Does clothing protect?

[Garry]

[Garry]

I was thinking this morning as I was getting up and debating what I should wear,

Does clothing protect a body from bad weather, ie.. cold, wind, & rain?

After thinking bout it, I'd have to say no. You will feel the effects of the weather, it will just take a minute longer.

What are your thoughts?

[nacktman]

Clothing was invented to provide protection for the body.

The level of protection is realitive to the materials used and the need they fulfill.

Continued wearing of clothing after the need to do so is passed is just vanity.

[MJ_KC]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Garry:
I was thinking this morning as I was getting up and debating what I should wear,

Does clothing protect a body from bad weather, ie.. cold, wind, & rain?

After thinking bout it, I'd have to say no. You will feel the effects of the weather, it will just take a minute longer.

What are your thoughts? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Someone who lives in SD should already know the answer to this and it isn't the one you just gave.

Try going out in -20F weather for about 10 minutes, while nude, and report back to me, if you survive it.

With proper clothing, -20F won't be a major problem.

[Bare in the Desert]

I voted yes. There are some conditions where clothing can protect. When its very cold the clothing keeps the warmth.

[Bob S.]

I am with nacktman in that the type of clothing and the use you want out of the clothing are important factors.

If you want to stay dry, a raincoat and waterboots will help keep you dry--or rather your inner clothes dry.

Flannel shirts or other heavy fabrics will help protect you from the cold.

Using the above two examples, you can't expect the reverse to be true. A raincoat will not protect you from the freezing cold and a heavy shirt will not keep you dry for long.

Bob S.

[Kari P]

Come to our winter, then you will know that clothing really protects you.

But so much of clothing is not at all needed for protection against cold that textile people generally think! I would go happily in shorts in quite low temperatures, depending on how long I would be outdoors, but even that is too strange to average people here. I do that but not as much as I could if I would think only my own comfort.

In warm summer rain you don't need clothes "to keep dry" if you can dry yourself when you need to be dry.

You are right that very often clothes are used by people for protection that they actually don't need. The real purpose of clothing is something else that comes from the culture.

[tinner666]

As a person who works outdoors year round, I vote yes. It's a matter of acclimation. Look at what Kari said. In Va., people seem to dress according to calendar, not temp. Some look like Eskimos when temp hits 50f.
I dress in cold utility room in winter. I dress for the prevailing temp and cloud cover.I do not turn heat on in truck becauce I dressed for 20f, ( for instance ), in a 50f room. + 30dgree difference. I'm not gonna pump up truck heat to 85. The 65degree difference is brutal.
When I dress for 20, I leave truck window cracked or open to keep temps below 20f. When I get to job and step out, it feels warm and I'm comfortable. Some of the clothes actually come off then. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif

At the other extreme, no clothes on a hot day caused the sweat to run into my shoes and I was very uncomfortable the day my avatar pic was taken. I'll now wear something on hot days as well. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif

[shãybare]

http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/cool4.gif
Clothing protects against many things. Rain, mud, cold just to name a few. While different people can stand various temps, there are times when each of us must have some protective garments.

[Boreas]

It is currently about -20 celsius here in Northern BC. There is a windchill to make it feel colder. I like my comfy warm sweater and other things that keep me warm today and on days like it!

[Garry]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MJ_KC:

Someone who lives in SD should already know the answer to this and it isn't the one you just gave.

Try going out in -20F weather for about 10 minutes, while nude, and report back to me, if you survive it.

With proper clothing, -20F won't be a major problem. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

About 10 years ago I was in -20 minus/plusF cold weather with wind chill (try changing oil in your car that cold, which I was doing at the time) and I was wearing insulated coveralls, jeans, long underwear, sweatshirt, t-shirt, insulated coat, and stocking cap. I still froze my a** off, just took a minute longer. I've also been dressed a little lighter when the temp was around 0.0F working and sweating up a storm, then freezing from the soaked cloths while doing some minor things outside. I have never been warm & comfortable in winter except when I was sitting by the wood burning stove.

A raincoat will keep you dry from the rain but ever try working in one? You get soaked from sweat, so which is better?

Jr.

[naturalmanwa]

As a person who worked outdoors year round for over 35 years, I say yes! In winter you layer the clothes on and there is raingear made for construction type work that does the job. Not cheap, you get what you pay for. In the summer lite clothing can protect you from sunstroke or severe sunburn or from hazardous material of some types when you work long hours.