Read a few rather old stories slightly south of here (almost anything is), they often refer to "travel cloaks", apparently mid weight woolen large cloaks? Has anyone any experience or ideas if they actually were useful or just what existed at the time?
Travel cloak
- Thread starter TLM
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I have a travel cloak, it’s a long cloak with a hood which I got many years ago when in the Middle East. We wore them over our day cloths as it gets cold at night in the desert. There were way of tying the sides of the cloak so you could drive easily.
@Toddy's made many a cloak for reenactors and will be your best source of info on this. 
Cloaks are good things, but they're very different from jackets.
Thing is that the cloak is both an overgarment, and a blanket.
A good one is warm, breathable, windproof, pretty much heavy showerproof, and comfortable to wear.
Too often modern ones have all the swish and swirl of something out of a dramatic film but are so poorly constructed that they constantly chug and chafe the throat. They need to be balanced, they need to be more than a big bit of cloth flapping around your legs.
Happy to discuss, or help draft patterns.
There are a couple of threads where we talked about them a while back though. Pretty sure we could find the links.
M
Your post puts me in mind of this guy.
Man sets off on 'medieval' pilgrimage from Southampton to Canterbury
A former physics teacher sets off on a two-week pilgrim's journey from Southampton to Canterbury using only medieval equipment.
www.bbc.co.uk
Interesting to read his cloak was supposed to weigh 2 stone (12.7kg). That's one seriously thick bit of materialYour post puts me in mind of this guy.
Man sets off on 'medieval' pilgrimage from Southampton to Canterbury
A former physics teacher sets off on a two-week pilgrim's journey from Southampton to Canterbury using only medieval equipment.www.bbc.co.uk
Two stone is too heavy. It's nearly 13kgs. It's just a burden at that point. Especially if it gets wet too because all that water weighs as well.
Good wool, good well woven and fulled wool, is superb. Barathea wool is the best available for cloaks but it's expensive, it's very expensive. It's the stuff that Policemen, Clergy and nurses used to wear cloaks made from it. Firemen's uniforms were made from it. Here it was used to make raincoats.
Modern wash in proofing agents can make a huge difference when you can't get quite the quality you'd prefer though.
Wayland demos how to use a rectangle of wool cloth to make a hooded cloak that matches the illustrations on Viking carvings, medieval manuscripts, etc., so it doesn't need to be 'tailored', even if tailoring really does add to the comfort and warmth.
Depends really on what you want, what fabric you can acquire, and how you want to use the cloak.
M
Good wool, good well woven and fulled wool, is superb. Barathea wool is the best available for cloaks but it's expensive, it's very expensive. It's the stuff that Policemen, Clergy and nurses used to wear cloaks made from it. Firemen's uniforms were made from it. Here it was used to make raincoats.
Modern wash in proofing agents can make a huge difference when you can't get quite the quality you'd prefer though.
Wayland demos how to use a rectangle of wool cloth to make a hooded cloak that matches the illustrations on Viking carvings, medieval manuscripts, etc., so it doesn't need to be 'tailored', even if tailoring really does add to the comfort and warmth.
Depends really on what you want, what fabric you can acquire, and how you want to use the cloak.
M
Well think back on the original fabric.
It's made from handspun yarn, it takes seven spinners to keep up with a weaver on a loom.
Imagine doing it all by yourself at home....would you cut that fabric if you could avoid it ?
I wouldn't, and I have spun and woven my own wool.
Warp weighted looms produce a cloth with three finished edges, and one edge of fringes.
Fringes on a garment are a good thing in a wet climate, they help to drain and air away water.
So, that warp woven piece could be taken to be the 'first' principle sort of thing.
A circular cloak looks good, but the reality is that all the warmth is at the hems and not at the body.
What we do get is a long rectangle, that has it's corners neatly cut and hemmed, so that they don't drag on the ground. That looks 'circular' in illustrations, but it's really not, it's just rounded off.
I have made a cloak that had a 44' hem. I jest you not, that's what a full circular cloak ends up with as it's hemline. Drove my friend nuts because she wanted the cloak but I told her when I cut it out and sewed it for her that the hem was her job It looked absolutely beautiful on though.
To make a warm cloak, it's worth pleating the fabric across the shoulders and letting it flow from there. Extra warmth and the cloak is much better balanced.
In practice a collar on a cloak is a very good thing; it gives a structure that sits 'on' the shoulders rather than all that weight constantly pulling it off. It also gives a better structure for attaching a hood.
I need to find the sketches I did and posted years ago showing the Birrus, and basic cloaks, for illustration. I'll see what I can find in the search.
Modern re-enactor's wool (probably the stuff that fellow doing the pilgrimage wore) isn't good barathea or loden wool. It's very good, but it's not brilliant....so usually if the cloak is to be worn in reality not just for show, they make it up with two layers. That really adds weight. I suspect that's why his cloak was so heavy.
M
It's made from handspun yarn, it takes seven spinners to keep up with a weaver on a loom.
Imagine doing it all by yourself at home....would you cut that fabric if you could avoid it ?
I wouldn't, and I have spun and woven my own wool.
Warp weighted looms produce a cloth with three finished edges, and one edge of fringes.
Fringes on a garment are a good thing in a wet climate, they help to drain and air away water.
So, that warp woven piece could be taken to be the 'first' principle sort of thing.
A circular cloak looks good, but the reality is that all the warmth is at the hems and not at the body.
What we do get is a long rectangle, that has it's corners neatly cut and hemmed, so that they don't drag on the ground. That looks 'circular' in illustrations, but it's really not, it's just rounded off.
I have made a cloak that had a 44' hem. I jest you not, that's what a full circular cloak ends up with as it's hemline. Drove my friend nuts because she wanted the cloak but I told her when I cut it out and sewed it for her that the hem was her job
It looked absolutely beautiful on though.To make a warm cloak, it's worth pleating the fabric across the shoulders and letting it flow from there. Extra warmth and the cloak is much better balanced.
In practice a collar on a cloak is a very good thing; it gives a structure that sits 'on' the shoulders rather than all that weight constantly pulling it off. It also gives a better structure for attaching a hood.
I need to find the sketches I did and posted years ago showing the Birrus, and basic cloaks, for illustration. I'll see what I can find in the search.
Modern re-enactor's wool (probably the stuff that fellow doing the pilgrimage wore) isn't good barathea or loden wool. It's very good, but it's not brilliant....so usually if the cloak is to be worn in reality not just for show, they make it up with two layers. That really adds weight. I suspect that's why his cloak was so heavy.
M
Page 3 of this thread.
bushcraftuk.com
I haven't found Wayland's guide to wearing the plain rectangular one though.
Does anyone have any ideas on where it is ?
M
Cloak Wearers - Step Forward
OK, I was rereading this older thread the other day;- http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41138&highlight=elves And one of the things that it seemed to underline and speculate upon was that to travel light a cloak or poncho of some fashion would be a step in the right...
bushcraftuk.com
I haven't found Wayland's guide to wearing the plain rectangular one though.
Does anyone have any ideas on where it is ?
M
I have a 1960’s nursing auxiliary cap in brown barathea wool and it’s really really lovely wool cape
So it looks slightly cool but how about practicality? For leisure walks in questionable weather?
Well my Birrus is very comfortable, and no one comments, but then I'm a woman and it can pass as a serape/poncho.
It can easily be belted around the waist too and just becomes almost like a tunic. Looks a tad elfish then though.
Cloaks are very comfortable, if properly made from decent materials, in questionable weather, but to be honest, a Welsh cape or an Inverness cape are much more practical.
None of this huge flappy bit of cloth twisting and wrapping around your legs or trying to turn you into a kite, if the wind gets up.
Cloaks are brilliant for sitting around a campfire, for curling up beneath, for nighttime clear sky walks, for quiet wanders in calm misty weather
It can easily be belted around the waist too and just becomes almost like a tunic. Looks a tad elfish then though.
Cloaks are very comfortable, if properly made from decent materials, in questionable weather, but to be honest, a Welsh cape or an Inverness cape are much more practical.
None of this huge flappy bit of cloth twisting and wrapping around your legs or trying to turn you into a kite, if the wind gets up.
Cloaks are brilliant for sitting around a campfire, for curling up beneath, for nighttime clear sky walks, for quiet wanders in calm misty weather
People are to self conscious over unusual or period clothing. Our recent California storm made me subject to comments on my Gloverall Monty coat, Kuffya, Bison leather gloves and Wellies to name a few. Well, a few Brit expats were favorable on the Monty and wellies.
This, by people in shower flip flops, backwards baseball caps, shorts and TShirts from forgotten U2 concerts; shivering defiantly gulping their Starbucks latte’ AND
One fool wearing his Joe Cool sunglasses.
When the Republicans finish banning Drag Queens I expect to be next.
This, by people in shower flip flops, backwards baseball caps, shorts and TShirts from forgotten U2 concerts; shivering defiantly gulping their Starbucks latte’ AND
One fool wearing his Joe Cool sunglasses.
When the Republicans finish banning Drag Queens I expect to be next.
My sister had a cloak for school. Mostly all girl's boarding school. Wool but there was a viscose , shiny type of lining in there somewhere. More tailored like a coat/cloak crossover. Must admit i do wonder if a cloak could be made to be a practical, cold weather option.
I use a cloak on a daily basis - I work at Castell Henllys Iron Age fort, in period costume. A plain rectangular felted wool cloak held with a shoulder broach. Very warm and comfortable.
On Roman days I wear a Caracallus cloak
On Roman days I wear a Caracallus cloak
Great thread and I have upon the weeks last sailed to far Araby and purchased, from a streetseller of repute r, a fine woolen Djellabah of the Morocco style.
I will cut quite the jib upon my return to these shores!
I will cut quite the jib upon my return to these shores!
