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Staying dry and warm in wet, cold weather

The Pacific Northwest gives us some great weather in the spring and summer, but fall and winter can be difficult for anyone who spends time outdoors. Rain and wind together are bad enough, but when you mix in cold weather, things really get bad. Staying comfortable in cold and wet weather isn't difficult any more, however. There are materials available, which make outdoor recreation quite tolerable in difficult weather.

During hot weather, cotton clothing makes life much easier. It breathes well and stays cool. Those same qualities work against it in cold and wet weather and make it quite miserable to wear. Cotton stays cold and wet giving no insulation value at all. The answer to this problem is polypropylene fabric used in thermal undergarments.

Polypropylene has a unique ability to wick moisture away from the skin and thereby keep you warm. If you combine such undergarments with an outer layer of "breathable" fabric, the most well know of which is Gore Tex, you can stay dry and warm in adverse conditions. The "breathable" clothing lets moisture out but not in. Rubberized materials, which are waterproof, will keep moisture out, but you just get wet from the inside.

I wear lightweight polypropylene in layers so that if I get too warm I can take off a layer and still stay comfortable depending on the level of activity. Having played in goal during many miserable winters I also recommend two other products made of polypropylene. One is glove liners and the other is socks. Goalkeeper gloves are great, but when they get wet and cold it is really easy to get numb fingertips during cold weather. And we know how difficult it is to catch a hard shot with numb fingers. As goalkeepers we are in business to perform in all types of weather. Polypropylene socks act just like the undergarments mentioned above. Worn next to the skin, with a regular pair of athletic sock on top, they wick moisture to the outside and keep your feet warm and toasty.

While it does not fit in with the topic of staying warm and dry, you might also want to consider getting a pair of exchangeable stud soccer shoes. You can change the length of studs to suit field conditions and you will have a much easier time staying on your feet.

I recently bought a Polypropylene top,bottom, socks and glove liners. The whole set came to about $30.00. This happened to be during a sale at an outlet store so you might end up paying a little more during regular shopping. These garments will give you years of wear and are worth every penny you spend on them.

Willi Lindner
Safe Hands Goalkeeping