Moisture management
Moisture Management
Comfort is an important part of fishing, so layer up, stay dry and enjoy your sport!
In recent years breathable clothing has become very popular with fishermen. The combination of breathability and use of lightweight purpose-designed layers has significantly increased the comfort enjoyed by people taking part in outdoor activities. With time, the cost of producing it has started to fall and so with the benefits on offer why wear clothing that is less comfortable?
What is Breathability?
The breathability varies greatly depending on the construction of the garment. Usually the more advanced the construction, the more effective it is and this aspect is reflected in the price. In order for breathable clothing to be most effective, droplets of perspiration produced by the body must be turned into water vapour quickly to allow the vapour to pass through the breathable membrane ensuring that the skin remains dry. If a wicking layer is efficient in dispersing perspiration, it will dry more quickly and keeping dry is essential to achieving effective body insulation. Neoprene waders do not allow perspiration to escape and this is why they are not as comfortable as breathable waders worn with suitable insulation in cold conditions.
Moisture management is essential to keeping cool in warm conditions and warm in cold conditions. Understanding how base layers work and selecting the right type and weight of layers for the weather conditions will keep the wearer dry and comfortable. Using layers allows one to fish comfortably in a wider range of conditions - layers can be added or removed depending on the ambient temperature, humidity and level of exertion.
Staying Dry Keeps You Warm
In warm weather or during times of physical activity the body produces perspiration. As the perspiration evaporates it has a cooling effect on the body. To accelerate the evaporation process, a mid-weight wicking base layer can be used to dissipate the perspiration over a large surface area of the garment. This high surface area to volume ratio rapidly increases the rate of evaporation and in turn cools the skin more effectively. Increasing the effectiveness of evaporation keeps the skin drier. For any base layer to work properly and allow it to wick moisture from the skin it must be worn directly against the skin.
Mid-weight layers trap small pockets of warm air, which act as a light insulator in cool conditions. The effective dissipation of water by wicking layers can be achieved by chemical or mechanical processes or a combination of both. These wicking layers are normally made from a man-made fibre such as polyester. These fibres do not absorb water; instead, the water lightly coats the outer surface of each fibre. This high surface area to volume ratio of moisture allows them to dry very quickly.
Traditional cotton & wool fabrics absorb moisture & therefore do not keep you as warm or allow good breathability.
Insulating Against the Cold
Heavyweight base layers achieve warmth in two ways, first by wicking moisture away from the skin and dispersing it over a large surface area for rapid evaporation. This does not happen with normal polyester fleeces. Secondly, trapping a large volume of still air close to the skin provides a warm layer between the body and any outer layers. Using a windproof, breathable shell as an outer layer helps to keep still warm air trapped within the heavyweight base layer preventing it from being forced out by the external cold air.
To insulate effectively in cold conditions, perspiration caused through physical activity, such as casting or walking, must be removed from the skin in order to prevent the chilling effect. It is for this reason, as mentioned earlier, that neoprene waders are not as comfortable for fishing in cold conditions. Instead breathable waders with good insulation and moisture-wicking properties provided by a heavyweight base layer will keep the body dry and warm. Heavyweight base layers may resemble a normal polyester fleece but they function very differently.
It is fascinating to see a wicking layer work by placing a droplet of water onto the inside of the garment. The droplet will spread over a large surface area very quickly. High quality wicking layers absorb a droplet of water almost instantly leading to fast and effective evaporation. Base layers of different weights can be used in conjunction with others allowing great flexibility to regulate temperature depending on the level of exertion or outside temperature just by adding or removing layers.
Other Features of Modern Fabrics
Many wicking layers also feature two or four-way stretch to allow unrestricted movement – ideal for an active sport such as fly-fishing. The benefit of this is particularly noticeable when wearing several layers in cold conditions. Some garments also have anti-microbial finishes which kill odour causing bacteria. These are particularly useful when travelling especially if clothing washing facilities are limited!
If suitable layers are used in conjunction with breathable clothing one can fish comfortably in all conditions. After all, how often have we said, "I’m feeling cold, let’s go home" - when instead we could stay on and spend more time enjoying our sport.
For more advice, speak to a Sportfish advisor on the options of layering and breathable clothing.
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