4 ms·

For something completely different, here is the non-breathable Stephenson's Warmlite Vapor Barrier "No Sweat" Shirt: https://www.warmlite.com/product/no-sweat-

For something completely different, here is the non-breathable Stephenson's Warmlite Vapor Barrier "No Sweat" Shirt: https://www.warmlite.com/product/no-sweat-shirt/ https://www.warmlite.com/product/no-sweat-shirt/ I bought one when I was into backpacking in the '70s but never really liked it that much. I would be curious if anyone knows anything about these and their "vapor barrier" idea. I do have fond memories of their 1974 catalog (NSFW PDF): https://www.outinunder.com/sites/default/files/Warmlite%20Catalog%201974.pdf https://www.outinunder.com/sites/default/files/Warmlite%20Ca...

vineyardmike 7y ago
Who makes a NSFW clothing catalogue?
- PeterStuer 7y ago
  Naturism was pretty SFW before the resurgence of prudism.
  - Stratoscope 7y ago
    The nude photos in Stephenson's catalog would have been NSFW in 1974 too. You wouldn't put one in a frame and keep it on your desk at work! Not even if your boss was one of the cool people you might invite over for a hot tub party.
- duskwuff 7y ago
  It would seem that Warmlite did! The warning is completely justified. By way of example, a photo a few pages in features full frontal nudity with the caption "Nothing Is Better Than A Stephenson No-Sweat Shirt".
- Stratoscope 7y ago
  In more recent years, maybe American Apparel? I won't dignify them with a link, but if you search for "american apparel nsfw" you will find an Esquire article about their ads. Regarding Stephenson's catalog, the '70s were a different time. If you had some friends over and you had a hot tub in the back yard, of course you would invite them to jump in, and of course they would take their clothes off first. It would be the polite thing to do. That kind of casual nudity was just a normal part of life in many circles back then. It didn't even imply anything sexual. The closest thing to a sexual reference in the catalog is a cute photo sequence on page 9 where the husband and wife company owners show how the sleeping bags can be zipped separately or together. It's pretty tame compared to AA's hyper-sexualized advertising. That's a whole different kind of NSFW. After taking another look through Stephenson's catalog, the other thing that strikes me is how much useful information there is. That guy loved to write! Sometimes he went on and on, but I would sure take that over too little information. The section on sleeping bag baffles is an education on its own.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Not much removed from the NSFW (a modern 21st century W, perfectly suitable for a 1975 W) newspapers, album covers, calendars -- Michelin, Pirelli, Playboy, etc -- in every garage, workshop and hardware store and many offices and newsrooms too, mid evening TV and advertising of everything from oil filters to early computers. The seventies wasn't an era that was especially fussed about casual nudity. It was kinda everywhere, and as Stratoscope mentions, all pretty tame and innocent.
snowwrestler 7y ago
I used vapor barrier socks (neoprene) to good effect when I spent 30 days in the field continuously in the Cascades, mostly above tree line. The idea of vapor barrier is that it goes directly against your skin, underneath the rest of your clothes (or in my case, socks), and it blocks all moisture from getting from your skin into your clothes. This keeps the rest of your clothes dry and therefore warm. It's pretty specific to winter conditions. The theory is that once the humidity inside the vapor barrier gets super high, your skin will adjust and stop perspiring. What this means, though, is that sweat gets trapped against your skin for hours and hours, so taking off the vapor barrier releases a lot of stink. And you do have to take off the vapor barrier when you can, to allow your skin to dry out and recover. I wore thick wool socks over my neoprenes when hiking/climbing, and then changed into wool camp socks (without neoprene) when we got to camp and set up tents, so that my feet could air out and dry out. It kept my feet warm and happy in some pretty crappy conditions.
- Stratoscope 7y ago
  Thank you! This may explain why the No Sweat Shirt wasn't for me. I wasn't going out in winter conditions, my typical backpacking trips would be in the spring in the Ventana Wilderness (central California coast) or summer in the Sierra. So when I was hiking the trail, I wasn't trying to keep warm so much as keep cool.
- selimthegrim 7y ago
  Is this why those Capilenes used to stink so much?
- goatinaboat 7y ago
  taking off the vapor barrier releases a lot of stink The smell is caused by bacteria so is there such a thing as an antibacterially treated vapour barrier? Maybe one with silver thread?

vineyardmike 7y ago

Who makes a NSFW clothing catalogue?

PeterStuer 7y ago
Naturism was pretty SFW before the resurgence of prudism.
- Stratoscope 7y ago
  The nude photos in Stephenson's catalog would have been NSFW in 1974 too. You wouldn't put one in a frame and keep it on your desk at work! Not even if your boss was one of the cool people you might invite over for a hot tub party.
duskwuff 7y ago
It would seem that Warmlite did! The warning is completely justified. By way of example, a photo a few pages in features full frontal nudity with the caption "Nothing Is Better Than A Stephenson No-Sweat Shirt".
Stratoscope 7y ago
In more recent years, maybe American Apparel? I won't dignify them with a link, but if you search for "american apparel nsfw" you will find an Esquire article about their ads. Regarding Stephenson's catalog, the '70s were a different time. If you had some friends over and you had a hot tub in the back yard, of course you would invite them to jump in, and of course they would take their clothes off first. It would be the polite thing to do. That kind of casual nudity was just a normal part of life in many circles back then. It didn't even imply anything sexual. The closest thing to a sexual reference in the catalog is a cute photo sequence on page 9 where the husband and wife company owners show how the sleeping bags can be zipped separately or together. It's pretty tame compared to AA's hyper-sexualized advertising. That's a whole different kind of NSFW. After taking another look through Stephenson's catalog, the other thing that strikes me is how much useful information there is. That guy loved to write! Sometimes he went on and on, but I would sure take that over too little information. The section on sleeping bag baffles is an education on its own.
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Not much removed from the NSFW (a modern 21st century W, perfectly suitable for a 1975 W) newspapers, album covers, calendars -- Michelin, Pirelli, Playboy, etc -- in every garage, workshop and hardware store and many offices and newsrooms too, mid evening TV and advertising of everything from oil filters to early computers. The seventies wasn't an era that was especially fussed about casual nudity. It was kinda everywhere, and as Stratoscope mentions, all pretty tame and innocent.

snowwrestler 7y ago

I used vapor barrier socks (neoprene) to good effect when I spent 30 days in the field continuously in the Cascades, mostly above tree line. The idea of vapor barrier is that it goes directly against your skin, underneath the rest of your clothes (or in my case, socks), and it blocks all moisture from getting from your skin into your clothes. This keeps the rest of your clothes dry and therefore warm. It's pretty specific to winter conditions. The theory is that once the humidity inside the vapor barrier gets super high, your skin will adjust and stop perspiring. What this means, though, is that sweat gets trapped against your skin for hours and hours, so taking off the vapor barrier releases a lot of stink. And you do have to take off the vapor barrier when you can, to allow your skin to dry out and recover. I wore thick wool socks over my neoprenes when hiking/climbing, and then changed into wool camp socks (without neoprene) when we got to camp and set up tents, so that my feet could air out and dry out. It kept my feet warm and happy in some pretty crappy conditions.

Stratoscope 7y ago
Thank you! This may explain why the No Sweat Shirt wasn't for me. I wasn't going out in winter conditions, my typical backpacking trips would be in the spring in the Ventana Wilderness (central California coast) or summer in the Sierra. So when I was hiking the trail, I wasn't trying to keep warm so much as keep cool.
selimthegrim 7y ago
Is this why those Capilenes used to stink so much?
goatinaboat 7y ago
taking off the vapor barrier releases a lot of stink The smell is caused by bacteria so is there such a thing as an antibacterially treated vapour barrier? Maybe one with silver thread?