose their breathability after being wetted.
However, the so-called waterproof is not absolute. A salesperson at an outdoor goods store told reporters that waterproof means that water can be prevented from penetrating the fabric within a certain period of time, not that the fabric will never penetrate after being soaked in water. Even for better waterproof fabrics, it can only achieve waterproof effect within a few hours. Therefore, consumers should objectively view the waterproof function of outdoor equipment when purchasing.
Choose according to climate characteristics
As we all know, outdoor sports are highly seasonal, so consumers should also consider seasonal factors when purchasing clothing, shoes and hats. At present, the functional classification of outdoor clothing is relatively detailed, including inner and outer clothing classification, seasonal classification, etc. At the same time, each major category also contains many subcategories, but for general consumers, it is not necessary to purchase a full set of outdoor clothing, but to determine according to their own outdoor time.
Functional outdoor clothing is generally used in specific environments, such as rain, strong wind, etc., so if consumers do not plan to go to the above-mentioned climate-prone areas frequently, they do not necessarily need these equipment. A raincoat, an ordinary windbreaker or outdoor clothing is enough.
Generally speaking, according to the climate characteristics of different seasons, functional outdoor clothing needs to be configured in spring, autumn and summer. The climate characteristics of spring and autumn are that the weather is cooler in the morning and evening, so a jacket is a must-have. In summer, because it often rains, quick-drying clothes and hats and hiking shoes with good breathability are necessary equipment. It is also worth noting that when choosing quick-drying clothes, its anti-ultraviolet function is one of the factors that must be considered. For more professional hikers or those who intend to climb in winter, in addition to jackets, they should also purchase outdoor down jackets with strong cold-proof functions to keep warm.
●Related links
Classification of outdoor equipment
The so-called outdoor equipment mainly refers to some necessary items that people need when doing outdoor sports such as camping and traveling. It can be divided into three categories: clothing, shoes and hats, travel and lodging supplies, and auxiliary supplies. Among them, clothing, shoes and hats include hiking shoes, jackets, trousers, sunshade tools, etc.; travel and lodging supplies include: tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, moisture-proof mats, etc.; auxiliary supplies include: stoves, headlights, etc. These three types of outdoor supplies cover all aspects of clothing, food, housing, and transportation necessary for a shallow mountain crossing.