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m89designed to allow wearers to
quickly increase or decrease
the shirt’s warmth factor as
conditions demand. For exam-
ple, the neck zip allows heat to
be quickly dumped or trapped,
and the shirt’s thumb loops al-
low users to warm their wrists
by hooking the ends of their
sleeves around their stubbiest
digits. The Thermogrid zip
neck also features stretchy
side panels that promote ease-
of-movement comfort.
Should the zip neck sound
like a little bit too much of a
good thing, Gill’s Thermogrid
vest offers all of these same
benefi ts, plus zippered hand
pockets, sans the sleeves.
Given Helly Hansen’s deep
Norwegian roots, the compa-
ny, which was established in
1877, has signifi cant experience
equipping sailors for plying
cold waters. While Helly
builds an entire catalog of sail-
ing equipment, Helly Hansen’s
Crew insulator jacket delivers
time-proven warmth using
PrimaLoft black insulation.
The jacket’s outer polyester
shell offers water- and
wind-resistant performance,
and allows it to easily be worn
over or under other gear.
Sailors seeking an insu-
lating jacket that can better
handle more exposure to the
elements should check out
Helly Hansen’s HP racing
midlayer jacket. This coat
uses a proprietary Helly
Tech Performance outer
shell to deliver breathability,
move-with-you stretch, and
wind and water protection,
and the jacket’s Lifaloft
insulation delivers warmth
in a lightweight package.
Hand-warmer pockets, fully
seam-sealed construction, a
fl eece-lined collar, a hip-length
cut and dual breast pockets
(one internal, one external)
complete the package.
And for cruisers who run
warm, Helly Hansen’s Lifaloft
insulator vest delivers a
serious heat-to-weight ratio—
even when wet—without
heat-sinking one’s extremities.
The vest offers windproof
protection and boasts a
perfl uorinated compound-free
durable water-repellent exte-
rior treatment, allowing the
vest to be used in conditions
ranging from Maine’s famous
pea-soup fog to Seattle’s
signature “dry” rain.
Long a trusted name in
foul-weather gear, Henri
Lloyd revealed a fully retooled
line of sailing apparel this
past spring. This unveiling
included the company’s new
Fremantle Stripes liner
jacket and salopettes, both of
which are designed to stand
double watches when things
get windy and cold. These
stylish-looking garments fea-
ture a water-repellant, ripstop
nylon outer shell and polyester
insulation that provides
warmth even when wet. The
Fremantle Stripes liner jacket
uses 70 grams of polyester
insulation, and includes fi nish-
ing details such as articulated
sleeves, elastic bindings on the
cuffs and hem, and zippered
hand-warmer pockets.
The Fremantle Stripes liner
salopettes is built out of the
same lightweight, shower-resis-
tant nylon shell material, and
is insulated using 40-gram and
70-gram polyester insulationthat’s been body-mapped to
deliver heat where sailors need
it most without triggering a
sweat sauna. Finishing details
include an elastic waist and a
stretchy, breathable shoulder
and back section that allows
for freedom of movement and
sheds unneeded heat during
fl urries of activity.
If you sail in the Pacifi c
Northwest as I do, you’re fa-
miliar with fl eece’s cozy utility,
and Seattle’s own KAMgear
makes some of the fi nest,
made-in-the-USA fl eece
apparel available anywhere.
KAMgear’s midlayers, such
as the company’s popular
Powerzip top, are crafted
from Polartec Power Stretch
Pro fabrics, which offer
four-way stretch, warmth
and a proven ability to wick
moisture.
As fall’s descent quickens,
KAMgear’s Grinder slacks,
which are built from Polartec
Wind Pro fabrics, are ready
to battle the cold, both
by blocking the wind and
delivering seriously lofted
insulation. Grinder slacks also
include smart features, such as
a durable water-repellant fabric
treatment (for increased hydro-
phobia), Cordura-reinforced
knees and seat sections (which
allow the slacks to be used as
an outer layer until Seattle’s
famous rain gets serious), and
double-layered pockets.
KAMgear’s Crescent jack-
et, which is also crafted from
Polartec Wind Pro fabrics,
derives its performance from
the extremely dense fabric
weave that delivers a cozy
combination of warmth and
breathability. A water-repellant
fi nish allows the jacket to
bead off water, and the coat
also features a high-cut collar
(a trademark of all KAMgear
sailing tops).
Best known for its marine
survival equipment, Mustang
Survival rebooted its apparel
collection a few years ago.
Recently, the Vancouver-based
company has been working
with professional sailing teams
to dial in its heat-regulating
system. This starts with
Mustang Survival’s RegulateCATCH AND
RELEASEWhile news of a beached
whale dying in the
Philippines with 88
pounds of plastic inside
its body rightly grabbed
international headlines,
sadly, the devil in the
environmental disaster is
often in the tiny details.
Microplastics are defi ned
as tiny bits of plastic or
fuzz (say, from a fl eece or
puffy jacket) that are less
than 5 millimeters long.
Microplastics are turning
up everywhere, including
highly remote places such
as Point Nemo, which is
the farthest spot on Earth
from land.
Unfortunately, one of
the ways that microplas-
tics are entering the water
(and therefore the food
chain) is by washing syn-
thetic garments, including
some of the fabrics
mentioned in this article.
Fortunately, new technol-
ogies are available to help
lower one’s environmental
wake. For example, a
Cora Ball can be thrown
in the washing machine
with synthetic clothes,
and its spiky arms collect
stray fi laments. Bag-style
solutions, including
Patagonia’s GuppyFriend,
also exist. Simply put
your soiled synthetics in
the water-permeable bag,
seal it, and then toss it
in the washing machine;
once the wash cycle is
complete, remove the
microfi bers from the
bag and then hang-dry
the gear, which uses less
energy and puts less wear-
and-tear on the clothing.Musto Sardinia gilet Patagonia Nano Puff jacket Zhik Xefl ex jacket