Natural vs.
SyntheticMaterials
I[o Logic in I'{ostalgin
by NaNcv ANIsFTELD
One of the first fallaciestaughtin debateclassis that there's
no logic in an appealto tradition - that just becausesomething
hasalwaysbeendonea particularway, it always shouldbe done
that way (argumentumad antiquitaten).It's a familiar
mode of argumentfor policies and practices,but it
holds no more logic than saying,"Doctors usedleeches
to cure illness,so we shouldstill useleechesto cure
illness."
In additionto that bit of ill-logic, when it comes
to relying on naturalfabrics,anothertruism comes
into play: If you alwaysdo what you've alwaysdone,
you'll alwaysget what you alwaysgot - cold feet, chills, built-up
perspirationand thick, hinderinglayers.Scienceand technology
havegiven us new materialswith which hunters'clothingcan
be waterproof,breathableand lightweight without the moisturetrappingheavinessof wool and cotton.The choice is a no-brainer.
Three types of fibers are used to make the fabrics that
makethe clothing we wear. One is natural - the fibers that
comedirectly from plantsand animals,suchas cotton,hair,
silk and wool. Two are manufactured,usually lumped together
as"synthetics."Theseare "regeneratedfibers," madefrom
naturalmaterialssuchas celluloseor wood pulp processedinto
fiberssuchas rayon and acetate,and true "syntheticfibers," like
polypropylene(olefin),madefrom chemicalcompounds.
Chemistry offers a multitude of options to synthetic fiber
manufacturersas opposedto the obviously more limited options
availablein naturally occurring fibers. With so much more latitude
in termsof fiber compositionand processing,it is no wonder that
syntheticswin handsdown when it comesto water repellency,
abrasionresistance,thermoregulationand weight - the criteria by
which effective outdoor clothing arejudged.
Waterproofing?Considercotton first. Cotton is a hydrophilic
fiber,which meansit attractswater molecules,holding that
moistureagainstyour body. Rivers West'sH2P waterprooffleece,
madeof synthetichydrophobic(non-absorbing)fibers,needs88
poundsof pressurefor the waterprooflng to fail. As Rivers West
pointsout, if the rain is falling at a pressuregreaterthan 88 psi,
you have a lot more to worry about than getting wet' Gore-Tex, a
very thin porousplasticfilm laminatedto nylon or polyester,is as
waterproofas rubber,but it breathes,so your sweaty little shins or
shoulderswon't createcondensationon the insideof your bootsor
jacket. That has made Gore-Tex the fabric of choice for outdoor
gearfrom Browning's Gore-Texuplandjacket to Danner'sGore-
Tex lined grouseboot.
Strength?Spandex,a manufactured
elastomericfiber, can stretchmore than
500 percentand still regainits original
shape.Fabricsmadeof spandexgive the weruermaximum range
.H2P fleeceis also strongand
of motion along with tear resistance
takes 14.1poundsof force to rip or tear (testparameter:ASTM
D1424 Elmendorf tear strengthtest),one of the higheststrength
levelsfound in outdoorclothing.
Thermoregulation?Polypropylene,reveredfor its wickability,
dispersesthe moisture(we're talking sweathere)for quicker
evaporationthat puts it at the headof its class.Clothing madeof
polypropylenemaintainsthe core temperaturedespiteinternal
changeslike built-up body heatand externalchangesin weather
or environment.Another exampleof synthetics'superior
thermoregulationis Craft's ProZero Extremebaselayer fabric's
channel-stitchedpolyester,which hasair pocketsthat keep the
air nearyour skin moving to acceleratemoistureevaporationand
regulatetemperature.
Weight?The four basicmicrofibers- nylon, acrylic,
polyester,rayon - weigh lessthan 1.0denier(humanhair is 2-4
deniersper filament).That translatesinto fiberstwice as fine as
silk, threetimes finer than cotton and eight times finer than wool.
McAlister's classicfront-loadinggame shirt usesa combo of
nylon and acrylic liningsto keepit light. Pella'sBird'n Lite vests
andjacketsdo the same.And SealSkinzglovesthrow the whole
syntheticrangeat you with a nylon and spandexouter layer over
a waterproof middle membraneand inner PolartecPower Stretch
fleeceinsulatingliner, togethersofterand much lighter weight than
any other traditionallined leatherglove.
Now imaginethe clingy, itchy feel of wet wool rubbing the
back of your neck while steambuilds up insideyour jacket despite
the dank, chilly air outside.When you raiseyour armsto mount
your gun, the soddensleevesof Grampy's belovedold plaid
huntin' coat grab your wrists which meansyou haveto jerk your
arm forward to clear the gun butt and properly place it againstyour
shoulder.
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THE UPLANDALMANAC
Instead,envisionyourself dry but warm. In fact, you don't
even think about how your body feels becauseit offers no
distractions.You concentrateon the dog and the impendingflush.
Your gun lifts smoothly to your shoulder,no bulk pinching in the
fold of your elbow.
When it comesto choosing materialsfor upland hunting
clothing, hunterswho deny the advantagesof technology can
enjoy their wooly ill-logic, assuming,of course,they're not home
shiveringunder the covers, having caught a wretched cold after
perspiringthrough layers of damp cotton. The rest of us will be
out hunting,moving silently,smoothly,throughthe brush with no
physicaldisruption other than weight of the birds in our bags.
A Bird Hunter's Toggery:
If ItAin't BrokerDon'tFix It
by Tovr Knnn
Bird hunterstinker. We modify shotgun stocks so they
conformto our dimensions.We experimentwith loadsand chokes
to get the bestpossiblepatterns.Occasionallywe tweak Mother
Naturethroughselectivecuttings,burningsor plantings.But
when it comesto hunting gear that has worked well for seemingly
forever,why messwith success?
We have always used natural materials.Take wool, for
example.The world saw its first wool factory in A.D. 50 in
Winchester,England, but the fiber had been used as early as 4900
B.C. in the Mediterraneanregion.Wool absorbsmoisture,which,
in turn, keepsthe body dry. It resistsdirt and tearing and provides
warmth even when wet. If a camp candle falls onto a wool shirt,
don't worry; it'll smolderbut not burn. Explorers like Ernest
Shackletonand Edmund Hillary wore layers of wool of various
thicknesses.If it was good enoughfor them, it's good enoughfor
me.
Cotton makesfor a perfectfirst layer againstthe skin.It's got
a tremendouslyhigh absorptionrate and can soak up 27 times its
weight in water.The fabric that results from the weaving processis
naturallystrong and gets strongerwhen wet. It's flexible enough to
contourto every hunter's shapeand is non-allergenic.Supertight
weavesseemas tough as nails and are perhapstougher.
Natural materialsblend well with synthetics.Add Lycra for
sffetchor polyesterfor toughness.Wool and cotton take colors,
like blazeorange,readily. They soak up coatingsthat enhancetheir
performance.Impregnatecotton with wax, and it's a waterproof,
durablematerial that resiststhe elementsincluding barbedwire or
rattlesnakefangs. For wool? A tight weave is all you need.Natural
materialsdon't break down or delaminate
when subjectedto heator sunlight.
Take the C.C. Filson Company'sproductline for example.
The variety of different weights of cotton and wool are matched
with a particular warp/weavefor the best levels of comfort and
performance.The more cotton and wool, the warmer and tougher
the material.Looser weaveslet heatout; tighter weaveskeep it in.
It's easyto regulatebody temperatureby combining lightweight,
midweight and heavyweighttops or bottoms,with thin next to
skin. Add an outer layer of a shootingshirt, brushpantsor chaps,
and you're goodto go.
Leather products such as boots and gloves last for a long time
while they retain their look and feel. Leatherhasa high tensile
strength,molds to everyone'sunique shapeand doesn'ttear easily.
It not only insulatesbut it also absorbsperspirationand dissipates
it at a later time. Abrasion,heat and fungusresistant,leatheris a
perfect material for a bird hunter's environments.And it warms to
your body temperaturewhich only addsto its suppleness.
Natural gear can be maintainedby anyonewithout the need
for specialingredients,techniquesor processes.Cotton and
wool can be hung up on a peg or dried by the flre. Their natural
absorptionand water repellency remain intact. Leather boots can
be air dried or placednearthe wood stove.Add a coat of wax,let
'em sit overnight,they're good as new.And the sameappliesfor
a wax cotton jacket. The beauty of thesetreatmentsis that they
can be done in the rustic environmentof where vou usethem: a
huntingcamp.
We bird hunterswork through some of the thickest, toughest
areasknown to hunters.Thornapple tines, briars and brambles
glanceoff shirts,vestsor jackets.We encounterrustedbarbed
wire from fencesused long ago. Below freezing temperaturesat
morning becomesweltering temperaturesat midday.And when the
skiesopen up and the rain falls as if we're standingin a carwash,
we needgearthat risesto the challenge.
The fact that a product was developedfor a spaceshipis
engagingto a reader.You'll neverread abouta sheep'sdiet that
resultedin a superior wool that went into the constructionof your
vest.You'll neverreadaboutthe fertility of the soil in a cotton
field and what a luxuriousboll it yields,do you? Heck, wood is
a natural material, and you'll rarely if ever gush over a synthetic
stock.It's not glamorouslike materialusedby astronauts,and
thereinlies the point.
Somedaysoonit seemsas if we'll ride aroundin spaceships
like Buck Rogers.I suspecttherewill be a versionof bird hunting
then,but maybeit'll be with laserguns insteadof fine doubles.
Until then,I'll have at my side gearmadefrom naturalmaterials.
Justlike my dogs,just like my birds,just like the way it shouldbe.
WhzreDo YouStandon Things?If this edition of " Both Barrels" inspiresyou to talk bark plecseeither mail or emailyour
conments.The UplandAlmanac,P.O.Box 70,FairJax, W 05454or info@uplandalmanac
com.
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