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Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

lowtechmagazine.com

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Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#3

Post by xcambar »

After 5 winters of Berlin, I have decided to treat myself proper heat tech clothing.

The difference in comfort is such that I barely feel any kind of fatigue or depression that the cold temperatures used to put on me.

It has changed my perception of winter and I couldn't have spent my money any better.

This is a costly investment though, be warned.

For the curious, the keyword that started it all: "layered clothing" and "layering".

Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#4

Post by afterwalk »

xcambar wrote: post #3

After 5 winters of Berlin, I have decided to treat myself proper heat tech clothing. The difference in comfort is such that I barely feel any kind of fatigue or depression that the cold temperatures used to put on me. It has changed my perception of winter and I couldn't have spent my money any better. This is a costly investment though, be warned. For the curious, the keyword that started it all: "layered clothing"…

Any specific suggestions on brand/tech/material?

Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#5

Post by nabla9 »

Study that measured cold resistance among Finnish population found out that city dwellers in the south (Helsinki) had better cold resistance than people living in the north (Lappi).

People in the cities wear thin city clothes even during winters, and freeze their ass off, while people living in much colder rural regions dress sensibly and stay warm.

Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#6

Post by loldot_ »

afterwalk wrote: post #4
xcambar wrote: post #3

After 5 winters of Berlin, I have decided to treat myself proper heat tech clothing. The difference in comfort is such that I barely feel any kind of fatigue or depression that the cold temperatures used to put on me. It has changed my perception of winter and I couldn't have spent my money any better. This is a costly investment though, be warned. For the curious, the keyword that started it all: "layered clothing"…

Any specific suggestions on brand/tech/material?

Wool. A wool undershirt, thick wool sweater and wind-proof, water-proof jacket has kept me comfortable down to about -15C. You can pickup some really nice gear on the cheap from army surplus sales in Norway at least, but I think it's the same in most NATO countries.

Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#7

Post by THE_PUN_STOPS »

afterwalk wrote: post #4
xcambar wrote: post #3

After 5 winters of Berlin, I have decided to treat myself proper heat tech clothing. The difference in comfort is such that I barely feel any kind of fatigue or depression that the cold temperatures used to put on me. It has changed my perception of winter and I couldn't have spent my money any better. This is a costly investment though, be warned. For the curious, the keyword that started it all: "layered clothing"…

Any specific suggestions on brand/tech/material?

Ditto, I am also interested on any input from others who have dabbled in the field that OP mentions. Being from the Northeastern United States, I have always just picked up base layers of various thickness from L.L. Bean, like this: https://global.llbean.com/shop/Long-Underwear-Base-Layers/51...

I don't think of this as a technology or expensive, though. They are somewhat pricey, but can be worn for many winters and thus have good value.

Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#8

Post by tikej »

This is all cool ideas but sadly keeping home cool is not that easy due to problems with humidity and consequently mold. Old houses were much less airtight than modern ones. So sadly I think it’s a trade off: either modern energy efficient house with mechanical ventilation or older, rather windy and cold house.

Modernising older Homes to be energy effective appears to be a lost cause. If you make them airtight there isn’t enough air movement and if you Don’t heat them, they develop condensation problems. Maybe full refitting of insulation, doors and windows, and whole HVAC system would help but this is rather unrealistic for most owners of older homes.

Re: Insulation: First the body, then the home (2011)

#10

Post by whalesalad »

My wife and I just moved from LA (my birthplace) to Detroit (my wifes birthplace, I have lived here previously) and it sure has been a struggle to keep my office environment 'good'. I have a hyperhidrosis issue (excessively sweaty hands) that compounds the situation.

I feel like homes and offices do not breath. My anecdotal napkin math would say like 10% of buildings are designed with proper ventilation, blending of outdoor/indoor air, etc... and the rest are just boxes that are slowly killing us.

The furnace is below me which is good and bad in that it warms my office quick but sorta too much. I am constantly battling too hot or too cold and of course the humidity. Lots of trial/error of opening various windows to get a cross flow without letting too much hot air out.

That is just temperature. I have a CO2 monitor that has been interesting. I try to keep my CO2 ppm below 800 foor good measure. For a while I was feeling like dogshit in here and I assume it is due to being literally directly above a gas furnace in an older single family home - in hindsight I wish I had a monitor that detected more gases.

Anyway, still figuring out the secret to this. If anyone has tips for a glove that would work to keep my hands warm while typing I would love a recommendation. The article focuses on wearing clothing that will keep your trunk and limbs warm but I find that my hands are always an issue.

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