Stay Dry

Around the year 3300 BC, a primitive man now known as Otzi, or the "Iceman", lived among the mountains near Italy. In 1991 the preserved body of Otzi was discovered mostly frozen in a high ice form. What was most exciting was that most of his clothing and survival gear were still intact.

Otzi wore a fur hat made of bear hide, a cloak of woven grass reeds, a belt of calf leather, bear skin shoes, and most importantly - long underwear made of goat skin wool. Long before recorded history, early humans lived and thrived based upon their ability to endure the environment. The tools they created and and materials they formed into their clothing were a serious matter.

One of the most enlightening parts of Otzi's attire was his long underwear. Made from goat skin, the woolen hide provided him insulation from the snow and wind. In modern times we have the advantage of high performance synthetic thermals and time tested merino wool long underwear. We can learn from the ancient wisdom of primitive man and combine it with modern technical advancements.

Premium Performance long underwear has been crafted from a blend of 85% polyester and 15% spandex. Designed to cut through the cold and wind, Premium Performance long underwear provides maximum comfort and mobility. It also benefits from antimicrobial odor control; a benefit that probably would have been greatly appreciated by Otzi's friends.

If you are more keen on natural and renewable materials, then premium merino wool long underwear is for you. If Otzi had premium grade merino wool thermals he would have been able to stay dry, keep warm, move faster, and smell better. Ancient wisdom still applies when you are venturing into the outdoors. Learn from the lessons of the past and clothe yourselves to thrive.

Don't let the cold months leave you feeling chilly! While the bison may have a nice layer of fur on the outside, that doesn't mean you can't stay just as warm. By adding a layer under your regular outerwear you will provide yourself with an extra layer that will keep you warm.

Like fur, the 100% Merino Wool Expedition Thermal Underwear is designed to keep you warm even if you get wet, and it will guard you from the frigid cold. The Minus33 Expedition weight Merino Wool Thermal Underwear is the perfect option for anyone wanting to stay warm during winter activities. The thermals are designed for both men and women in style and fit.

Our warmest 100% Merino Wool was designed with the avid outdoor enthusiast in mind! It's impressive qualities of comfort, breathability, and warmth  makes it the first choice. The Minus33 brand thermals feature a flat lock seam so you won't have the irritation while walking or moving. Merino wool thermal underwear is much finer and thinner than traditional wool, making Merino wool super soft and non-itchy. This heavy-weight merino wool thermal underwear is sure to keep you warm in even the coldest temperatures.

With a great variety in styles and sizes you can easily find the right merino wool thermal underwear to meet your needs. Also, don't forget that Christmas is right around the corner. Expedition weight thermal merino wool will make any hunter, fisherman, skier, or outdoor enthusiast grin ear to ear.

In an effort to streamline and expand our Outersports outdoor products lineup, we will soon be adding a variety of outdoor specific gear. Everything from water filtration systems, axes, knives, cook gear, survival equipment, hammocks, and more will be available to you in the near future. Hundreds of fantastic options for you to choose from are currently being inventoried and selected, but here are just a few highlights to wet your appetite.

The Hennessy Explorer Deluxe ADYM Hammock - At 9 feet long, the Explorer Deluxe A-sym was designed for anyone up to 7 feet tall. It includes tree hugger straps to prevent damage to tree bark, attached mosquito netting, detachable rain fly, support ropes and stuff sack. It weighs only 3 lbs and can hold up to 300 lbs. This deluxe hammock comes with the option of a bottom entry Velcro closure or a side entry zipper closure that can be accessed from inside or out. These Hennessy Deluxe Hammocks are a campers first choice in comfort and convenience in the outdoors.

SPOT Connect - No cell signal? No problem. Turn your smartphone into a satellite communicator with SPOT connect device. Simply pair your Smartphone with SPOT connect, and get connected to a global satellite network that lets you send messages and GPS coordinates from virtually anywhere on the planet. Update Twitter and Facebook. Send text message or a short email.

Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit - The Guide 10 is an ultra-lightweight USB solar charging system that fits in your pocket. Use as a single unit power pack to power your device or as a power source to recharge the batteries for use in AA or AAA battery power devices. With battery powered and mobile devices an essential part of your outdoor gear - you should absolutely have this solar charger in your pack as a regular part of your outdoor products.

The Pinnacle Dualist Cook Set - This portable cook set includes a 1.8 L pot, strainer lid, 2 mugs, 2 bowls, 2 sip-it tops, 2 telescoping spoon/forks, stove bag, and a stuff sack that doubles as a sink. All weighing in at only 20.7 ounces. It's the perfect solution to replace the heavy cluttering pots and pans you've been using all these years.

These outdoor products, along with hundreds of others, are just a few of the spectacular lineup that are coming soon to Outersports. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ to stay informed as these new items are made available. In the meantime make sure to check out our current selection of high quality apparel and outdoor and athletic gear currently featured on the site.

If you are a family camper or an outdoor survivalist in your approach to the outdoors there are certain universal recommendations that apply to both. Making sure that your supplies, gear, and clothing are versatile and efficient is always a good idea. This can create challenges when it comes to the unpredictability of weather and temperatures. Packing a wide variety of clothing can cause problems with weight and space. Packing too little clothing can compromise your ability to keep warm when the temperatures plummet unexpectedly.

When selecting the right clothing for the outdoors the same rule of versatility applies. Temperatures can shift dramatically based on your elevation and the composition of the earth beneath you. Those temperatures fluctuate according to air pressure, wind, and moisture. Temperatures will rise when there is more air pressure and go down when there is less. At lower altitudes the air molecules are packed closer together and are warmed up by the radiant heat from the earth. At higher altitudes the air is much thinner so the heat dissipates more rapidly. In either situation the wind and humidity can change unexpectedly. You may hike up a trail in nice warm weather and wake up the next morning with snow on the ground.

Rather than pack your gear according to just the weather report – we also recommend that you plan on unpredictable change. The best way to do this is by selecting the most versatile clothing possible. Without a doubt, Medium weight 100% pure Merino Wool is the best base layer option available. The military has trusted the insulating, water wicking, versatility of wool for decades. Merino Wool is the highest grade and quality of wool clothing available today. Medium weight Merino Wool will keep you comfortable and breathable in hot weather as well as warm and dry should the temperature drop unexpectedly. It’s available as long underwear, jackets, socks, and even hats.

When selecting a jacket or other outerwear you should be specific with the type of location you are going to. There are versatile options such as an All Weather Soft Shell Jacket. If you know that it may get a lot colder your best option may be a layered coat such as a Ranger 3-in-1. The Port Authority Ranger can be worn simply as a micro fleece jacket or combined with seam-sealed waterproof outer shell when facing moisture and colder temperatures. The outer shell can also be worn by itself to provide protection from moisture as well as keeping you cool. You want to stay warm, but not get too warm so you start to sweat.

If you are unsure what weather and temperatures you might be facing – we recommend you visit the National Weather Service and take advantage of their Climate Prediction Center. There you can look up the total precipitation, average temperatures, maximum temperatures, wind chill and much more.

It’s often called the toughest event on the planet. But if that’s true why is almost everyone smiling? How could people love pain and torture so much? Like a moth to the flame over 700,000 participants show up, have their number written on their face, and then blitz through the 10-12 obstacle course known as the Tough Mudder.

Outsiders gawk at the competitors as they watch them run, climb, clamber, and even crawl through slop and mud. They scale giant walls and belly crawl through muck with electrically charged wires waiting to shock them just inches over their backs. Their mental grit seems almost self-abusive and yet attractive at the same time.

The Tough Mudder competitions were started and designed by the British Special Forces. If you are brave enough to sign up, and just crazy enough to finish, it’s as if you have survived a rite of passage. You become a comrade with the other twisted fitness freaks. It connects you with a band of survivors across the globe who want to compete and race, but are bored with a typical marathon. Competitors don’t take themselves seriously. The obstacles can’t all be completed by yourself so you’re forced to wear a smile and get along. The guy you just passed and laughed at might be your only chance of getting over the next big wall.

Once you have your free spirited attitude in tact you’ll want to wear the right gear. As fun as it sounds to run through the obstacles in your underwear – everyone else will enjoy it much more if you dress the part.

Your shoes will get wet and packed with mud so protect your feet with Fox River Polypropylene socks. They wick water from your skin and prevent blisters by reducing friction. A Sport-Tek reversible mesh tank top provides plenty of options for team colors if you are taking a group with you. Match your top with your Champion Mesh Reversible shorts – which have a draw string they won’t slip off when belly crawling through muddy ice water. The mesh fabric for both the tank top and shorts will keep you comfortable and dry.

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What can you wear that will keep you dry, block wind, provide warmth, and allow you plenty of flexibility? The answer? Soft Shells. The latest craze in outerwear that promises to answer the problems that skiers, snowshoers, runners and other winter or otherwise cold weather sports enthusiasts have complained about since winter sporting was invented.

Traditionally, an outer shell is made of tough nylon that has a waterproof membrane laminated to it to add many of the qualities desired by winter athletes. However, the nylon restricted flexibility and the waterproof membrane caused excessive sweating and a lack of water vapor release from the garment.

So what is a Soft Shell? Well, most Soft Shells are a mixture of fabric technologies. The core of the fabric is typically a soft, warm, wind resistant polyester fleece that retains body heat well, yet has exceptional breathability. The manufacturer then coates the fleece with DWR© (Durable Water Restistant). DWR makes the garment very water resistant and the garment can endure multiple washings and still retain its water resistancy. Finally, many manufacturers will also laminate a WindStopper© membrane to the fabric to eliminate the penetration of wind through the garment. Windstopper© completely blocks wind, yet it still allows the garment to breathe.

Soft Shells are great for most any winter sport, especially high endurance sports. The only thing to worry about is the fact that that they are not completely waterproof. If you are going to be exposed to wet conditions for an extended period of time, water will start to soak through you soft shell.

I get asked all of the time: "How much good do sock liners or glove liners actually do?" While the results can vary from person to person, liners are a great way to add warmth and keep your skin dry.

Polypropylene Sock Liners

Your feet have more than 250,000 sweat glands. Just one foot is capable of sweating 1 pint in a single day. So, when you are out on the ski slopes or hiking up a mountain, your feet can get wet with sweat pretty quick. Polypropylene sock liners will pull the sweat off of your skin allowing your feet to stay much dryer than with regular socks. The liner can also aid in preventing blisters as the liner takes the beating instead of your skin.

Polypropylene Glove Liners

Your hands are capable of sweating as much as your feet. Wearing a glove liner will produce the same benefits as we just discussed with the sock liners. There are some added benefits when using them in the snow. As you take your gloves off and put them back during skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports, your hands can likely get wet and sometime snow can even get inside your gloves or boots. Once again, the polypropylene will keep your skin dry and warm even though the inside of your gloves may be wet. It's worth checking out the thermolite glove liners as well.

If you find yourself asking this question each year shortly after daylight savings time kicks in, then you need to pay close attention. There is no need to freeze when the weather turns cold. The proper clothing and proper clothing layers can eliminate any discomfort that winter typically causes. When I say proper clothing, I'm refering to the design of the clothing as well as the materials used to make it. For proper clothing layers, you can read my Layering Guide for a complete description of proper clothing layer techniques.

So, lets talk about proper clothing. What will keep you the warmest? There are two factors to consider here. First, you want a material that has a very low heat transfer. This means that the material stay warm longer once it is heated by your body. Second, you want a fabric that will trap as much air inside of it as possible. Air is a perfect insulator. So the more of it that is trapped inside a fabric, the warmer it will be. Fleece fabrics have excellent insulating properties because they trap heat in between all of the fluffy fibers. One fabric out there that maximized both of these insulating properties is called polypropylene fleece. Polypropylene has the lowest thermal conductivity of any clothing fabric produced. Because of this, the fleece version of polypropylene retains more warmth than almost anything else you'll find. There are plenty of other similar fabrics. Polyester fleece is probably the second best insulator. Polyester also has a low thermal conductivity. There is an added bonus to polypropylene and polyester fleece clothing. They both retain warmth when wet. So, if you start to sweat a little, you will not get cold like you would with a cotton fabric.

So, stop freezing your way through the winter. Proper dress means starting with the right long johns and then utilizing the proper clothing layers.