Woodlore

Bushcraft Tips And Advice

Welcome to the tips and advice section, where we have gathered information on a variety of topics related to Bushcraft and Outdoor Survival.

Caring for your Axe
Caring for your Leather Products
How to Sharpen a Knife
How to Sharpen an Axe
How to use a Fire Stick
Sleeping Bag Comfort Temperatures
What is a bivi bag?
What is fleece?
What is Gore-Tex?
What is wool?

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Woodlore's Organic Cotton Clothing

What is wool?

Wool is one of the oldest textile materials available and has been used by humans since primitive times as a means of keeping warm. A natural fabric made from the fur of sheep and has the unique ability to keep you warm in damp conditions. Wool can retain moisture both in and between its fibres, while synthetic material can only retain moisture either in or between layers.

Today, wool is a global industry, with Australia, Argentina, the United States and New Zealand serving as the major suppliers of raw wool. While the United States is the largest consumer of wool fabric, Australia is the leading supplier. Australian wool accounts for approximately one-fourth of the world’s production.

Most people picture only sheep when they think of wool, but other animals also produce fine protein fibre. Various camels, goats and rabbits produce hair that is also classified as wool. There are several types of wool, both coarse and fine. Merino sheep produce the superior finer wools that do not irritate the skin. Merino wool has the thickness of a human hair whereas coarse wool has the thickness of a shaft of wheat.

Advantages of Wool:

• Neutralizes body odours, even after long period of use
• Non flammable unlike synthetic fibre products
• Wool fibres will keep you warm even when damp
• Insulates against the cold while at the same time absorbs and transports moisture away
• Hardwearing, excellent shape stability, fit, stretch when mixed with synthetic fibres

Disadvantages of Wool:

• Heavy to wear when fabric becomes wet
• Slow drying when wet
• Bulky for warmth

Woodlore stocks a number of items of clothing made from wool because of its useful qualities. These include:

• Woolpower - Ullfrotte Original 200g Top
• Swanndri Ranger Bush Shirt
• Thorlos Light Trekking Socks
• Possum & Merino Beanie

Many people consider themselves to be allergic to wool because they have an adverse reaction every time it touches their skin. However, a true allergy to wool is actually rare. Most people who have a reaction to wool do so because they have sensitive skin, and they would likely have a similar reaction to any coarse fibre.

Frequent Questions

You might also like to take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions where you will find advice on everything from contacting Ray to Ray's earlier TV programmes. We even provide some useful Camping Equipment advice.