The Gear fella has been hard at work answering your kit questions, this week he covers winter trousers, batteries for cold conditions, reversible Paramo baselayers and lightweight walking boots.
It's Tuesday again and our man Gear, Richard Gear, has been hard
at work answering your questions and racking his brain over the
meaning of moisture vapour transfer rates, the importance of
underfoot fit and other pressing matters of gear philosophy.
So far Richard has answered over 500 of your questions and you can
find all his past answers together with a shonky search mechanism at
the Ask
Richard Gear section of the site.
Browse through his past answers or ask
a question of your own...
This week Richard struggles with
earth-shaking existential dilemmas like what to replace an
original Brasher Boot with, the best battery for use in a GPS unit in
cold conditions, the great winter legwear dilemma revisited and how
to tell one side of a Paramo baselayer from the other.
Q: 'Last year I used thermal leggings under my TNF convertible
trousers in winter and they worked OK but not great. I'm looking to
replace
them for a proper pair of trousers for autumn/winter use. Also I need
some more waterproof trousers but the choice is bewildering. I'm
thinking the best option is to buy a decent pair of soft shell
trousers that keep you warm and reasonably dry 90% of the time and
some cheap overtrousers to throw on when it's really bad rain. What
do you think and what's in your 'sac?'
A: 'I think you're on the right track with your softshell
pants and cheap overtrousers theory. The problem with most waterproof
shell pants is that they're not breathable enough and, unless they're
carefully cut and fitted, also bulky, heavy and restrictive.
Softshell arguably works better for trousers than for jackets, though
it brings dilemmas of its own.'
Full
answer
Q: 'I have just worn out my last pair of the Original Brasher
Boots (I got three pairs at once and have had them repaired several
times) and 
was
wondering what is the nearest to them on the present market. I do
mainly moorland and dales walking and found these boots even lighter
than trainers and could do a day's walk in them straight from the
box?'
A: 'The name is Gear, Richard 'Old Skool' Gear. The great
thing about original Brasher boots is that they were genuinely
ground-breaking gear. At a time when heavy, stiff, traditional
hill-walking boots were the norm, Chris Brasher produced a
lightweight boot based on the technology used in running shoes. The
good news is that there are products out there that are a near ideal
replacement...'
Full
answer
Q: 'I
have a Paramo reversible wicking long-sleeve baselayer but how do I
tell which is which for warmth or coolness as each side looks the
same?'
A: 'The name is Gear, Richard 'Reversible' Gear and not as
in a car. When OUTDOORSmagic tested Paramo's reversible fabric we
found that despite the hype, there was little or no difference in
performance between the two sides of the fabric which is otherwise a
normal, decently performing baselayer.'
Full
answer
Q:
'What are the best cold-weather batteries for a GPS which is always
on - ordinary or rechargable ones?'
A: 'In cold weather both NiMh rechargeables and alkaline
batteries suffer since they contain a water-based electrolyte. As
temperatures approach the freezing point of water, chemical reactions
within the battery slow down due to reduced ion mobility leading to a
reduction in performance until temperatures are restored to
normal.'
Full
answer
Check out the full
Ask
Richard Gear section of the site for a searchable archive of
all Richard's past answers, some of which make sense, or ask a
question of your own...
