Supercharge Your Wool!

Rick Marchand

Rick Marchand

Donkey on the Edge
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I see many have turned to wool as a fabric of choice for the wilderness. Wool has many advantages for the woodsman. This natural, hard-wearing, warm, flame resistant material is especially appealing to the hardcore traditional and retro-modern ramblers. But did you know that most wool blankets and garments are working at about 60% of their capability? Yes, manufacturing processes and routine washings are robbing your precious wool of it's "life essence".......... Lanolin Oil.

Lanolin is an oil found in sheep's wool that helps wool shed water. It is removed when the wool is being cleaned and processed and rarely ever put back in. Restoring your wool's lanolin will condition the fibres and make your wool stronger and more waterproof. This is necessary for wool outerwear like hats, mittens, blankets, coats, shirts and pants.

Pure lanolin oil can be bought online and usually comes with directions.

A simple process of soaking your wool in a warm bucket of water mixed with pure lanolin oil will make a HUGE diference in performance.

You wool thank me for it... lol.

Rick
 
Ya but its not ba-a-a-ad...... (sheep humor)

No... actually it quite odourless.

Rick
 
Thanks for the info Rick. I have several wool blankets I will have to try that on.

Bryan
 
Thanks for the source! I have an Irish fishermans sweater that I want to treat, as well as some wool trousers and blankets.
 
So THIS is the wet stain Rick has on the crotch of all his pants! Lanolin.

No - why is it ONLY there..... ?



Hmmmm.....


TF
 
What's the difference between a Scotsman and a Rolling Stone ?

The Rolling Stone says" Hey you, get off of my cloud"
The Scotsman says "Hey McCloud, get off of my ewe"
 
Cool idea - I really love my GI Wool sweater. Maybe I'll try this out and see what it does.
 
Talfuchre said:
So THIS is the wet stain Rick has on the crotch of all his pants! Lanolin.

No - why is it ONLY there..... ?



Hmmmm.....


TF
Click to expand...

That's not lanolin.... it's manolin!!!...... also good for the skin.
 
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Just a word of caution. Lanolin can be a nasty allergen to some people. I learned this the hard way. When my skin comes in contact to lanolin for an extended period of time I get a very painful red rash that turns into fairly large raised welts all around the exposed area. Wool sweaters and the like don't cause any irritation to me. I know several people who use lanolin products with no ill affect at all so it obviously bothers certain people.
 
Good point JRB....... I hadn't thought of that.... but wouldn't those same folks be somewhat allergic to wool itself anyway?..... I really don't know.


You can buy small tubes of lanolin rich cream at the pharmacy. Nursing women use it for chaffing..... incidentaly.... boobs without nipples would be pointless..... ahthankyou.




Rick
 
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bcornelis said:
What's the difference between a Scotsman and a Rolling Stone ?

The Rolling Stone says" Hey you, get off of my cloud"
The Scotsman says "Hey McCloud, get off of my ewe"
Click to expand...
Uhhh. Say, did you know McCloud is an Irish name? :D

(Now MacCloud [son of Leod] would be an entirely different kettle o' mutton.)
 
Isn't it MacCleod anyway...... stop kidding around... for sheep's sake.


Oh wait "kids" are goats aren't they?
 
Someone from another forum just told me that he and his peers have had great results using cooking oil!

Seeing as he lives on a boat in Alaska.... I believe he may be on to something... lol.
 
Cooking oil will definitely get rancid. Don' matter if you live on a fishing boat in Alaska.

Wild Root Cream Oil, Charlie?
("It's made with soothing lanolin.")

As to why soldiers in the Civil War carried rubber slickers, see above.
 
I'm slowly trying to rid myself of cotton and poly-blend clothing for my outdoors fun... I finally found and ordered a pair of wool pants that should fit me, for a reasonable price... very timely tip. Thanks Magnussen!
 
Here's a tip I learned back when I was teaching skiing seven days a week and living in heavy wool Dachstein socks. This type of wool can be machine washed (thank God, :o ) and last for years, but after just a few months of washing and wearing begin to get matted down. Especially true of socks that get stepped on and sweated into all day. Same with heavy wool work sweaters. But....

Wool is hair. Sheep's hair, but hair none the less. It's not fur. So... being hair, treating it every once in a while with ordinary after-shampoo 'Hair Conditioner' ('cream rinse') brings back the bounce and resiliency of band new wool. Just follow the directions on the label! :thumbup:

Stitchawl
 
Lanolin is usually what people who are allergic to wool actually are allergic to.
Having said that, +1 for Lanolin!
 
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