We've all got daggers, how about a cloak?

jumpmonkey

jumpmonkey

Joined
Oct 16, 2006
Messages
970
Guys,

I'm curious to get some input from ya'll. I've just ordered up 4 yards of wool coating (wool fabric of appropriate weight for coats and jackets.) I've been strongly considering making a simple cloak out of the material.

My reasoning:

1) I figure with a wool cloak It's large enough to create a small thermal microcosm around me. It won't be windproof, which means it will still breathe while it buffers which will make it a more controllable environment.

2) Being a cloak I can pull it open/closed as I go and wear it over my load-out, which means it won't get soaked in sweat or compressed to make it a non-factor as far as insulation goes.

3) Due to it's large size it can function as a light bag if properly made.

4) The wool will retain a great deal of it's insulating ability even when wet. On the down side, it'll become a heavy sponge in wet weather.

I hope you guys will share any thoughts about the pro's and cons of the concept.

God bless,
Adam
 
ans,

Thanks for the link. It looks interesting. I'll have to assess his stuff when I get the material here. I don't know if I'll want to fuss about knots and folds every time I use it. It will basically be (the way I'm envisioning it) a slightly gussied up blanket though.

God bless,
Adam
 
Yeah i understand not wanting to deal with that every time you want to wear it, ha!
 
Wool blankets are great in the bush , but wearing one as a cloak ( even with a waist belt)..... I just see myself getting hung up on all sorts of crap in the woods. That's why I wear Carharrt. Tough as heck. JMO.
 
Interesting concept, but like Hiwa says I'd be worried about snagging on stuff. Plus, what about a hood? Seems a wool cloak without a hood is just a wool blanket tied around your neck:D If you are into wool, look at Swanndri. I have a Ranger Shirt and I love it. Alternately, you could do a search on the forum for Rick Marchand's (Wildertools) blanket coat.
 
Guys,

Yeah, I will be the guy in the woods wearing a cloak, which is definitely weird these days. I do plan on doing a hood to the cloak, or as you said it'll just be a big blanket. I also want to put some ITW toggles on the bottom "hem" of the cloak with some paracord loops further up so that I can take up some extra material for movement and also have a little extra so if I do blanket it It'll cover my ever cold feet. As far as getting snagged on all kinds of stuff... I did forget to mention it, but I do anticipate it. Experience will have to tell how that will play in.

Swandri... I'm sure their stuff is good, but I just DON'T have anywhere near that kind of money. It cost me a little over $50 for 4 yards of wool fabric. I'm sure I can do some good with that, though it'll take some learning thinking and time. But, I can afford to expend those resources.

God bless,
Adam
 
I think your idea is sound and could turn out pretty cool. Make sure you post some pictures when it's finished and good luck!
 
The idea is a good one, afterall throughout most of history cloaks were the way we kept warm and relatively dry.If you want to try making a cloak your better off sticking with traditional designs(tried and tested).You can get designs/patterns through most medieval groups .I have a couple but unfortunately they are too warm for most of the year down here.Hoods are often a seperate item called a capuchin.
Otherwise you could try a blanket coat or capote, with or without hood.

Ron
RP 703
 
no cloak, but i've got a really nice mil surplus Swiss Army (actual mil spec, not the retail brand) wool trenchcoat.

if i changed the buttons it would look like something from a high end store.

i've worn it ONCE on a trip to visit a friend in San Francisco, and they were having a warm spell, so it didn't get used ass much as i was expecting. :rolleyes:

i just don't need a wool trenchcoat here in the Mojave. :cool:
 
Esav,

I'm really hoping that this thing does not wind up as crazy poofy looking as what you have in that picture. But, I guess we'll see. There's no way I could make it down a well beaten trail without snagging on everything in sight. Also the pointy looking hood would make me feel like a gnome.

Joe,

I'll post up some pictures of it when it's done (it may be a while).

Battlesword,

Sounds like a reasonable idea. I took a look at some patterns a little while ago, and can hardly make heads or tails of what I was looking at. I may have to just experiment to get the fit/function I'm looking for. But, while we're here, do you have any sites that you know of where I can view such patterns (for free?) I think the first pattern I saw was just a wee more complicated than I'm ready for.

Fixer,

Great coats are awesome, I have a dress one it's great, except it's a little short (I'm 6'2" which is apparently a little too tall for some such things.) The other issue is that it just wasn't designed to be properly buttoned. It's got 3 little dressy buttons so half your chest is left exposed. I continue to loathe dress clothes and their inherent lack of functionality in order to "look" fancy.

God bless,
Adam
 
not a bad plan - if you make it a "half-round" cloak, the cut-offs leave you enough for the hood.
Assuming you have 60" wide fabric, you need a piece 120" (10 feet) long.
fold in half so you have a 60" square.
draw a 1/4 circle from corner at fold to opposite corner.
cut along line and serge or zigzag stitch the cut edges.
for the neck where you'll sew in the hood, cut a 4" radius - this makes an 8" neck hole to sew your hood into.
see bottom of page here for quick idea of what I'm saying:
http://home.clara.net/arianrhod/Aldebaran/DoItYourself/Cloak02.html

tip: nylon (tent-type) fabric as an outer layer makes it less likely to soak up rain, snag on bushes, and makes it more wind-resistant.
 
1066vik,

Thanks for the input man. I'll have to assess that pattern for a bit. I am hoping to have a nice long cloak so that I can use it for a light bag/large blanket when camping/at destination. I will have to handle this stuff for a bit to make a proper decision. Sounds like that pattern does a good job though.

I had a similar idea on the waterproofing end. I was thinking about trying to find some light but sturdy cotton material that can take a good waxing. I was thinking about a patch of this stuff on the bottom to keep the bottom edge of the cloak from picking up dew and rain off of plants/ground. And some on the shoulders since they're all on top of me and getting rained/snowed on.
 
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