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?

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What is Gore-Tex?
What is wool?
Woodlore's Organic Cotton Clothing

What is fleece?

Fleece was originally created by Malden Mills based in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in the 1970s. It was developed as a wool alternative for the outdoor apparel industry. In 1980 further research and development took place and Malden began producing polyester fleece under its trade-mark PolarTec and Polar Fleece. These brands comprise most of the polyester fleece that are sold today.

The terms 'polartec' and 'polarfleece' are trademarked terms referring only to fleece fabrics made by Malden Mills. Whilst these terms are used all over the world, when buying fleece products you should ensure that you are buying the real thing.

Fleece is a completely synthetic material, very durable, light, offers good insulation and is made from spun virgin or recycled polyester. High Performance fleece (Polarfleece) is considered 100% breathable offering great air circulation.

Polyester fleece is a soft fuzzy fabric. It is a two-sided pile material meaning that both the front and back surface of the fabric sprouts a layer of cut fibres, similar to corduroy or velvet. This high loft design traps insulating air and gives excellent warmth to weight ratio.

Like wool, fleece is available in different weights. These range from 100 (thin base layer) through to 300 (thick jacket layer).

Advantages of Fleece:

• Lightweight and less bulky than wool
• Dries quickly
• Stays warm even when wet
• Comfortable and a suitable alternative for wool allergy sufferers

Disadvantages of Fleece:

• Unsuitable to be worn around an open fire because of its synthetic fibres
• It does not neutralize body odour as well as wool

Woodlore stocks the Swazi Hooded Back 40 Shirt, which is made from heavyweight polar fleece, suitable for wearing as a mid layer and manufactured by Swazi, the outdoor clothing company based in New Zealand.

For more information on the properties of Wool clothing, please click here.

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.