One of the tweaks I mentioned in the last post was to reduce weight by not taking spare clothing, I took instead a Dupont ‘Tyvek’ lightweight (175 grams) coverall/overall http://www.safetysupplies.co.uk/trolleyed/7/index.htm (scroll down the page to the Blue (or green, or white) Classic Suit). The quite fetching blue does not look quite as stark and clinical as the white ‘Soco’ suits we are used to seeing on TV (far too much these days I fear)
I had picked up some hints about this fabric from trawling through some of the more (in my view) strange US sites for ‘Backpackers, Survivalists and Mountain Men’. It has the capacity to be both waterproof and breathable and extremely light. And ‘cheap as chips! My thoughts in trying the suit were twofold, nay even threefold.
Firstly I figured that worn with a fleece top (or without subject to weather) the suit would make acceptable ‘camp’ clothing for evening relaxation.
Secondly it would obviate the need to take a sleeping bag liner (I usually try to use a silk liner but inevitably end up with the damned thing hobbling my legs and feet or trying to throttle me).
Thirdly I felt that in extremis I had a waterproof suit. (I did take waterproofs but didn’t need them!)
The latter point is moot as to use the suit in this manner would disqualify it as a bag liner (Hmmm, maybe not as some home tests proved)
The suit certainly met all my expectations. It was light and easy to pack, it was comfortable as evening-wear and, most important, it did breath and it did do a superb job as a bag liner.
This will now become a regular pack item.
My new Golite Adrenaline 20 works superbly. I am definitely sold on a centre zip bag; its comfort is beyond compare. Combined with the ‘Tyvek’ suit I reckon its use is extended to 4 seasons.
Ok that’s the tweaks over except to say that in a home test I soaked the ‘Tyvek’ suit and then squeezed it as dry as possible and hung it out to finish drying. 9.5 minutes later it was dry and comfortable. A note here, these suits are washable BUT by doing so the anti-static inner coating is removed – why should that worry a backpacker? After washing my suit still breaths and is still waterproof.
Filed under: Backpacking, Backpacking Gear, Miscellany, sleeping | Tagged: bag liner, breathable material, Tyvek, waterproofs
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