Moisture-Wicking Works and Why It Matters

Ever wondered why some shirts leave you feeling like you just stepped out of a shower, while others keep you feeling dry? The secret lies in moisture-wicking. Think of moisture-wicking as your personal sweat manager. Moisture-wicking fabrics pull sweat away from your skin and spread it across a larger surface area, helping it evaporate faster. The result? You stay drier and your body can regulate temperature more efficiently. Plus, you'll deal with less chafing and reduce odors that develop during long days on the trail.

Wicking vs. Absorption: They're Not the Same Thing

Let's clear up a common misconception: wicking is not the same as absorption. When fabric absorbs sweat, it's like a sponge soaking up water – it gets heavy, wet, and takes forever to dry. Moisture-wicking fabrics, on the other hand, encourage sweat to travel along the surface of the fibers without getting absorbed, to the fabric's exterior where it can evaporate. Absorbent fabrics leave you wet and uncomfortable, while moisture-wicking fabrics keep your feeling dry and comfortable.

How Wicking Works

Moisture-wicking fabrics rely primarily on a scientific principle called Capillary Action to move moisture effectively.

• Capillary Action
• Capillary action is the movement of liquid through narrow spaces due to molecular forces. Sweat moves into tiny gaps or “capillaries” between fibers and is drawn outward due to the attraction of water molecules to fabric surfaces (adhesion) and the attraction among water molecules themselves (cohesion).
• This is also how plants draw water from their roots to their leaves.
• Cohesion and Adhesion Forces
• Adhesion makes water stick to fiber surfaces, initiating moisture movement, while cohesion pulls more water molecules along. Wicking fabrics maximize these forces by using fibers and yarns designed with specialized shapes or coatings that enhance moisture transport.
• Hydrophilic vs. Hydrophobic Surfaces
• Hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) properties are crucial for moisture-wicking. Typically, fibers like polyester are hydrophobic, meaning they resist water absorption, keeping sweat on the fiber surface.

These are the basic principles at work in your apparel that make it moisture- wicking, however there are additional steps fabric manufacturers can take to enhance these basic principles and improve the moisture-wicking capabilities.

• Chemical Treatments
• Manufacturers can apply chemical treatments to enhance fabric wicking performance. These hydrophilic treatments encourage moisture to spread across fiber surfaces more rapidly. However, these chemical treatments may diminish over time with repeated washing.
• Fiber Size and Arrangement
• Fiber size, shape, and arrangement significantly impact moisture-wicking efficiency. Using smaller diameter fibers increases the total number of tiny channels for sweat transport and using fibers with specially engineered cross-sectional shapes (such as star-shaped or multi-lobed fibers) increases surface area in contact with sweat and increases total number of capillaries (channels) which all help to increase moisture movement away from the skin.

High performance fabrics like our Hyperflow fabric put all of these principles to work together to create a fabric that maximizes the moisture wicking ability of a garment.

Why Is Moisture-Wicking Important?

Moisture-wicking is essential for comfort and safety in the outdoors:

• Comfort
• During long days on the trail, moisture-wicking layers prevent that wet, clammy feeling and reduce chafing and blisters that can derail a hiking trip.
• Thermoregulation
• It facilitates sweat evaporation for cooling in hot conditions and prevents chilling by removing moisture in cold conditions.
• Safety
• It prevents issues like hypothermia by avoiding moisture buildup in cold environments and heat stroke by keeping you cool in hot conditions.
• Reduced Odor and Skin Health
• Limits bacterial growth by keeping skin dry, reducing odors, and preventing moisture-related skin problems.

How Moisture-Wicking Impacts Thermoregulation

Moisture-wicking fabrics play a critical role in thermoregulation.

• Cooling (Hot Conditions)
• Sweat evaporation cools your body efficiently when moisture-wicking fabrics transport sweat away from the skin rapidly, enhancing comfort and performance during hot weather or intense exercise.
• Staying Warm (Cold Conditions)
• In cold weather, moisture-wicking layers prevent sweat accumulation, eliminating the risk of becoming chilled or hypothermic when activity levels decrease or conditions change. By keeping skin dry, they significantly contribute to staying warm and safe during outdoor activities.

Moisture-wicking fabrics have transformed outdoor apparel, significantly improving comfort, performance, and safety by efficiently managing moisture and improving thermoregulation. But remember that not all fabrics are created equally. While most synthetic fabrics on the market today have some degree of moisture wicking, high performance fabrics like the ones we use at Hike Right combine scientific principles and advanced fiber engineering to maximize the moisture wicking performance so you can feel better and stay safe while you explore the great outdoors.