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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)

#11

Post by peteretep »

From the comments:

> Sorry, I am not buying it. Not because you haven't done good work on the article: you have. Also not because N.American homes are overheated, and the residents under-dressed: they are. I do not buy it because the Japanese live the way you suggest in the winter, and it is miserable

I have a mother in Scotland and I have a mother-in-law in Canada. Worst it ever gets near my mother seems to be -5C, but I am perpetually cold there as people play games with turning their heating off at certain hours and living in 150-year-old converted barns and so on. Meanwhile, in Winnipeg it seems to get to -30C on the reg and I spend all of my time there warm and cosy because if the heating goes off or the house is improperly insulated then you die.

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

#12

Post by praptak »

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"…

It can be costly but it doesn't have to. You pay extra for comfort, looks, low weight and obviously the branding.

Warmth itself is cheap if you accept clothes that are a bit heavier and maybe not ultra-breathable. Adding a pair of cotton long johns and a cotton long sleeve turtleneck underneath whatever you are wearing can easily keep you warm, it's just not super comfortable and not super fashionable.

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

#13

Post by colebowl »

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?

Living in the Canadian Rockies, we regularly see temperatures in the -20c (-4f) and colder range. I'd highly recommend looking at:

[1] - Outdoor Research - https://outdoorresearch.com [2] - Patagonia - https://patagonia.com [3] - Arc'teryx - https://arcteryx.com

And as others have mentioned, it's all about layering!

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

#15

Post by danparsonson »

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?

If you have access to Uniqlo where you are, they make a nice range of decent-quality thermals. Durable and tidy without being too pricey.

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

#16

Post by ratww »

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?

The suggestions by the sibling comments are great.

I'm also in Berlin and I use Uniqlo's HeatTech undershirt and long johns under jeans/shirt. They're pretty cheap (€10 each) and it makes a lot of difference. I never feel cold. A good jacket is also essential. Downfeather Jackets are my favourite.

Other than that it's just a hoodie between shirt and jacket, scarfs and "hand-shoes". The Coronavirus mask also helps during windy days.

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

#17

Post by m12k »

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?

High quality merino wool doesn't itch (at least not for most people), is naturally odor-resistant and can be super comfortable. I mostly use Icebreaker, but Smartwool and Aclima make good stuff too.

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

#18

Post by throw0101a »

tikej wrote: post #8

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…

There are whole-house dehumidiers that operate separately than your heating/cooling system. Set a relative humidity (RH) range and let it work; e.g.:

* https://www.santa-fe-products.com/product-category/dehumidif...

The air movement problem in a tightly sealed house is dealt with an HRV (or ERV) which brings in filtered fresh air, but tempers it with the exhausted stale air:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_recovery_ventilation

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_recovery_ventilation

These are solved problems, it's 'just' a matter of budget and mechanical constraints in fitting the equipment (existing ducting can be re-used).

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

#19

Post by WClayFerguson »

One thing that has resulted from COVID is that people purchased lots of bandannas, and I did too. Recently I realized I could just wear one around my neck even inside my home to stay warmer, which is something I'd somehow never considered before. It's more comfortable than a turtle neck imo.

I think a lot of people had this same idea, and you see bandannas being worn around a lot. In public people will just think it's your 'backup COVID mask' if you have a bandanna around your neck, so it doesn't look like an oddball style choice.

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

#20

Post by ajuc »

nabla9 wrote: post #5

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.

I found the same when I worked in UK. I'm from Poland and in the winter everybody wear winter clothes even if it's 5C. Homes are well insulated and heated.

People in UK by default wear much colder clothes so they are more used to cold. The end effect was that me and my friend were going everywhere in coats while everybody else was in their shirts :)

What's funny is that people that moved to Poland from Siberia had similar experience. They were cold in our houses because it's "just" 18C while they are used to 25-30C inside because of constant heating.

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