WHAT TO WEAR FISHNETS

WHAT TO WEAR?

Good question when winter is upon us. I get the question very often as the weather changes from warm to cold.

Before I answer the question there is some information you need to know and understand.

An adult human body contains 50 to 65 percent water. When we consume food, our fuel, we burn it and that heat produced causes the water to leave our body as vapor through the pores of our body. The rate the water leaves is dependent upon our activity. At rest like sleeping in a sleeping bag, it is slow, when active such as skiing it is increased significantly. The problem we are dealing with is what to do with the water.

This is important to know because as the water leaves our body it lands on our skin surface, the purpose being to cool us. If it is summertime that is perfect. If the temperature is 40 degrees F [all temperatures noted are in F] or lower retention of this water is our enemy.

I do not believe I have to go further in my explanation. Now I will answer the original question posed to me “what to wear?”

The very first layer of clothing worn should not retain the water that is coming out of your pores as vapor. If it does the vapor will increase and become liquid and when that happens it will do what water does best, it will draw the heat from your body and the result will be you getting a chill. The chill will happen when the temperature is 40 degrees or lower when you stop your activity.

I know 99 percent of skiers get on the lift line after a vigorous run down the mountain because their merino wool or other close knit long underwear has absorbed the skier’s moisture, and the moisture is very quickly absorbing heat. Of course, the ride back up the mountain is very unpleasant.

What is this miraculous first layer of clothing to be worn “FISHNET UNDERWEAR.”

Why are fishnet underwear so good, because the knitted holes which are in the case of Wiggy’s fishnets 3/16 of an inch so the vapor can easily get away from your skin surface. The yarn used to make Wiggy’s fishnets is nylon which serves two purposes. The nylon does not absorb the moisture and the nylon does heat quickly to body temperature and once equal to body temperature it stops absorbing any further heat. It will absorb more heat as it loses it, but the time frame of heat loss is insignificant, the nylon yarn simply doesn’t lose it. It is also learned that Wiggy fishnets lose fitting. As such the nylon is not constantly touching the skin surface.

There are other companies mostly as far as I know in Europe making fishnet underwear such as Brinji in Norway. They make them using wool, cotto, polypropylene and who knows what other yarns. They also make them, so they are form fitting. I know this because I have received calls from potential customers who have told me this and the true nature of the call was to tell me they were feeling cold with them. One customer was buying the second layer hoping it would help. I do not know if he was successful. I told him to replace them with mine, I also have no knowledge if he did. You would think Brinji who have been around for 100 years I believe would have learned something by now.

Now that I have covered the first and most important layer it is time to understand my mesh second layer. It is a spacer to allow the vapor to move freely away from you. You do not want to wear a knitted garment such as fleece over it. That would negate the spacers’ purpose. As a matter of fact, you do not want to wear any close knitted garment. loose fitting is the requirement to successfully stay warm because you have taken the steps to allow your skin surface to stay dry.

Your 3^rd layer should be a loose-fitting cotton or wool shirt. When I was lost, I was wearing a cotton shirt over my fishnet top. See the picture of me on my horse taken at base camp when I was found. My parka was covered with frost from my body.

Depending on how cold you intend to be in I recommend my liner vest and then liner jacket under your final outer garment. If you happen to own a Wiggy parka no cold is too cold.

For those of you new to my advice remember the best way to stay warm is to stay dry and the best way to stay dry is to wear FISHNETS.