Cotton replacements...

H

Hotrod

Joined
Mar 19, 2003
Messages
978
Hey guys...

I'm a dyed in the wool (or cotton in this case...) fan of blue jeans! But only for stuff that doesnt require getting wet while its cold! Which... since I only stock (so to speak...) blue jeans and denim shorts, I'm kind of left out in the cold (pun intended...)

So, Are there any rugged wearing fabrics out there that offer cold weather protection, and still have long life and a little bit of wind resistance? My past time/hobby is climbing under and around cars... and sometimes this involves being out in the cold on a slab of concrete, and jeans do NOTHING when it comes to insulating in that aspect. So, If its not cotton... and its not nylon (bad experiences with ripping/burning...) then whats out there that will work for cold/wet work?

Sweat pants tear and let wind blow through... jeans get wet and icy... nylon tears, what else is there?

Thanks for reading...
Hotrod :cool:
 
Have you given any thought to good old wool? Every once in a while Cheaper Than Dirt and some of the other surplus outfits have European surplus wool pants at very low prices. Wool is the fiber of choice for sheep all over the world.
Gene :D
 
Ha! Of course its the fiber of choice for sheeps all over the world! Why did wool slip my mind?

Do they make a tight knit wool pair of pants with a jean style cut? And if they do... can you expose them to grease/oil without having trouble? :cool:
 
While there is nothing wrong with wool, there are some styles of work clothing made from polyester that have a fabrid that is very rugged in use.

TLM
 
I have been out hiking in single digit temps (F) using jeans over a good pair of long underwear (wool/poly blend). The jeans cut the wind well and the long undies keep me warm.
 
You might try layering under your jeans, or, what a friend did was go to Kmart/Walmart and pick up a couple pair of their insulated hunting coveralls to put on over his regular street clothes. He said they did a great job of keeping his rear end warm on the cold ground and got fairly clean in the laundry, but because he only wore them when working on vehicles, he didn't much care how they looked.
 
The old timers up here in Alaska used to wear "crisco jeans" with long undies. I think they would rub crisco (or something?) on the jeans on the front of thighs and below the knees all around...probably the seat too.
I know thru-hikers used to do this also with sno-seal before all these high tech fabrics were availible.

Anyway, what you need is a good pair of coveralls, insulated or not, depending on how cold it gets in your neck of the woods.
Nothing beats coveralls wallowing around in the driveway. I would spray them down with scotchguard after they go through the laundry.
 
I've heard of Carharrt but havent had a chance to try any of their stuff!

I will be trying the sno-seal on both the gloves and a pair of jeans, that sounds interesting to say the least...

Coveralls! Another one on the to buy list, I guess the purpose of this thread was to find something that works out and about and also on the trail/under cars etc, and whatever fits the bill I'll be trying! :cool:

Thanks guys :D
 
Hmm... Just dawned on me that silk does a good job keeping moisture off of ya... I wonder! Silk lined blue jeans?!?! ;)
 
Try polyester fleece (different weights for different degrees of "cold") under nylon snow-boarding pants (or bib overalls)large enough to allow free movement. (The snow-boarding pants are typically tougher than nylon running gear.) If it's only "cool," polyester long undies would work as the inner layer.

The reason why so many nice wool surplus pants are on the market is that the military has gone to polyester and nylon -- works better, more abrasion resistant, and easier to clean.

Carhart is mostly 100% cotton and relies on water repellant treatment that has to be renewed after several washings.
 
Try some Filson tin cloth pants with long underwear underneath. Salty, but they don't wear out and definitely won't let the wind through. The oiled version is as water resistant as anything else.
 
Although not designed to stop buckshot or a chainsaw, more than a few accidents in the field and woods have come to a happy ending because of these pants. As one customer told us, "Every morning they're just standing in the corner waiting for me."
Click to expand...

:eek:
 
Filson makes some great gear, but it's not for everyone. Make sure you smell some of their tin cloth before you buy. It has a peculiar odor, and some people, like my wife, can't stand it. It sheds water well and is very durable, but it isn't the most breatheable fabric in the world.
--Josh
 
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