I went warm clothes shopping today and was frustrated by the lack of any indication of the thermal resistance of the clothes being purveyed, again. I had the same trouble last week with socks. I'm not interested in fashion and I don't want a brand name emblazoned across my clothes, which no doubt adds greatly to the price and offers some possibly dubious quality protection, I just want them for doing what they are meant to do, specifically in cold weather. So there I am in the shops, feeling up all the merchandise, trying to estimate thermal resistance by finger based on thickness, material, brand, price and guesswork, none of which are likely good metrics, and getting annoyed. Why the flip can't manufacturers, or shops provide a clue to their effectiveness in what they provide? Maybe they would even learn something from doing it, as a spin-off from quantifying what they do? Is it because the high priced stuff is a bit of a scam? In the end I bought a "fleece" (a warm upper body layer that goes under a rainproof layer, mostly attributable to hot air) reduced to £6.99, from "Great Outdoors", though naturally they had other not dissimilar examples costing a heck of a lot more there and in other similar shops. I've no idea whether I have bought a bargain or have been fleeced.
I tried a few more tests at home, such as blowing through it and holding it up to the sun, neither of which tests where practical to do in the shops, so that I might make a comparison between similar items. The salesmen were already watching me like hawks as I felt up all their clothes. A tog rating would be great. Like for mattresses.
I tried a few more tests at home, such as blowing through it and holding it up to the sun, neither of which tests where practical to do in the shops, so that I might make a comparison between similar items. The salesmen were already watching me like hawks as I felt up all their clothes. A tog rating would be great. Like for mattresses.
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