Polartec vs Thinsulate

[simbrooks]

Does thinsulate wick sweat away as well as polartec fleece? I understand fleece quite well and it has always kept me warm in colder climes, but thinsulate is kind of new to me. Just trying to weigh up my best options for diving around here - i see divers in both styles of gear, same with the range of drysuits (neoprene and shell)

How do you care for the thinsulate, hand wash, no detergent and leave to air dry?

Actually on reflection i am checking out the FAQ's on the DUI website as BigJetDriver suggested on another thread

 

[jonnythan]

Thinsulate does not wick sweat away. Polartec does not wick sweat away. Both are very hydrophobic and very very poor at wicking. Cotton wicks sweat away very well, as do polypropylene and polyester fabrics [edit: cotton does a significantly better job at wicking than almost anything else]. Thinsulate and [to a lesser extent] Polartec are good for diving undersuits because they retain warmth when wet by *not* wicking up the water. Try this experiment: pour some water on your counter and try to wipe it up with a piece of fleece. The fleece just spreads it around, it doesn't wick it up.

Some undersuits have a layer of wicking material built into them - this is usually a polyester-type fabric on the innermost layer. I think this is a bad idea, because you want to be able to wash the layer soaking up the sweat but not wash the Thinsulate. I have a Diving Concepts suit that has thin fleece on the inside, and I wear a layer of synthetic wicking undergarments underneath. I will wash the long underwear (EMS Bergelene) after every couple of days of diving specifically so I can avoid washing the undergarment itself.

To wash Thinsulate, you should do it by hand with a very small amount of detergent, if any. Rinse twice as much as you think is adequate, then hang it up to dry.

 

[simbrooks]

Thinsulate does not wick sweat away. Polartec does not wick sweat away. Both are very hydrophobic and very very poor at wicking. Cotton wicks sweat away very well, as do polypropylene and polyester fabrics. Thinsulate and [to a lesser extent] Polartec are good for diving undersuits because they retain warmth when wet by *not* wicking up the water. Try this experiment: pour some water on your counter and try to wipe it up with a piece of fleece. The fleece just spreads it around, it doesn't wick it up.

Some undersuits have a layer of wicking material built into them - this is usually a polyester-type fabric on the innermost layer. I think this is a bad idea, because you want to be able to wash the layer soaking up the sweat but not wash the Thinsulate. I have a Diving Concepts suit that has thin fleece on the inside, and I wear a layer of synthetic wicking undergarments underneath. I will wash the long underwear (EMS Bergelene) after every couple of days of diving specifically so I can avoid washing the undergarment itself.

To wash Thinsulate, you should do it by hand with a very small amount of detergent, if any. Rinse twice as much as you think is adequate, then hang it up to dry.

Maybe my fleece clothing has a liner and that is why it seems to wick, but not as well as some other materials i have for kayaking etc. So i will probably be best getting a full length wicking layer plus an thermal undies (fleece or thinsulate)? Just quickly scanning the DUI website it specifically says no hanging as the insulation can seperate, light tumble drying with little or no heat or just leave to dry horizontally. They also seem to suggest that hand washing maybe not get the best cleaning method, front load washing with 4x rinses to washing cycles, or alternatively try not to wash it too much. Still confused, still searching, probably wont make a purchase for another month or two

 

[jonnythan]

You're right about hanging up now that you mention it.. I'm at work and just working out of my head. My DC undies said to hand wash though. The DC undies are also quilted all around to prevent separation, which the DUI undies are not. I'm very impressd with the quality and workmanship of the DC undies, and mine are less bulky, less restrictive, and better made than any other undies I've seen.. take a look at them. The TPS Stretch Thinsulate Extreme is an amazing product.. stretchy, warm, conforms perfectly to the body, no restriction at all.

 

[The Kraken]

First let me say that I don't dive dry, but I do have a question regarding underclothes.
Why isn't wool used? It's one of the best insulators in the world, it still insulates when wet and is very durable.

Couldn't one purchase some wool long johns from a hunting/camping gear provider, layer up with some silks and go on one's merry way?

 

[jonnythan]

First let me say that I don't dive dry, but I do have a question regarding underclothes.
Why isn't wool used? It's one of the best insulators in the world, it still insulates when wet and is very durable.

Couldn't one purchase some wool long johns from a hunting/camping gear provider, layer up with some silks and go on one's merry way?

Because it's not one of the best insulators in the world. It's one of the best *natural* insulators in the world. It works decently enough for socks where it can be knit to make it really stretchy, and other fabrics have problems with that.

In terms of warmth/weight, hydrophobicity, and incompressibility, it is way outclassed by Thinsulate - and even fleece. Making a thick wool unisuit would be difficult, and the product would weigh a ton.

 

[The Kraken]

OK.
To quote the immortal Rosanne Rosannadana, "Nevermiiiiiiind".

Thanx, John

 

[jonnythan]

Couldn't one purchase some wool long johns from a hunting/camping gear provider, layer up with some silks and go on one's merry way?

You could, but then you'd freeze to death if the water temperature dropped below 55.

Long underwear is great for wicking sweat away. "It keeps you warm when wet" when referring to long johns is a nice way of saying "it won't really keep you warm, it just won't suck heat away as quickly as cotton." Long johns don't do a whole heck of a lot to add warmth. You get warmth from bulk and trapped air. It would take a lot of layers of silk to match 200gm Thinsulate in the warmth department.. and it would cost even more. A quality top/bottom set of polyester or silk underwear is usually around $60.. by the time you have five layers, you still won't be as warm as Thinsulate, you will have spent just as much, and you won't be able to move.

 

[The Kraken]

Too many "Field and Stream" magazines with Pendleton ads, I guess . . .

Shouldn't have jumped in here, but I'd like to advance to dry one of these years and just trying to get a leg up.

Thanx . . .
I'll bug out now.

 

[simbrooks]

Too many "Field and Stream" magazines with Pendleton ads, I guess . . .

Shouldn't have jumped in here, but I'd like to advance to dry one of these years and just trying to get a leg up.

Thanx . . .
I'll bug out now.

No question is a bad one, trust me i know just as little as you about DS's and undies, the only way to find out is research, question and analyse what you find.