Originally Posted By: quick_joey_small
In one of Ray Meares programmes he recounts the story of a pilot who splashed down in Alaska. When he swam to shore Ray says 'his next decision saved his life' he took his clothes off, lit a fire and dried the clothes. Wet cotton is death. Note the order: wet cotton is many times faster cooling than even being naked.

Course the best option would be to wear clothes suitable for the climate you are flying over. Being in wet, but still warm, fleece that was rapidly drying itself would be no danger.
qjs

Actually, I'd disagree with this. Being in clothes that are drying WOULD be an issue. Why? Because evaporation is one way that heat is lost (along with convection, conduction, and radiation).

So, yes, you'd be warmer than in cotton, but you'd still be losing heat. Worse if there was a wind (evaporation plus convection). Worse if you're sitting on a cold substance while doing it (add in conduction). And you're going to radiate heat anyway since there's a temperature difference between your body and the environment you're in.

Clothes don't "warm you" per se. They just slow the rate of heat loss to the environment. Your body does the work. Assuming, of course, that you're not carrying some hand warmers, sitting in front of a fire, etc.