One result of the trip to Boston was to get me worried about clothing for the trip
to Antarctica. The Sunday we were there (10/19) was grey and drizzly. We cabbed to
the Navy Yard to see the Bunker Hill visitor's center and Old Ironsides, then
walked across the river to Paul Revere's house and Faneuil Hall. I was wearing a
long-sleeved T-shirt under the same Polartec jacket and Gore-tex shell I plan to
pack for Antarctica (unless I elect to replace the latter with a cheap rainsuit)
and I was cold. Now I'm wondering whether I need to invest in a down liner
or Polartec 300 fleece to wear under my shell. I've worn the fleece shell
combination in winters from Philadelphia to Worcester, MA to Colorado to Oregon
and not been too chilly, though, so I'm hoping that it was just the underlayer
that was insufficient. In Antarctica I'll replace that T-shirt with a tCoolmax or
Driwick top and a light fleece or wool sweater under the
jackets.
Yes, I am a sucker for high performance fabrics (wool
included) and gear.
Even if I elect to wear the shell I have and take
my chances with getting its little pores all clogged instead of buying a cheap
nonbreathable rainsuit that would probably be a foot too long, I will need
rainpants. I can find them in lots of places, but haven't yet been lucky in
finding a pair that are a) cheap and b) available in petites. I may just give up
and spend the extra money, on the theory that if I buy a pair that fits, I'll wear
them again even if not in the near future, but if they bunch up and make me feel
uncomfortable and look like a fireplug, I won't. So I'd spend less money but it
would all be wasted.
How's that for justification?
At
least at this point I think I have everything else I need for the trip, except
film, which can wait, and Christmas and birthday gifts for Rudder that are small
enough to pack and bring along.
P.S. I know a whole entry about cold-
weather clothing may be boring, but the alternative was one one exploring why
Rudder and I have been in a more amorous phase lately. Complaints? I thought not.