Wool. The Final Frontier around the Homestead, Campsite, or the House!

The Benefits of Wool!     I am a believer.

No matter the season and am trying to build my collection.  You might want to consider it also!  The Woolly Gospel:  That is partly due to my  nephew Chris who is a skilled outdoorsman preaching the Gospel of the  Wool to me.  We discuss Bushcrafty / Outdoors ideas regularly like this.     I figure you don’t hear the animals complaining about it, so it must  be pretty good, no?    

WOOL or HAIR  IS THE ONLY MATERIAL IN THE WORLD NATURALLY GROWN BY  MAMMALS TO REGULATE THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE IN ALL WEATHER AND CLIMATES.   SO WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT WOOL FOR PEOPLE?

In a real nutshell:

Wool is a breathable fibre that provides instant warmth  unlike synthetic materials. It self regulates to individual body  temperature to keep you around the 98.6 degrees your body rests at, and  really is warm in winter whilst cool in summer. It is also a great  buffer against rain, wind and snow.  It airs out so it does not smell  and is hypo allergenic.   It retains insulative properties when  damp/wet.  Whether you are inside, outside, in bed, sleeping outside or  in the bush, working…… regulating the body’s core temperature and  managing moisture are THE KEYS.  Any season of the year.  Whether it is a  blanket, shirt, sweater, socks, pants, mitts or a hat, wool is pretty  awesome!   

The scientific reasons for these ‘miraculous’ properties are that, in  cold temperatures, wool removes (wicks) moisture from the skin whilst  at the same time its insulating qualities trap dry air and warmth. In  warm temperatures, wool’s breathable qualities draws in air which  removes excess heat and moisture from the body, helping you stay cool.  To add to that, wool is naturally water-resistant, repelling moisture  vapor through its fibres and making it resistant to rot, mold and  mildew. The body stays warm even when the wool gets wet so if you’re  wearing woolly socks and get water in your boots, or your wool  shirt/blanket gets damp, you will feel much less cold or damp.   I know  some people who wear wool daily for work and swear by it for these  reasons. 

Added to that, wool’s unique structure means that it won’t allow the  build-up of body odor so you can keep wearing those same socks, long  underwear, pants or that wool shirt for days on end. Last century George  Mallory climbed Mount Everest in a woollen tweed jacket and, today,  participants in extreme sports as well as fishermen, sailors,  mountaineers and skiers all swear by their wool gear because of its  warmth, flexibility and strength, and that water wicking ability.   I  know several people who have been on TV shows relating to Bushcraft and  the Outdoors or Survival….and they all usually take wool with them. 

People including myself, are rediscovering that wool competes very  successfully with high tech man made fibres in sports wear. In fact  merino wool is generally accepted as a top option for high performance  base layer clothing. 

In summer or when you sweat in winter you need to know about lanolin.  We’ve touched on the fact that wool has antibacterial qualities,  meaning that it manages odor far better than synthetics and other  natural fibers. It’s because of lanolin. Lanolin is a natural, oily  wax emitted by sheep’s skin. On the sheep it serves as their personal  DWR (durable water repellent) and helps to prevent skin infection. Most  of the lanolin is washed from the wool during processing. However, just  enough remains to prevent mildew and bacteria from building up in your  gear or blanket etc.   Basically this is how you do not stink up in  wool.  You can air it out or hang outside for a few hours or a day and  boom, you are good to go and no stink! 

Thinking outside the box, you can use a wool blanket as a flame  retardant shelter material if you need to, like you would use a tarp.   The regulating and insulating properties of it if you hung it over a  branch and slept inside it should be noted.  It will repel water.  Lots  of angles and things to think about.  That’s pretty neat! 

You do have to exercise care about how you clean your wool items.  I  will not get into it here, there are a lot of factors so if you choose  to wash it, or dry clean it – those are options and not every wool is  created the same…. so do a bit of homework on what will work most safely  and effectively for you!!  This is important! 

I have learned myself thru various testing in this environment or  that one, that all the old bushcrafters, outdoorsmen and homesteaders in  past generations were right:  Wool is pretty awesome!  Yes, to some  people it can be itchy.  You will have to decide how to handle this or  if the benefits outweigh the itchiness.  To me, it does. 

If you look online, you can buy or make what they call an Anorak ( or  a Rak ! ) or Boreal Shirt — a large pullover wool sweatshirt or  “hoodie” — oversized to wear over top of your baselayers, with a large  hood on it, pockets in the front, that you can wear around camp or the  homestead to protect you against the elements.  That will be a future  purchase of mine, my nephew made one.  He drew up the plans from looking  online, bought a cheaper but well made 90% wool blanket, and had 2  professional tailors/seamstresses near his house make it for him so it  was custom to what he wanted.  Another great project or practical idea  for many of us. 

Here is one of example of so many – of a functional wool Boreal  shirt / Anorak ! 

 

Supporting  small  business is important as a mindset and you can do that and learn  more about some Outdoors related products here! —

  

• In Canada you can support a great small business and order different styles of these Raks (Anoraks) from a fellow named Andy at —  http://borealmountainanoraks.com/products/boreal-mountain-wool-anorak

  

• In the USA – one of the best known makers of these products is  Lester River Bushcraft and again, great to support small business — Jason Gustafson – Founder — http://lrbushcraft.com/

Wool is hard to challenge for its sustainability and I am a big guy  on sustainable, sensible, humane, green and renewable best practices in  everything I use or buy or do daily.   (sheep are not intensively  reared….. the best practices are cruelty free to the animals). It grows  as hair on goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas and rabbits, occurs naturally,  is renewable meaning it quickly grows back with little to no extra work.  At the end of its life, wool is biodegradable in soil, releasing  important nutrients. However, if you invest in a decent wool blanket,  you will never throw it away and it will last for generations. Most are  aware of this, which is great!    This is partly why good wool products  can cost good money and can be harder to find out there if you hope to  source them locally, cheaply or find that nugget by asking around or  looking in thrift shops.  Oh, it can be done!! 

Wool is a valuable byproduct of the meat market but is also used by  vegetarians and animal  rights people, and is particularly favoured when  the flock is reared for shearing only. Goats that are reared for  cashmere produce delicious milk that lactose intolerant people can  consume as a byproduct and provide farmers with an additional income. 

Wool is a most practical fibre. Easy to clean because dirt sits on  the surface of the fibre (and so can be wiped off), it needs very little  washing or laundry.  (Discussed earlier, be careful) It dries quickly  and is flame-retardant — crucial for the homestead or outdoors pursuits  like bushcraft or camping/hiking, even though it is heavy… but with all  these benefits- it is worth its weight!  Naturally hypo-allergenic, wool  doesn’t collect static which attracts dust and dirt and so those with  allergies to house-mites or dust are turning to wool bedding. 

Many people who suffer from asthma and / or eczema buy wool duvets  and pillows. I have allergies. Another benefit to me and those like me. 

Wool blankets and products are a common sense Life Hack.  A throwback  to a simpler time, which frankly many of us need and some of us are in  full support of finding and implementing full time.