Definitely a bit of a buzz word(s) these days, but definitely not a new concept. Something to keep you warm, but not overly warm, while moving. Ideally something that keeps you relatively dry (breathes) and if it does get wet, dries quickly.
It certainly isn't meant to replace a puffy jacket or anything you would use static, but could certainly augment that layer when still.
I'm going to mention something first that doesn't come to mind as active insulation, but is typically my first line of defense- a lightweight windshirt. Layered over a thin baselayer, a windshirt does a great job of increasing warmth- while at the same time deterring wind and light precipitation. Depending on the windhsirt, you can get one that breathes pretty well and most dry quickly.
With that out of the way, let's discuss active insulation in the more commonly thought of light. A garment that is lightly insulated, breathes well and dries relatively quickly.
One that has been around for awhile now that I've used a ton is Patagoina's R1 hoody. The gridded fleece adds good warmth on the move and really breathes well. It's almost twin brother in camo- the Sitka Core Heavyweight is just as effective in my experience. Both of these pieces do little to nothing in the way of deflecting wind/precip, but again the addition of a windshirt fixes that.
There are now a whole host of interesting active insulation garments that use a wide array of insulation and fabric. One insulation I have experience with is Polartec Alpha. It has a mesh core with lofted polyester fabrics around it. Like other insulations it comes in different weights. Obviously the weight of the insulation has a great bearing on well it does as an active layer- too light and you're chilled, too heavy and you're sweating. The weather is going to have a direct bearing on the effectiveness. I have one garment (OR Uberlayer-discontinued) that utilizes relatively heavy Apha insulation and have found it effective on the move when it's cold, too warm in just cool weather.
One thing I've found out is the outer and inner fabric(s) are really crucial in how effective the garment is. Simply having a jacket with Alpha doesn't guarantee effectiveness. I had a Marmot jacket (Isotherm) with Alpha insulation, but the outer fabric simply didn't breathe well enough me. If it was bitter cold, it did pretty well, but for the most part it didn't work the way I wanted it.
The inner/outer fabrics have to breathe pretty well or you're not getting the full advantage of active insulation.
One thing to keep in mind is folks differ in the physiology and what works well for someone, might not for someone else.
There are a myriad of garments out now that are often termed hybrids. They often utilize an active insulation in some areas (typically chest/shoulders) and then typically a fleece fabric on the back/arms. I have an Outdoor Research piece (Deviator) that does just that. I haven't worn it enough to proclaim it's greatness, but thus far works pretty well.
I had a Patagonia Nano Light hoody that used a proprietary insulation that was by many accounts was a Jim dandy, but unfortunately it was a little too small for me and never got to try it, of course now it's discontinued
Sitka has a active insulation jacket, but with no hood- so I've ruled that out. Also a "vest" w/ a hood that looks pretty interesting.
What have you used? What works? What hasn't?
It certainly isn't meant to replace a puffy jacket or anything you would use static, but could certainly augment that layer when still.
I'm going to mention something first that doesn't come to mind as active insulation, but is typically my first line of defense- a lightweight windshirt. Layered over a thin baselayer, a windshirt does a great job of increasing warmth- while at the same time deterring wind and light precipitation. Depending on the windhsirt, you can get one that breathes pretty well and most dry quickly.
With that out of the way, let's discuss active insulation in the more commonly thought of light. A garment that is lightly insulated, breathes well and dries relatively quickly.
One that has been around for awhile now that I've used a ton is Patagoina's R1 hoody. The gridded fleece adds good warmth on the move and really breathes well. It's almost twin brother in camo- the Sitka Core Heavyweight is just as effective in my experience. Both of these pieces do little to nothing in the way of deflecting wind/precip, but again the addition of a windshirt fixes that.
There are now a whole host of interesting active insulation garments that use a wide array of insulation and fabric. One insulation I have experience with is Polartec Alpha. It has a mesh core with lofted polyester fabrics around it. Like other insulations it comes in different weights. Obviously the weight of the insulation has a great bearing on well it does as an active layer- too light and you're chilled, too heavy and you're sweating. The weather is going to have a direct bearing on the effectiveness. I have one garment (OR Uberlayer-discontinued) that utilizes relatively heavy Apha insulation and have found it effective on the move when it's cold, too warm in just cool weather.
One thing I've found out is the outer and inner fabric(s) are really crucial in how effective the garment is. Simply having a jacket with Alpha doesn't guarantee effectiveness. I had a Marmot jacket (Isotherm) with Alpha insulation, but the outer fabric simply didn't breathe well enough me. If it was bitter cold, it did pretty well, but for the most part it didn't work the way I wanted it.
The inner/outer fabrics have to breathe pretty well or you're not getting the full advantage of active insulation.
One thing to keep in mind is folks differ in the physiology and what works well for someone, might not for someone else.
There are a myriad of garments out now that are often termed hybrids. They often utilize an active insulation in some areas (typically chest/shoulders) and then typically a fleece fabric on the back/arms. I have an Outdoor Research piece (Deviator) that does just that. I haven't worn it enough to proclaim it's greatness, but thus far works pretty well.
I had a Patagonia Nano Light hoody that used a proprietary insulation that was by many accounts was a Jim dandy, but unfortunately it was a little too small for me and never got to try it, of course now it's discontinued
Sitka has a active insulation jacket, but with no hood- so I've ruled that out. Also a "vest" w/ a hood that looks pretty interesting.
What have you used? What works? What hasn't?
