http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandia
Average Finnish forest looks like this; trees are quite apart from each other and rocks are small enough to be covered with snow:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Forests_in_Finland
Some thoughts on selecting clothing for subarctic climate
- Thread starter Martti
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandia
Average Finnish forest looks like this; trees are quite apart from each other and rocks are small enough to be covered with snow:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Forests_in_Finland
Old skis in Scandinavia didn't really look like they do now, some where about 140-150cm length 20-30cm wide making them look a bit like snowshoes.
And i think the nomadic reindeer herding people in Russia that still need to make their own skis, make them around that size.
And i think the nomadic reindeer herding people in Russia that still need to make their own skis, make them around that size.
Actually most of the prehistoric skis found from Finland were between 180 and 200 cm in length and about 15 cm in width. These are the about the same dimensions as modern forest skis have. The largest difference was that the other ski was much longer than the other and they had fur glued to the bottom of the ski.
http://www.nba.fi/fi/kansatieteelliset_sukset (in Finnish with great photographs)
Here are three views on a 1930s factory made logger's jacket at suomenmuseotonline.fi. What I did not see from the B&W photographs was that torso is actually made out of two parts and sewed together right where the pockets start. This pattern was also used on very traditional Finnish women's shirts.
That construction is generally known as "Yoke" construction with a front and back yoke in this instance.
The yokes are normally lined or even self lined, even if the rest of the garment is not.
Quite a common style - even this smock I have made has a yoke consrtuction - in this case one piece to avoid a seam under the rucksack straps when I an out walking
The yokes are normally lined or even self lined, even if the rest of the garment is not.
Quite a common style - even this smock I have made has a yoke consrtuction - in this case one piece to avoid a seam under the rucksack straps when I an out walking
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Well, I quess that simple, but yet effective designs were invented by several people and services around the world about the same time.
The logger's jackets were generally groin-length and down to wrists on hands while I see that the battledress were a bit shorter. Otherwise you're quite right. Based on the measurements provided by the museum page, I would say that the circumference of the jacket is from five to ten centimeters larger than one's own at a given point.Having going through what I consider the best choices for trousers, jacket and hat, I'm now going to discuss the choices for gloves and mittens. There is no doubt that Finns have always considered mittens made out of sheepskin to be the best. They are soft in use and do not freeze hard during the winter. The second best quality is made out of cowskin. The pattern has stayed the same at least for the last 700 years. You can buy factory-made mittens here in Finland for less than 20 a pair.
There are two different kind of gloves that are put under the mittens in traditional Finnish culture; ones made with knitting technique and ones with nålebinding. I have not tried the latter ones, but they are said to be warmer and stronger. Unfortunately they are not sold in any store but one must to manufacture them themselves. However handcrafters here sold them about the same as the leather ones. I suspect that ones made from Finnish sheep races' wool could be a bit warmer than ones made from wool from Western European races as the first one is more primitive and actually the race produces two set of wool of which the other is finer.
According to Finnish Army tests, the heat insulation of a mere wool glove is just 1 clo, while a leather mitten has a value of 2 clo and combination of these two 2,5 clo. For example in -20C the 2,5 clo is just barely enough to sustain heat in hands; 1-2 clo is only enough for more than an hour outside when temperature is around 0C!
14th century cowskin mitten found from the city of Turku. Photo by Turku City Museum.
Nålebinding wool mittens from early 20th century.
There are two different kind of gloves that are put under the mittens in traditional Finnish culture; ones made with knitting technique and ones with nålebinding. I have not tried the latter ones, but they are said to be warmer and stronger. Unfortunately they are not sold in any store but one must to manufacture them themselves. However handcrafters here sold them about the same as the leather ones. I suspect that ones made from Finnish sheep races' wool could be a bit warmer than ones made from wool from Western European races as the first one is more primitive and actually the race produces two set of wool of which the other is finer.
According to Finnish Army tests, the heat insulation of a mere wool glove is just 1 clo, while a leather mitten has a value of 2 clo and combination of these two 2,5 clo. For example in -20C the 2,5 clo is just barely enough to sustain heat in hands; 1-2 clo is only enough for more than an hour outside when temperature is around 0C!
14th century cowskin mitten found from the city of Turku. Photo by Turku City Museum.
Nålebinding wool mittens from early 20th century.
SO if I understand correctly, the best thing to do at low temperatures is to use 2 sets, one over the other?
Yes, that is an absolutely must combination as only half of the people can work or move outside without any insulation for 20 minutes in -18C, according to a Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) manual I have. If you ski you can remove the other layer. Personally I do not anymore use gloves under the mittens but also mittens as I do not have to use complex machinery where I would need to use all my fingers at the same time. Mitten under a mitten is a warmer combination and if I really need to use my fingers I usually just remove all my mittens to do the thing.
I find it interesting that two almost identical looking set of boots, one of made out of rubber and one from leather, show a major difference when tested in a cold environment in FDF tests. Two groups of test subjects wore footwraps, felt liners and one set of boots in addition to standard battle uniform of the time (in 1987, i.e. m/62) during the tests. The ones who wore rubber boots had an average insulation of 1.4 clo on their feet, while the other group with leather boots had only 1.1 clo. However the overall difference in insulation for the whole body was less, 3.6 vs. 3.5 clo. The temperatures during the test varied from -27,7 to -36,1C. The minimum insulation required for these types of temperatures is at least 4.1 clo if body produces about 116 w/m2 or 1.9 clo if the heat production is at 232 w/m2. The first watts per square meter value is equivalent to walking 3,2 km/h in a road and the latter one to walking 4 km/h in snow or little more than one produces when skiing.
Both shoes with felt liners collected about the same amound of moisture and according to the report there was no correlation between feet temperature and moisture collected on the footwraps and liners. The leather boot kept the toes warmer when only the skin temperature was measured but it seems that in overall the rubber boot was a winner.
Both shoes with felt liners collected about the same amound of moisture and according to the report there was no correlation between feet temperature and moisture collected on the footwraps and liners. The leather boot kept the toes warmer when only the skin temperature was measured but it seems that in overall the rubber boot was a winner.
Thanks Martti! Those are some interesting finds.
I guess the rubber traps the warmth better.
SInce you are really digging into this; how about sleeping systems? They didn't have bags in those days, I suppose. Did they haul animal skins around or woolen blankets?
Or maybe use natural materials?
I guess the rubber traps the warmth better.
SInce you are really digging into this; how about sleeping systems? They didn't have bags in those days, I suppose. Did they haul animal skins around or woolen blankets?
Or maybe use natural materials?
Bags of any kind were not used, but a reindeer pelt might have been used in the North. It was so good insulator that even a Finnish Defence Forces unit wanted to add it to their guerilla kit during the 1960s! However usually a hunter just gathered enough spruce needles and made a bed (havuvuode in Finnish). Actually this setting was considered to be superior to modern materials by Finnish hiking magazine Erä in 2007 (probably due of the density and thickness of the bed). A special campfire was kept alive for the whole night. You will find more on these from the Finnish bushcraft thread.
I think it is time for me to move from the research mode to the prototype mode. I have studied different Finnish civilian and military designs from 1910s to 1950s and I think that I now have a clear picture of the things I want to gather & make.
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Martti,
did you ever use the string vest in Finland and what are your experiences with it?
I believe the Finns have a different version to the Norwegian string vest.
did you ever use the string vest in Finland and what are your experiences with it?
I believe the Finns have a different version to the Norwegian string vest.
I have only pleasure to try one with round holes instead of an actual mesh, but I worked fine. However it would be interesting to compare one with true string vest or even to very traditional linen shirt which was a must among hunters during 19th century! The Finnish string vest was adopted sometimes after the Wars and had solid cloth sleeves to help avoiding string marks on your back when carrying a backpack.
If I may, I would like to add an item to my clothing list above as I have recently noticed it might be a good item to have; a putkikauluri/Kopfschützer/neck gaiter. I am going to make one for the upcoming winter according to instructions illustrated below in a short article originally printed on Finnish women magazine Kotiliesi in October 1939. Fortunately for me knitting (and sewing) were and are mandatory subjects in Finnish comprehensive schools. Translation by me.
I'll be watching, Martti!
But I think I will have to look for an alternative to the rubber boots. My feet and rubber.... well... they don't match. At least not without creating a biohazard!
But I think I will have to look for an alternative to the rubber boots. My feet and rubber.... well... they don't match. At least not without creating a biohazard!
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