I live in Montana but am not native to the northwest, from the south originally. I don’t own a car (walkable cities ftw) so I’m exposed to the elements almost daily. I’ve been making it work in the winters with layering and clutch thrift store finds but I still don’t fundamentally understand what determines good vs bad fabrics/coats/socks for this climate. Please help!
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What works for one person may not work for another.
Choosing the right outfit not only depends on the conditions, but also for how long you’ll be outside, and how active physically you’ll be while outside. Are you running from car to grocery store and back, or from car to long mountain hike?
I saw one person write this: space and air.
It is possible to overlayer. By having too tight of clothing reduces space, so no heat can be trapped.
Remember, you are the heat source. You’re heat will be warming first your inner layer l, migrating to the outer layers. If the innermost layer is wet (from sweat or other) it will accelerate heat loss. For this reason, cotton is not recommended as it tends to cling to moisture. Base layers which are moisture wicking will be your friend. Wool also creates loft, is slower to dry out, but has the advantage that it still helps to keep you warm while damp (but not as well than if it’s dry).
If you’ll be sweating or wearing the outfit throughout the day, it will need to be able to breath to let your moisture go.
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