I also live in the desert Southwest (USA) and light, loose cotton works well for me. As I understand it, cotton is also a common choice among participants in the Badwater Ultra. Consider why natural selection favored a body that sweats in the first place.
Because evaporation has a cooling effect, as a couple of other posters have mentioned.
As far as I can tell, the jury is still out with regard to cotton in warm climates. For example, this site indicates that synthetics may have no advantage over cotton in regard to temperature regulation:
"However, there was a difference in the retention of sweat by the clothing ensembles, with the cotton outfit retaining approximately three times more sweat than either the synthetic or the semi-nude variants.
'It is therefore evident,' point out the researchers, 'that the synthetic material...does promote greater evaporation, as claimed by the manufacturer. In spite of this, the [cotton] ensemble did not impair temperature regulation in a warm environment.'
They acknowledge, though, that the same might not be true of cold environments 'where postexercise evaporation may create a significant cooling effect, especially during intermittent exercise. Thus, the use of fabrics that promote evaporation may have a potentially greater benefit during exercise in a cold environment'."
I can't find anything that indicates that cotton could be *better* in warm climates.
Well other than thousands of years of experience. Yeah, I know the Beduin never had synthetics. Still cotton's the best in hot weather except for specialized athletic wear.
I can't find anything that indicates that cotton could be *better* in warm climates.
Well other than thousands of years of experience. Yeah, I know the Beduin never had synthetics. Still cotton's the best in hot weather except for specialized athletic wear.
I thought specialized athletic wear was what we were talking about. In any case, that's what I was referring to in the comment above.
-- Benjamin Lewis
Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.
I can't find anything that indicates that cotton could be *better* in warm climates.
Well other than thousands of years of experience. Yeah, I know the Beduin never had synthetics. Still cotton's the best in hot weather except for specialized athletic wear.
I thought specialized athletic wear was what we were talking about. In any case, that's what I was referring to in the comment above.
Sorry if it came off wrong. I"m just commenting on how good cotton is for hot weather, and noting agreement with you on that one exception where something else is better..
