The Layering System - An essential to surviving the great outdoors!

The layering system is a devised strategy used for regulating your body's temperature while out and about whether it be a gentle walk up to the top of a local hill or ice climbing in winter conditions across a froze glacier abroad. 

Depending on who you ask about the best method for layering some will advise a few thick and heavy layers while others will often recommend plenty of thin layers. Either way works in order to sufficiently trap and maintain body heat whilst on the move but in my opinion, I would recommend plenty of thin layers due to the fact they are easier to adjust; giving you more precise control over your body's temperature as well as the fact that once the layers are removed they are lighter to carry and pack down smaller in your rucksack than thicker, heavier layers.

Looking at one of the most generic structures for layering used in the outdoors today below is a list of layers and the purpose is layer is designed to fulfil.

Base Layer- The base layer is designed to wick away any perspiration that would otherwise collect on the skins surface, as well as managing to trap a small amount of the body's heat in doing so. Creating a thin layer of warm air between the base layer and the skin's surface. Avoid using materials such as Cotton as a baselayer because once it becomes wet, it stays wet and cools quickly especially when exposed to wind or air, this will draw away all of the heat that would otherwise be trapped by the layering system. Good examples of base layers are thermal underwear, technical t-shirts and merino wool fabrics.

Mid-Layer or Insulation Layer- The Mid-layer or Insulation Layer is the main layer used in order to completely trap and maintain the body's heat. Sweat is always wicked further away from the body through use of breathable mid-layers. Mid-layers can constitute of a light or mid-weight fleece or softshell material.

Outer Layer- The outer shell works in order to repel any wind and rain and protect your other layers from becoming damp and exposed to the elements. The outer-layer is often made up of a light-weight, packable jacket and trousers that can be packed towards the top of the rucksack for quick access in case of a heavy unexpected downpour. The outer layer should also be breathable so that it continues to wick away any perspiration collected by the other layers and completely remove it from the body and layering system. You will often find the most common fabrics used in the outdoor industry to carry out this purpose are Event, Gortex and Pertex aswell as others such as Paramo.

        Figure 1. A diagram of how the layering system works (Backpacking Light, 2015).

Figure Reference: Backpacking Light, (2015). The Layering System. [Image] Available at: http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/layering-system.html [Accessed 4 May 2015].

Outdoor Adventurous Activities- Physical Endurance or Technical Skills?

A topic of conversation that often arises when looking into Outdoor Adventurous Activities and everything that they consist of is the argument of are they purely sports designed and catered for athletes who have a high tolerance and physique for competing and performing or are they a little more complex than that looking at the technique, body position and co-ordination required to succeed in various activities within the Outdoor Industry.

From my personal opinion I would see majority of outdoor activities to be a balance of both characteristics but on closer inspection; examples such as Kayaking I would see as having a larger proportion of Physical Endurance required than technical skill seeing it as a hands on, quick on your feet style of sport. In contrast I would see Canoeing as a gentler, technical sport although it does require physical endurance to initially power the canoe, once up and running the sport requires a more technical stroke in order to maintain the boat’s drive through the water. When the title ‘Canoeing’ is mentioned my initial interpretation, when I think canoeing I picture the classic Native American paddling along a vast open expanse of lake, calm, relaxed and tranquil in setting as the canoe softly glides on route to its destination. Within this visualisation can be seen some of the personal prejudices I have picked up taken from my background in Outdoor Education as each individual will interpret each sport differently.

                                Figure 1. Kayaking on White-Water (The Kayaking Journal, 2011).

The technical skill side of activities appears as part of the muscle memory section of learning as you aim to improve and perfect your technique you compile methods and stages of memory in order to allow you to know as well as feel when you’re completing that technique correctly. In water-sports particularly such as Kayaking, Sailing and Dragonboating all from my personal experience the thought of ending a session less focused on physical endurance and instead more focused upon achieving the best possible technique in order to end on a high note is a key importance in the coaching of individuals. If as a coach you are able to get the participant to finish each session on a good point having achieved even the slightest of things from the session this will in turn gradually improve the person’s abilities, boosting their self-efficacy along with their confidence. The last strokes of a session are the ones the paddler will recall at the start of their next session in order to build upon being at the fore-front of their minds; in this case if the paddler ends the session with a poor, un-coordinated technique thus will set the foundations for error and bad habits along the paddler’s development stage.

Figure 2. Dragonboating (Georgetown Penang Heritage Site, 2009).

In evaluating all this I believe that the physical endurance side can be developed by individuals over time by committing to the activity and perceiving throughout training and competitions aspiring to have the attitude to want to do better, whereas the technical skill side of the activity is part of the core fundamentals of all sports and these should carry the weight of most coaching sessions whilst also aiming to strike a balance somewhere between the two characteristics.

Image References

Georgetown Penang Heritage Site, (2009). Penang International Dragon Boat Festival - Georgetown Penang Heritage Site. [online] Available at: http://georgetown-penang.com/cultural-events/penang-international-dragon-boat-festival/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

The Kayaking Journal, (2011). Are you nuts? Why White Water Kayaking?. [online] Available at: https://kayakjournal.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/are-you-nuts-why-white-water-kayaking/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].