Unsurprisingly unknown material [fleece edition]

Wear that is indispensable for mountain climbing in winter is the so-called insulation wear, so-called insulation wear. There are three main materials: fleece, synthetic fiber cotton, and down.

I think you all know about the three categories, but I think many people seem to understand the classification of the fine materials and do not understand them. In this article, I would like to briefly explain the two materials, Paula Tech and Octa, which are often used in fleece.

▪️POLARTEC
Fleece, you're wearing for sure now. This history began with Paula Tech. It was developed in collaboration with Patagonia. Now it is mainly used for fleeces, active inserts, and base layers. The two categories are as follows.

○Insulation category
Alpha Direct, Alpha, High Loft, etc.
Excellent breathability from the left, and excellent heat retention as it goes to the right. It has excellent quick drying properties, making it hard to lose heat retention. I also use Alpha Direct wear, but it is an indispensable wear for all seasons, from Takayama in summer to winter mountains. (The photo below is alpha direct material)

○Base category
Power grid, power stretch
The power grid has a good balance between heat retention and ventilation because it breathes from the line by arranging the material in a lattice shape. Power stretch is a material that stretches in four directions and is popular among users with a lot of exercise. Both are base layers for winter.

▪️Octa
A synthetic fiber material developed by a Japanese company Teijin Frontier. Since its introduction, many products have appeared in the market and have had a great impact.
The feature is an octopus-shaped polyester material with an array of eight legs, hollowed out inside. It is well-balanced because the hollow part is breathable and keeps it warm. In addition, it has excellent quick drying properties, and various products are now being released by each manufacturer. The following two categories are:

○Octa
The surface is knitted fabric and the back is looped, which balances heat retention and breathability. This material is especially suitable for active fleece because it is warm and quick-drying, and lightweight. (Photo below)

○Octa cpcp
The surface is mesh, and the back is raised as if the Octa loop is broken. It is more specialized in breathability than Octa, and it is a lighter type. Because it has high quick dryingability, it seems that some users use it not only in middle layers but also in base layers in snowy mountains. (Photo below)

We introduced two representative materials. Both have been used, but the wear used varies depending on the situation. Both functions are wonderful, so I hope you can choose the one that suits you.
In the future, I would like to explain other synthetic fiber materials and downs, so please take a look if you like.

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