The essence of active insulation is layering

Takuro Hayashi is a freelance writer and photographer who works for ski, snowboard, and outdoor magazines, and also runs the outdoor equipment store "Transit Higashikawa" in Hokkaido.
This is a column by Hayashi about the essence of active insulation and Teton Bros. layering.

There's no need to talk about layering at this point.
To minimize the risk of hypothermia during outdoor activities, it is essential to take measures to prevent cold sweat. The basic idea behind this is to wear layers of clothing with different functions, which will dry sweat from the skin and release it into the air.

We all enjoy hiking through the snow in the mountains in the middle of winter, making gentle turns while slicing through the cold wind and powdery snow. For those who engage in vigorous exercise during this cold season, staying warm and comfortable can be a real challenge.

First of all, as we all know, keeping warm is all about trapping air. What's more, it's warmer to keep the air trapped inside your clothing as still as possible. This is what's known as keeping still air, or dead air. Down is excellent at retaining this dead air, and there's no doubt that it's an excellent thermal garment.
However, they also have disadvantages, such as poor breathability and heat dissipation, which can cause overheating and sweating, or causing cold sweats because the sweat cannot be removed completely.

In other words, it's great for keeping you warm while you're still, but not suitable for wearing while exercising.

What we are looking for is a mid-layer that is breathable enough to release sweat into the air even during midwinter exercise, while also providing efficient heat retention. And the logical solution to this need is "dynamic thermal clothing."

How does dynamic thermal clothing achieve the opposing functions of breathability and heat retention? It does so by controlling dead air.

During rest periods and other times when the amount of movement is low, the dead air is kept as still as possible to retain the warm air (static insulation), and during exercise, the dead air is moved dynamically by the movement of the body, preventing heat from building up inside the clothing and ensuring breathability (dynamic insulation).

To achieve these properties, Vivo took the bold step of drilling countless holes into a sheet of padding that has excellent thermal insulation properties. By intricately intertwining the fibers, a large amount of dead air is trapped inside the sheet, improving its thermal insulation properties. At the same time, the holes in the sheet allow hot and stuffy air to be released into the outside air.

The materials used in dynamic thermal clothing are also special. For example, the Octa uses a very special fiber with a hollow structure and an octopus-like cross section, which allows it to be lightweight and warm, while also providing high breathability and excellent sweat absorption and quick drying.

In other words, dynamic thermal clothing is made of moisture-resistant material and has a structure that controls dead air according to the intensity of exercise, making it a highly breathable thermal garment suitable for high-intensity activities in low temperatures.
However, this dynamic layering alone may not be enough to withstand the sudden cold of a ridgeline blast, and wearing a thermal layer under the shell exposes the breathable mid-layer to the cold wind.

A more functional solution is to wear an extra layer over your shell. The HOBACK OVER HOODY is designed for exactly this purpose, acting as a backup layer for cold weather. At the same time, by efficiently trapping dead air within the dynamic insulation, it can instantly transform a layer focused on dynamic insulation into a static insulation layer focused on warmth.

It's all about reducing risks and enjoying nature safely.
Dynamic thermal clothing is the culmination of technology and logic, born from a thorough consideration of the functions required in the workplace.