There is no such thing as bad weather, there is only wrong clothing. (Author unknown.)
Who doesn't know this? Dressed too warmly and sweating, I quickly took off my jacket and immediately caught a cold. An everyday experience in which everyone can have a say. After sports, outside at work or changed weather, the correct application of the onion principle protects you from overheating, hypothermia and cold-related illnesses.
It is a simple principle, thin layers of clothing are worn layer by layer on top of each other like an onion. In other words, a combination of suitable clothing layers to adapt to changing environmental conditions and protect against the weather, but also from the body's own sweat. Each layer has its own function. The tasks that each of the three shifts take on are explained in three steps.
1.) The first layer is the base layer, the hard worker with direct body contact, the underwear.
The task is to cool in the heat, warm in the cold, to wick away sweat and to be dry again quickly. As an example: Practical underwear set with high wearing comfort
The right choice:
Functional underwear made of synthetic fibres such as polyester or polypropylene. A blend of synthetic fabric with merino wool* or 100% merino wool* is also suitable. It is important that this first layer is close to the body and wrinkle-free so that the base layer can effectively protect you, such as: with a feel-good texture.
2.) The second layer is the mid layer, the mediator between the layers.
The task is to keep the body sufficiently warm.
The right choice:
This depends on the physical exertion and the outside temperatures. From a light shirt, a sweater, a fleece jacket, to a thick insulating jacket, everything is possible. Here, too, synthetic fibres are the means of choice to ensure an optimal balance between breathability and moisture absorption.
It is important that the clothing is only warm enough and does not already have a sweat-forming effect when the body is at rest. Heavy sweating is counterproductive. If the body stops producing heat and the cold acting exceeds its own heat production, then the moisture near the body cools down. This moisture removes heat and thus energy from the body. Good functional materials prevent this. Unfortunately, all this also has a disadvantage and you can smell it.
3.) The third layer is the shell layer, the fortress to the outside.
This layer protects against rain, wind or UV rays.
The right choice:
It depends on the outdoor conditions. What do you have to protect yourself from? Snow, water or wind? In dry conditions, for example, a windproof softshell jacket is a good choice due to its high breathability. In order to get through heavy rain, for example, the water column (reference for the water permeability of the material) is decisive. The right choice for the Cold store/freezer – Warm all around in very cold weather.
The rule of thumb here is that the denser the material, the less breathable it is in general. Depending on the need for protection, the functional jacket should be chosen here. In the right interaction with the other layers, the body is now adequately protected from sweat and external influences.
Important: Sometimes the onion model consists of up to 5 layers, if more layers are added, the ability to move is restricted and the benefit decreases.
