What to Wear in Winter

If you are a new bee frequent flier, are travelling to Canada when its at its chilliest or are just here for a good winter read, this is for you.

In Mumbai, as soon as the AC beeps 25°C, I need my hoodie by my side. So imagine my preparations for a trip to Ladakh! All my research brought me down to 4 basic layers essential for a cozy winter vacation. At the end of it all, I'd look like snow man! or so I thought..

A little from my research:

Base Layer: Thermals, also called warmers are the first and an extremely thin layer in touch with your skin. There are mainly two types: the woollen and polyester fabric. Wool thermals are best used for temperatures ranging from 8° C to upto -20°C. That's really really warm! The polyester fabric is useful for a minimum temperature of 8-9°C. Thermals are essential whether you are going for a trek in the mountains or are studying in Boston. Both woollen and polyester are available in sleeveless, half sleeve and full length sleeves and the bottom - also called long johns are also available in both materials. 

Mid layer: There is a lot of variety available in the mid layer: from merino wool sweaters, fleece hoodies, to polyester zippers. The most warm option of them all is a pure merino wool sweater.You can't go wrong with that. Know more about the qualities of wool

Shell Layer: That's your last layer. It must be snow, rain and wind proof so as to protect you from the elements. If your mid layers are warm enough, you need a single layer wind and water proof jacket. They are mainly available in the nylon/teslon/polyester variety. 

Make sure they have the seam lock mechanism, where in the seams are locked with a secure tape so as not to leak moisture. if you are venturing in the sub zero terrain, with temperatures reaching -30°C and below, you need a two layered shell jacket. The inner layer with a thick fleece or synthetic fur lining that keeps you warm and prevents your body heat from escaping out and an outer wind and water proof layer to protect you from the elements.

Accessories that are a must: woollen gloves, waterproof gloves for snow or rain, scarf, or muffler, woollen socks and a woollen cap to cover your head and ears, if in minus temperatures, a ski cap or monkey cap protects you better since you can cover your forhead, nose and mouth too, in case of a storm. 


So that's the basic layers I know I'll need. Hope it helps you.. 


  

Merino Wool and its Qualities

Wool is one of the world’s most versatile fibres, Merino wool being its most valuable contender. It is 100% natural and in our environmentally conscious times, its sustainability and biodegradability are a plus. Yet, these are but a few qualities to its credit. Read on to know more.

BREATHABILITY
In extreme exertion, you need a garment that 'breathes', which means it must be able to absorb perspiration and release it into the air. No fabric does that quite like Merino. The hydrophilic core of the Merino Wool fiber has an amazing capacity to absorb liquid - up to 35% of its own weight - so it's better than synthetics at removing sweat from the skin, moving it away, and releasing it as vapor.
MULTI-CLIMATE
While synthetics are passive, Merino Wool is active, reacting to changes in ones body temperature to keep you warm when you're cold but releasing heat and moisture when you're hot.
ELASTICITY
The natural elasticity of the Merino Wool fiber means they stretch with the wearer, but then return to their natural shape so there is less chance of garments sagging or losing their shape.
HEALTH
Merino Wool has a number of health benefits including improved sleep and lower incidence of microbial infection for hospital patients.
ODOR
Studies show that the wool fiber’s ability to absorb and neutralize unpleasant odors is far superior to that of other textiles. Through its chemical composition wool can neutralize bodily substances which give rise to unpleasant odors, a considerable advantage when the opportunities for washing are limited. Comparative tests show that wool has absolutely the highest absorption capacity of all fibers.
SOFTNESS
Prickly wool clothing is a thing of the past.  Merino Wool is much finer than other types of wool and feels luxuriously gentle against your skin.
SWEAT/MOISTURE REMOVAL
Merino Wool is more effective than synthetics at absorbing sweat next to the skin, and moving it away to evaporate, helping to keep you cool and dry during exertion.


The only element seemingly missing here is fashion. Fashion – which is more about how you look and less about how you feel. Here too, Marino scores a plus. With its soft and lush fabric in various knits and styles, wool is one of the most sought after fabrics this season. Merino Wool has numerous natural attributes that make it one of the most comfortable of fabrics to wear. Its superfine fibers feel like silk next to the skin. And with knitwear an important element of the 2011-2012 Fashion Forecast for this Autumn-Winter season, you’ll be seeing more of wool than ever before!

All information courtesy of AWI  

Traveller's Suitcase: Experiences that calmed our souls...Ladakh

Some experiences calmed our souls and some refreshingly shook us to the extent we didn’t know that our hearts could beat so fast!

We were a group of 6 college friends on a trip to Ladakh. It started with a pleasant surprise, dates coincided with the  Ladakh Festival which is held from 1^st to the 15^th of September. Of course we jumped at the opportunity!

Ladhak comes to life with music, dance and sport events. The atmosphere is like a “Mela” with various stall of  art and craft, food  and traditional  barley beer known as chang.

·         It was most fascinating  to see the parade of men, women and children singing and dancing to the beats of the local music, dressed in colourful traditional Ladakhi costumes. It felt like charaters were stepping out of the screen and walking pass by us!

·         We enjoyed the “Lion” and Yak dance in which the beautifully hand painted masks and embroidered costumes made the performances fairy tail like. The dances looked very graceful but we could tell that it must have required immense amount of practice in order to get the coordination in place.

Till the next day we were dancing to the beats of the local music!

After experiencing Cultural Ladakh we were in a mood to have some fun and expose ourselves to Adventurous Ladakh! Coming to the Natural beauty and mind blowing adventurous activities, we opted for  white-water rafting expeditions and treks in this desert of snow! We went crazy and pushed ourselves to the height of excitement. We didn’t just ‘SEE’ Ladkh but we actually ‘FELT it’!

For me the whole idea of  moving/Travelling without an engine at such a speed was most fascinating! Being  pushed by the  forces of water, wind and our manual power and off course the splashes of water  made for a “one of a kind” experience I’ll never forget!

We were instructed by our tour guide to have the  appropriate gear for the sport which is very important and we were asked to dress in layers. From July to September rivers such as the Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Indus, Zanskar and Teesta  are the ones for rafting.

·         Blended thermals, a light sweater windproof jacket, water proof jacket, shorts/pants  to keep the water away. We were also told to carry accessories as skull caps, waterproof gloves, and socks for the trip as a whole.

Trekking  to the lakes

Since we were there during the summer we had to visit atleast one of the lakes which were now no more frozen. We trekked our way to Tsomoriri which is 4,500 m  wide  and salty Tso Kar or the ‘White Lake’.

It was the most beautiful experience and we’ll never forget. The moment we reached the place all of us  dispersed  like mercury particles! It was as if  our souls had experienced freedom for the first time! We sat there admiring in awe the wide water body under the clear blue sky, surrounded by white snow caped peeks.   

We Experienced  true peace, serenity and spirituality.

We spent almost 2 hours there and when it was time to go back to the hotel I felt the beauty was pulling me back. This was the first time I didn’t want to take a picture because I had already captured it in my heart and in my diary later that day!

While trekking I remember that it was quite chilly and I was glad that we were carrying warm cloths like, Sweater, Fleece jacket, gloves and a cap. Hiking shoes, sunglasses and sun block were very useful. I noticed that some people also carried Waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers as they were entering the chilled water.

Check out the site www.trekkininladakh.com  which will guide you through the various ways and routes.

I now wish to go back to Ladakh in the winter and  experience the Chadder Walk on the Frozen Zanskar. I’m already packing in my head!!

(Text courtesy Niloufer Fazalbhoy)  

New In Store: Camouflage Winter Jacket for Men

The Prrem’s Team would like to celebrate and at the same time show empathy towards the people who have given us a chance to live in Free India, by introducing this jacket with a touch of patriotism. 

The jacket can be worn in extreme weather with temperatures ranging from 5°C to -15°C.

Features:

Both the outer shell and the sleeveless inner are waterproof, Snow proof & wind Proof. The Outer shell is lined with fleece whereas the inner has artificial fur lining.

It comes with a detachable hood along with a cord; long sleeves with cuffs that can be tightened with Velcro; and it is hip length. Shoulder straps create a look of a “Jawan”  

The two large spacious square pockets at the waist are very helpful to just put in things like your digi cam, extra batteries, spectacle case, cell phone or anything that you’d want handy

(extra ammunitions incase of the Jawans!).  The pocket at the chest on the right side can be used for a pen or wires of the earphone or your ipod. When your fingers get cold, place them in the space at the side of the pockets.

Style tips:

In extreme cold weather you could try the formal look with both the inner and the main jacket and pair it up with awesome olive green or brown gloves.

Try the “cool dude” look by wearing the inner insulating sleeveless layer while tying the jacket around the waist and show off those Hritik Roshan Muscles!

You are not far away from owning one! Available exclusively at Prrem’s Bandra- Khar Linking Road. t: 022-26495142

This August, Prrem's brings to you a whole new experience...

From the Freedom inspired new collection in store of snow coats, accessories and tees to a travel tale from Ladakh..there is so much you can explore!

We bring to you, every week, a little story, a little song, 

we hope you too sing along!

Wishing you Warm Travels, from Prrem's - Your Friendly Store!