Snow Skills

From experience, I’m a big fan of synthetic clothing for outdoor pursuits. For warmth and durability, blends of natural and synthetic materials have every advantage over solely natural materials such as cotton and wool. I’ve found that the durability of most synthetic materials is so good that it’s tempting to wear clothing more than once between washings. Resist that urge: clean clothing is warm clothing!

Liquid detergent is the most effective soap with fleece and polypropylene items as undissolved powder detergent can tend to stick to the clothing post washing. The clean requirement is particularly important for socks. It defies logic to purchase a high quality synthetic blend pair of socks and then proceed to wear them multiple times without washing them. Clothing lasts longer when it’s washed after using. While most synthetic materials are best washed in cold water, I suggest washing any socks in warm water to help deter athlete’s foot.