About Report 5.

If you didn't come here via the main page the other reports are at http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/

Features of Compact Warming Clothes. Starting with clothes for hot weather, see another report,  clothes for down to freezing goes into the pockets.
In the outdoor shops you mostly find the Light Warming Clothes.

 

 Pioneering a new field?
 

Searching Google for "Warmth to Volume ratio" gave zero relevant hits. A bit of a new field? 
Searching for "Warmth to Weight ratio" gave some 60 000 hits. 

 That is why in the shops you mostly find the high warming to weight ratio variety.

 

Designers have mostly been concerned about Warmth to Weight ratio. But when you are traveling with 28 g, 1 oz, and don't want to look stuffed with all in the pockets, Warmth to Compressed Volume is more important.
 I checked in the outdoor shop but didn't see any jackets with all the features I suggest for compact warming clothes. But there were some that could be modified. 
 

Spray on clothes There is work going on in this field and it can possibly be something for Ultra Compact Travel. Imagine you feel cold. You take out your little spray can and spray on a warming foam vest. Development is at the moment hampered by too much shrinkage when garment dries. :-).

I  think I have found an Ultra Compact, all in the pockets, way from hot to freezing. One holy grail of travel light?  When you start to feel cold in your basic shirt and trousers, e g a tropical dress or one for a colder climate, it's time to put on more clothes.   The problem is to design clothes that  has a high Warmth-to-Compressed-Volume ratio.

 

 

	Contents
	Wind jacket Wind shirt Light and compact trousers, or wind trousers. Bring extra insulation to be sure? No, use keep warm techniques. Three free and 0-weight-when-not-used. Self made polyester wool insulating vest Self made polyester wool insulating long johns Ultra light/compact self made warming vests of reflecting material. In which order to put on the clothes for best warmth Clothes for from hot to freezing - all in the pockets. The holy grail of Travel Light?

E.g. for the compact and warming wind jacket I have listed some 10 important features for design and material to look for when buying or ordering from a tailor. How many can you suggest? If you are buying a US$ 80 wind jacket it is good to know what to look for to get the best one. And how to possibly modify it to make it better.

  

I checked the light wind jackets in the outdoor equipment shop. Some of them didn't have several features which are crucial when it comes to keeping you as warm as possible.

Every step, even small, in the right direction makes you feeling warmer. Or, a good wind jacket is almost as good as two bad ones. And half the volume.

 

The size of these garments when rolled tight is very compact. With a diameter around 5 cm, 2 inches, the lengths are from 10 to 16 cm, 4 to 6 inches. Volumes from 275 to 500 ml,  9.5 to 17 fl oz. Weights are from 62 to 115 g, 2 to 4 oz.

Say you head out in the middle of the day in the basic dress. If it gets cold in the evening you can have several garments in the pockets to put on to keep you warm - no need for a day pack.

All my clothes are tailor made in Asia.      You can use the features listed in the report together with the pictures when you order from a tailor. In e.g. Bangkok they are quick - 24 hours for standard orders. Special takes a bit longer.

Total cost for three pieces like these is from some US$ 15 in Asia.   In the outdoor shop you probably have to shell out some US$ 50-500 - and may be it isn't even the high Warmth to Volume ratio variety.

    

 

 

Bring smart clothes for e g embassy reception with free food and drink? No! Buy Dead White Man's clothes!   You are traveling. When in little X-land it is the big celebration day of your country. The embassy invites all countrymen: "Free food and drinks! Dress: Smart."   Can't be missed! So you better bring along a jacket?   No need, at least not in Sana, Yemen. This nice looking jacket was only US$ 3.   I guess it has been sent from Europe. The locals can't understand that living men would discard anything so nice looking and they assume it is from a Dead White Man. (As you are traveling light you give it to the locals or sell it back to the vendor before moving on!)

 

 

 

Check the weather along your planned route!   Before packing for a trip I check weather along the route. I go to www.google.com , for e g Khartoum, in Africa, I search for: Khartoum weather average BBC. For this city you find that the maximum average temperature reaches 42 C, 108 F. The highest recorded temperature is 48 C, 118 F, and that "Discomfort from heat and humidity" is "Extreme" in September. If you turn up there and then in your temperate climate outfit your outdoor action time in some comfort will be extremely short - about ten minutes.  In my dress and with my gear I can be  comparatively comfortable much longer, especially if there is a bit of wind.

 

Buy now!

Sure it will take some time to get your warming clothes in order. 

Some 14 pages (letter size/A 4) with some 6 pictures/illustrations
 

You can use this information when buying ready made clothes. Then possibly modifying them a bit to make them better. 

  Or, for probably a better result, have an affordable tailor making them for you. In inexpensive countries tailors are affordable for most western travelers.

  You use the information in the report to instruct the tailor about the important features. 

 

If a third world tailor makes wind breaker trousers, shirt and a jacket for you, you may save some USD 200.

 On payment, you'll receive a download link via email for a Microsoft Word document.

Buy at/go back to: http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/  (Where also the other reports are presented.)