Wilderness tripping is remarkably hard on personal clothing and equipment. Mud, rain, tree branches, thorns, granite, fire and food all conspire to soak it stain it, rip it, melt it, singe it and generally wear it out as quickly as possible. Only the toughest and most versatile clothing will survive long enough to become old favourites. So here are some pointers to success:
· Designer labels tell you more about the price than the function of the clothing. Farm shops, workwear shops and Countrywide, however, sell a whole range of tough clothing that is really inexpensive.
· Some of the less Gucci labels stocked by Millets and Blacks are great value for money. Look out for Peter Storm, Regatta, Gellert and Eurohike.
· Minimise, Minimise, then minimise again
· Read the care label and make sure you read the textile bits. In brief:
· THE BAD GUYS!
· Cotton, 100% Cotton, Cotton Rich: In the hills cotton kills On the river cotton makes you shiver. It gets wet, stays wet, binds and abrades and when wet will cause you to lose body heat 9 times faster than bare skin. True!! However, in a mix 35% cotton to 65% polyester it is comfortable and versatile as warm weather camp gear for shirt and trousers. For paddling, however, and when the weather is changeable avoid cotton. For very good reason the Canadians who are known for their plain speaking refer to it as death cloth.
· Linen, see all above for cotton and some. It also gets dirty and crumpled quickly and is ridiculously hard to wash and dry. It shrinks and loses shape. The pits!
· Wool, this is a tough one. Wool is warm-ish when wet but it is hydrophilic, never dries without a heat source and weighs a ton! It doesnt get niffy as some of the man-made fabrics do and wont melt but all in all it has been superseded by fleece. See below.
· Leather, it is hopeless as an outer layer of clothing, hot in summer, cold in winter, never dries or if force dried becomes a suit of armour.
· THE GOOD GUYS
· Polypropylene, this is great for next to the skin wear on wet trips, it wicks away moisture in seconds and dries fantastically fast. Most often seen as Lifa, the close fitting, blue, long sleeve T shirt and long johns with the white stripes on the sleeve by Helly Hanson. Look for cheaper versions they are available. You can rinse it in the river or loch and put it straight back on after wringing it quickly and youre good to go. Also makes excellent liner socks for first rate moisture management. It does get niffy, however, this is a small price to pay for first rate performance when paddling in chilly weather.
· Polyester, this is the best all-rounder. As fleece, Polartech, or other micro fibres it is hard to beat for thermal properties. Its tough, light, cheap, warm when wet and is hydrophobic which means it hates water and dries really quickly. As Coolmax it is more pricey but will keep you warm and dry.
· Pertex, a finely woven, windproof, shower-proof material that makes a fantastic garment when combined with a plain fleece inner layer. Buffalo brand is brilliant but again look out for cheaper versions on the market e.g. Mardale or Trax. This is the mainstay of wilderness canoeing gear in changeable weather.
· Acrylic, poor mans wool. Brilliant! Cheap as chips, warm, tough, dries quickly.
CLOTHING HINTS
· Hats You need 2, a broad brimmed one to keep the sun off your nose and ears and to stop the rain running down your face and back, it will also hold your bug net away from your face; a woolly one (Acrylic / fleece) for warmth in the evening.
· Wet Weather jacket and trousers You do not need to spend a fortune on membrane technology. Vinyl, P U coated nylon will not stop working after a few days and a quick shake gets the wet off. Go for cheap and cheerful but with taped seams. Also go for a baggy fit so you can sling it on over your BA (NOT in white water!) and it allows the air to circulate and thereby reduce condensation.
· Socks Merino wool / Coolmax mix are fantastic but can be pricey. Acryllic and nylon work a treat, are tough and dry really quickly. Wool, comfy but oh so slow drying. Cotton, useless!
· Footwear Everyone has an opinion on this subject, but a good combination is: either combat boots or even muckers from a riding or farm shop theyre cheap, flexible but waterproof, tough enough for the woods and have a proper heel block to save sliding on the portage. River sandals for when its hot (beware sunburn!) and or trainers in the evenings to let your feet breathe. If its buggy wear sandals with socks (but you might be mistaken for a vicar!)
· Gloves Gardening gloves are great around camp when sorting the fire collecting wood and avoiding bugs. Sore hands are a pain to paddle with.
KIT IDEAS
· Plate Hard plastic or wood could well be in little bits after the first portage or someone drops a boat on your pack so go for a bowl, stainless steel dog bowl or 20cm balti dish, either is ideal.
· Mug Again, simple steel mug perfect. Thermal mugs are OK but can be a tad fragile and hard to keep hygienic. Avoid aluminium it will burn your lip! Kuksa, lovely, step on it once finito!
· Spoon Stainless steel is ideal, it will cut food in your bowl and is hygienic, I never bother with a fork and eating knife and have never missed them. Your choice!
· Torch LED head torches are compact, lightweight, ridiculously long battery life and brilliant for finding your way to the loo at night or reading in bed. They neednt be expensive look for a Carp-lighter in your local fishing shop.
· Candles low tech, effective, stick a stumpy fat one in your gear.
· Loo paper Individual packs of tissues great, one pack per day for all needs. Bog roll; drop it once in wet heather and its sphagnum time!
· Books, - Do take your journal and a book
· Fishing gear Hand lines or a compact telescopic rod and spinners.
Remember if in doubt, leave it out!
Jed
