Answer by Count Iblis for Why not use a cotton base layer?
You must consider here why you would be sweating in the first place. So, you must take into account that the body may produce a bit more heat from time to time and it will want to dump that excess heat...
View ArticleAnswer by Chris Johns for Why not use a cotton base layer?
Another disadvantage of cotton is that, because it holds on to moisture and gets saturated quickly it can get very uncomfortable where it is between your skin and your pack, especially around the...
View ArticleAnswer by Russell Steen for Why not use a cotton base layer?
There is a difference between just soaking up water and "wicking". Cotton is hydrophilic, which means it likes to attract and hang on to water molecules. Unlike a good wicking fabric (which relies on...
View ArticleAnswer by Johan for Why not use a cotton base layer?
Cotton doesn't wick away any moisture, it will soak and capture it. Furthermore cotton is heavy (compared to other materials), doesn't insulate, becomes wet very quickly, and stays wet for a long time.
View ArticleAnswer by Chris H for Why not use a cotton base layer?
If you carry the right layers and adjust them well, you can often get away with cotton with no discomfort let alone danger in benign conditions. But we shouldn't plan for only benign conditions and...
View ArticleAnswer by Quinto for Why not use a cotton base layer?
The point of a vapor barrier is that it doesn't allow any moisture to escape. A middle ground role would mean that it's not good at doing either job: cotton would soak through, and the moisture would...
View ArticleWhy not use a cotton base layer?
I am a little confused by this answer about whether or not cotton "kills". Cotton is clearly a poor choice for an insulating layer in wet environments since its insulating properties are heavily...
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