To better understand the system, it’s helpful to group the various pieces into collections. Doing so simplifies the thought process of building the system, and helps us recall what items we’ll need as we plan for a trip. We need clothing to move in, clothing to protect our bodies, and clothing that manages our body temperature while we’re stationary.  

It’s also important to note that although some items may be categorized in a collection, they can often overlap with other collections. That is the adaptive component that makes the system so effective.  

The system is categorized into 3 collections: Kinetic, Protective, and Static.

It’s important to recognize that 5 of the 10 pieces in the system are in the Kinetic Collection. This is because the pieces in the kinetic collection are the foundational items in the system and more options are required to meet the varied needs for managing body temperature and moisture while on the move.   

The kinetic collection consists of the clothing worn while active and on the move.  

Getting optimal performance from these pieces is predicated on the user being active. Some pieces in the Kinetic collection will be worn more frequently and for more time than any other piece in the system.

Our bodies naturally generate heat. We are warm blooded, and our bodies’ natural temperature is 98.6 degrees F. We can’t deviate too much from 98.6 for very long without serious bodily harm. Our bodies naturally radiate, or release heat. Theoretically, If they didn’t, we would die very quickly. The implication of that is some heat loss is necessary. When we physically exert ourselves, we use more energy and generate more heat, which our bodies release. This is what we feel when we warm up or get hot.  

When we are actively burning energy and exerting ourselves, BREATHABILITY in clothing is paramount. We want the ability to wear everything in the collection for as long as possible without having to remove pieces. The Kinetic Collection should provide the minimum warmth level to be comfortable and manage heat while on the move. In cold weather, an effective and optimal Kinetic piece should not allow a user to be comfortable while sitting still. If the user can comfortably sit still for more than a few minutes, she is likely over-insulated. Conversely, in hot weather the user should not overheat or feel uncomfortable sitting still.

The important takeaway is that our clothing system should regulate the rate at which we lose heat from our bodies. The clothing system should assist in a way that allows excess heat to escape to avoid overheating, in cold or hot conditions. It should also assist in a way to reduce or stop heat loss to avoid hypothermia.  

The main factors the Kinetic collection manages are energy output / heat output, ambient temperature, sun exposure, and body moisture.  

Output: This is our level of physical exertion. How hard are we working? This is basically self induced heat generation and sweat output. The Kinetic Collection should allow us to physically work as hard as the terrain and our trip plan require, and it should regulate body heat and moisture.

Ambient temperature: The air temperature influences how much our body heats up and sweats. The pieces in the Kinetic Collection allow the user to select the pieces that retain or release the appropriate amount of body heat for the ambient temperature.     

Sun exposure: Solar radiation ( UV light ) can burn our skin and increase the surface temperature. It also causes our bodies to lose water at a faster rate, which can lead to dehydration and heat sickness. The Kinetic Collection should help prevent this by providing protection from the sun. This is an area of crossover, where pieces in the Kinetic Collection perform protective functions.  

Body moisture: Water on the surface of our bodies, and wet clothes accelerates heat loss via evaporative cooling and convection. Heat loss is heat loss, whether the air temperature is warm or cold. The Kinetic Collection should move moisture away from our skin to prevent too much convective heat loss when we need to stay warm. Conversely, when we need to cool down, the movement of moisture from the skin allows the processes of evaporative cooling and convective heat loss to cool our bodies down and keep us from overheating.     

The Kinetic collection should:

Categories within the Kinetic Collection: Within the Kinetic Collection are specific categories, which help us differentiate purposes and applications, and they also define a repeatable system. The 3 categories in the Kinetic Collection are: the Moving Set, Baselayers, and Active Insulation.  

-moisture wicking, quick drying, maximum breathability.

Baselayers are the foundation of the system, and should always be a next-to-skin piece. Their optimal function depends on it. The primary purpose of a baselayer is to move moisture off and away from the body, which means it must be as close to the skin as possible to begin absorbing and moving moisture off our skin. Baselayers should not be thought of as an insulating layer or a layer to provide warmth, though they do reduce heat radiation from our bodies. They are the foundation of the clothing system and play a critical role in allowing our clothing system to either keep us warm or cool. As such, baselayers should be very lightweight and made of thin fabric that will wick moisture away from the body and dry quickly. The thinner the fabric is, the better it will perform that function. Maximum breathability is also a critical component of baselayer performance, as it assists in moisture movement and drying, as well as allowing our bodies to release excess heat. The optimal fabric construction for baselayers is knitted fabric, as its structure provides inherent functional benefits like breathability, stretch, and a comfortable fit for good mobility.  

A baselayer’s fit is a bit of a balancing act.  

For the absolute best performance, a baselayer should fit right next to the skin and follow the contours and shapes of our bodies. The more skin contact the better, because when the fabric is touching the skin it can immediately move moisture coming off the body. However, for efficiency we use the baselayer top as our primary top in the Moving Set. And since it’s the shirt we wear all day as a stand-alone top, it’s acceptable for the baselayer top to be slightly less form fitting. We still want it to fit close to the body so that the fabric has significant contact with skin. Consider this a “close fit” for the top, and “form fitting” for the bottom.   

While Baselayers are in their own category, they are quite versatile, as the bottoms can cross over to the Moving Set in colder temperatures, and it can also be used for our sleeping clothes bottoms. Likewise, the baselayer top carries over to multiple categories, as it is the primary top in the Moving Set.  

The two general fabric classifications appropriate for baselayers are synthetic and merino wool. Notice that cotton is not listed. Cotton absorbs water and doesn’t move moisture or dry out, nor does it retain heat when wet. Cotton has no place in this system.      

-Synthetic: Polyester is by far the most common synthetic, although there are others like polypropylene, rayon, etc. For this context the focus will be on polyester. Polyester will generally be lighter in weight, dry faster, and be more durable. It also holds its shape well, is easy to launder, and generally costs less. A drawback of polyester is a higher propensity to hold odor and bacteria

-Merino: Merino is more absorbent than polyester, and it has a unique moisture wicking quality in that merino fibers can actually absorb moisture vapor before it even liquifies against the skin. It is quick to start the moisture wicking process. Merino is also naturally very resistant to bacteria and odor. Merino is generally less durable than polyester, it is heavier, and takes longer to dry. It is more difficult for merino pieces to hold their shape, especially when wet, and it’s generally more expensive. Merino blends are common for performance focused applications of merino. They utilize a mixed ratio of merino and synthetic fibers which give a significant boost to merino garment performance. Even a 10 to 20 percent presence of polyester or nylon significantly increases the performance of a merino piece. It helps it dry faster, adds durability, and it also helps the garment hold its shape. 

-often casually referred to as a midlayer.

However, a midlayer could be a lot of things, so we are better served by acknowledging the thought process and functional application of Active Insulation.  

This should be worn in cold conditions when we know that we will be physically active for extended periods of time. We need this piece to be just warm enough to comfortably move through the backcountry without overheating. With that requirement, it is critical that the Active Insulation piece is highly breathable. 

As we actively move in the backcountry, our bodies burn more energy and we experience an increase in body heat. We warm up. Active Insulation should manage that heat. When we are actively burning energy and exerting ourselves, BREATHABILITY of the fabric is paramount because it facilitates the release of excess heat. We want the ability to wear Active Insulation for as long as possible before needing to remove it. In cold conditions, active insulation should provide the minimum warmth level to be comfortable without overheating.   

An ideal active insulation piece should be lightly insulating, highly breathable, moisture wicking, and made of lightweight and quick drying materials. We need those qualities because we may use the piece for extended periods of high exertion, which means we’re likely to sweat in the piece. We need this piece to continue facilitating the outward movement of body moisture from the baselayer to the outside air. An effective active insulation piece will still provide warmth when wet, and its breathable construction and synthetic materials allow it to dry very quickly, because the heat of our bodies can easily push excess moisture outward.  

In order to optimize our bodies’ performance, maximize traveling efficiency, and stay prepared in cold conditions, a truly adaptable performance clothing system must include active insulation. Although there are conditions where active insulation isn’t necessary, like in warm weather, there are plenty of cold weather conditions when it is necessary. People often try to make do with their puffy jacket ( static insulation ) because it gives them a warm sensation. However, that is not desirable, and static insulation will not do what active insulation does, and as a result we lose efficiency, performance, and adaptability. That’s because static insulation does not breathe well enough and is too warm for active movement. This means that our output level can quickly overwhelm and exceed static insulation’s ability to release excess heat.   

For this system, there are 3 types of Active Insulation that perform effectively, each having their own benefits and drawbacks. They are listed below in order of breathability: highest to lowest breathability. However, in reverse they are in order of wind resistance, meaning the lowest breathability option has the highest relative wind resistance.