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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Thermals? Is going wool worth it? /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1451414804 Message started by cheapnewb24 on 12/29/15 at 10:46:44 |
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Title: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/29/15 at 10:46:44 I currently have cotton thermals, as most people probably do, but I have been considering getting some cheap(-er or -est) merino thermals since I used to love wearing that old wool coat I have. As many have said, wool is like some sort of miracle fabric. It works for many weather conditions despite being warm :o, is flame-resistant, and even gets warm when wet :o. It just works 8-)... period. I have noticed that it takes a lot of thermals to keep the legs warm simply because of the wind. Should I worry more about wool thermals (expensive), or chaps (costs about as much :P). I do know the old saying that cotton kills. Fat chance I'll be caught drenched in a cold spell, especially with my tendency to ride like the postal service. "Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail...." ;D Well, I'm not sure about doing those last three for a while ::). Can't drive my parents totally insane ::) ;D. My cousin just jumped all over me for riding on a wet, foggy night :(. But then, maybe she's biased... After all, I was determined to visit my cousin that Christmas day, even if I arrived half a day late... think being awakened from sleep at midnight by your nutty cousin on a motorbike ;D... on a night like that... in the backwoods, too. A couple days later, I got a talkin' to! ::). I had spent most of the day visiting family members, and my pants were drenched worse than I have ever done before from riding. My boots were slopped with water. It was a mess! I didn't wear thermals either, except for a sweater I brought with me just in case. I sure ended up using it, eventually. It was during this warm Christmas thing. I didn't get very far from my house before realizing that I probably should have put on the long johns. Anyway... ::) What will I do with cotton? Freeze to death :o? Will wool do the legs any better than cotton, or do I just need chaps? |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Art Webb on 12/29/15 at 10:58:53 I dunno about chaps, but on a moto in the cold you need SOMETHING that will block wind I had good luck wearing wind pants over my regular pants rain gear works well for this too, even the 'breathable' frogg toggs will keep the wind off |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by old_rider on 12/29/15 at 15:32:32 Yes, believe it or not, a good pair of rain gear will help keep you warmer as it keeps the wind at bay. When it drops below 45, I start wearing long johns under my gear, when it gets below 38 ish... I put on a "wind breaker" like rain gear or some of the textile stuff I have that is "rain resistant". I'm a fan of the "layers" is better. I'll wear a tank top, a long sleave thermal (or long sleeve t-shirt), a regular longsleeve shirt. then maybe a lightweight hoody, then my motorcycle jacket. Then if I need to, I wear the rain gear jacket. For my lowers, I wear a thick pair of socks, thermals, then a thin pair of socks, then my jeans. And if I need more, the raingear bottoms. I have a pair of cold weather guantlets, but sometimes I wear those thin brown gloves inside them. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/29/15 at 18:58:09 What do you think is the best deal for overpants? Frogg Toggs? Does anyone have opinions on wool underwear? |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Kris01 on 12/29/15 at 19:07:13 0C0F07110A070611630 wrote:
I'm desparately needing a new pair of riding gloves for the winter. What do you wear? Like 'em? Pros/cons? When it's really cold out I wear a pair of flannel pajama bottoms under my jeans. Helps 1000%. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/29/15 at 19:39:30 I have a pair of cheap riding gloves. I think we got them for less than 10 bucks. They've served me very well for the price I paid. They even have gel padding. :) I think I rode them through both crashes, and they are still fine, though they didn't take the brunt of the punishment, I don't think. They are summer gloves, however. I also have some insulated Fulmer deerskin gauntlets, but I paid about 40 bucks for them. I can't say the difference in price was worth it for me. They are lightly insulated, and my fingertips can still get chilled. I also have some silk glove liners, but I haven't gotten the chance to test their effectiveness yet ;). |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/29/15 at 19:46:15 This is the one, I believe. http://www.jafrum.com/motorcycle-gloves/GL2091 I am very pleased for the price. Here is something I stumbled across that is interesting-- heated glove liners, and the price is not outrageous http://www.jafrum.com/motorcycle-gloves/mens-motorcycle-gloves/heated-gloves-vh-12-volt-heated-glove-liner |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/29/15 at 20:00:41 Actually, Revzilla carries an even cheaper heated glove liner, but then the controller costs $119 :P. Not sure if Gerbing makes a cheaper controller. I just scanned over it. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Rodger on 12/30/15 at 06:01:57 The US Army used woolen clothing (long underwear, wool field pants & overcoats) for cold weather until the advent of synthetic materiald, a.k.a., "poly-pro." Wool & silk retain much of their insulating properties when wet since they absorb less water than cotton. Synthetic insulation, such as Dacron batting, has similar properties, making it more practical for garments and sleeping bags that goose/duck down. Electrically-heated clothing is a viable alternative alternative IF the motorcycle's generator produces sufficient charging power for the 'cycles operation (ignition system + lighting) plus charging the battery. Automotive charging systems can be more robust since the generator/alternator is not incorporated directly into the engine. For example, if you've ever jump-started a car with a dead battery, that car's charging system can re-charge the battery at idle. In most motorcycles, however, the charging system is directly incorporated into the powerplant, thereby limiting its size and generating capacity; in fact, most 'cycle charging systems don't begin to recharge the battery until about 1500-2000 rpm. (I found this out with my first "big bike," a BMW 800cc. Riding it to work & around town,, the battery would slowly lose its charge, since repeated starting used up more battery power than was generated to replace it (a so-called "energy debt"). So, bottom line, if the energy used (lights, starting, ignition system...plus added loads of driving lights, stereos, GPS, heated clothing) is greater than the amount generated, the battery will eventually discharge to the point that the power available is insufficient to power the electronic ignition or re-start the motorcycle. Also, the repeated depletion of the battery can cause premature battery failure (at least in the traditional, flooded-cell lead/acid batteries). My "2˘"...perhaps others here who have more in-depth knowledge of the Savage/S40's charging system than I could provide hard data on the system's output....until then (alas!), I'll refrain from plugging in my electric vest. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by old_rider on 12/30/15 at 09:17:15 5F667D672425140 wrote:
I'm desparately needing a new pair of riding gloves for the winter. What do you wear? Like 'em? Pros/cons? When it's really cold out I wear a pair of flannel pajama bottoms under my jeans. Helps 1000%.[/quote] I have the Harley winter gauntlets, bought them when i had my road glide, they are very bulky. I have to wear a thin pair of gloves under them when it gets in the thirties. I am actually planning on building some wind deflectors for the handle bars this winter. or buy some like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/SMOKE-Motorcycle-Hand-Guard-Wind-Deflector-For-Harley-Softail-Glide-Cruiser-New-/361444841221?fits=Make%3ASuzuki%7CSubmodel%3AS40&hash=item5427ca9705:g:K0IAAOSwnH1WZp45&vxp=mtr |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by verslagen1 on 12/30/15 at 09:38:48 242A3C3E36303B530 wrote:
the savage is capable of running to 55/60 headlights if you're running it at a good speed for at least a half hour. but I'd recommend you use a battery monitor as that hasn't been empirically determined. all leather goods insulate much better if they are treated to seal the pores. I do mine at the beginning of winter and it's good for the rest of the year... of course winter here is only 4 weeks. ;D |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Art Webb on 12/31/15 at 07:32:57 whatchu treatin yer leathers with versy? |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Gus on 12/31/15 at 08:08:28 I had a logging business for years and we worked I all kinds of weather. We got plenty wet too and cold. We would shut down on days when the mercury was in the negative 20 range because it was hard on hydraulic systems. Wool was the rule of the day on all but the hottest of days. When it is wet wool simply stands on its own as the ONLY fabric that will keep you comfortable. When its cold and you get sweated up from working it will dissipate the moisture like nothing else and without stinking. There are other fabrics that will disssipate moisture but the trade off is the residual smell. You can hang wool outside and it will freshen from the cool night air and the next day put it on and it smells fresh again. Try that with any other material. I have 6 Pendelton will shirts, I don't wear one everyday but quite often, and they get dry cleaned once per year and my wife is really finicky about cleanliness. You will, however, need to have something to break the wind unless you use boiled wool. Boiled wool is waterproof and wind proof and EXTREMELY expensive. Years ago boiled wool is what they used to break the wind before synthetics. When I was riding late into the fall this year I was riding with layers starting with a long sleeved cotton T, a merino wool sweater, a wool vest and a bicycling wind breaker. I was good down to about 40. Below that and it was gloves and a pair of carpenter knee pads to keep the wind off. Below 30 I'm done riding. Gets to frosty in these parts. You can't beat wool with a wind breaker of some sort. Sorry for the length[ch55357][ch56384] |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 12/31/15 at 08:38:47 Thanks Gus, I never heard of boiled wool. Interesting post. In Texas we don't SEE stuff for sale that is sold up North. The best cold weather gear is sold where cold weather is. I did know a guy who had an oilfield job and they needed him to go to Siberia. The company sent him to Houston, measured him, and custom built him some really good looking gear. Lots of fur. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Gus on 12/31/15 at 08:45:14 504F494E53546555655D4F43083A0 wrote:
I spent a winter in Antarctica for the National Science Foundation; but that is another story for another thread maybe. Siberia . . .gets cold there too I hear. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Serowbot on 12/31/15 at 09:04:20 505F48555E56035E5D5503310 wrote:
Wow!... that will be a chilling tale... I start bundling up at 60f... :-? |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/31/15 at 10:20:02 030C1B060D05500D0E0650620 wrote:
I would assume that "boiled wool" refers to felt? The mongols used felt for their tents if I remember correctly. Or is it wool that has been woven and then felted? Or something else entirely? I wouldn't think that felt is "extremely expensive." |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/31/15 at 10:36:00 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiled_wool One of my guesses was correct. Good grief man! Why don't you just take one of those Pendleton shirts (preferably one that's too large already), throw it in the washing machine on full blast with hot water, and call it "boiled wool?" ;D Maybe the pocket flaps will stick out and the seams look funny, but hey, it'll do the job. Perhaps the factory does it in such a manner that such technical details don't get so messed up. It seems as though they probably agitate the wool cloth before they sew it together, avoiding all those dreaded shrinkage problems. I know what "Pendleton" shirts are, by the way. I've considered getting some from time to time. I prefer used over new in this case. My recent interest has been underwear. This kinda gives me an idea.... :D Get me some oversized long johns, felt them up, and maybe these shrunken underwear will cut the wind... Genius! :) Well, it doesn't come without risks, I guess... I could end up with a matted mess, or the wool won't felt. We'll keep it optimistic. :) ;) |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/31/15 at 10:44:29 Hmmm... I wonder if they'll get stuffy if they are wind resistant? |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by gizzo on 12/31/15 at 13:33:33 Wool is so worth it. Good wool underwear isn't cheap though. When I'm cross country flying I'm wearing Icebreaker merino thermals. Comfy enough at ground level but sensational at 0 deg c at 10,000 ft. Also quite reasonable under motorcycle leathers. It's spendy compared with polyester thermals. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Gus on 12/31/15 at 13:43:51 You CAN create a material very near to boiled wool by first: Buying heavy wool material and running it through the wash machine in hot water & running it through the dryer. Then you take the material and make a shirt, jacket or whatever. Of course you need a seamstress or tailor to make the garment. I know this works because my first wife used to do it when she hand made my wool shirts. You could, then, launder them without the least amount of shrinkage. Even logging, which is hard on clothing, these shirts would last for years. The last few she made for me my second wife got tired of seeing them in the laundry and wanted to throw them out; the last remnants of my previous life. Alas, the last ones ended up in the trash finally. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by cheapnewb24 on 12/31/15 at 14:12:33 Do you think it would be worth trying to use common merino thermals as an experiment (already sewn together), or would it become useless? I figure I would have to buy them extra-large to account for the shrinkage. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Gus on 12/31/15 at 16:50:58 I'd just buy a pair of merino bottoms and a pair of used nylon running pants. Wear the merino under a pair of jeans and then the nylon pants and you'll be good. Buy the merino a little big and you should be able to wash them in cold water and let them hang dry. They won't shrink much. I've done I for years with merino sweater's . |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Art Webb on 01/01/16 at 08:09:14 66697E63686035686B6335070 wrote:
what about sticking them in those bags that are supposed to turn your dryer into a dry cleaning machine? You know the ones I mean? My ex used those with good success with her non washables Lol at you new wife trashing those clothes Gotta destroy all vestiges of 'the other' ::) |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Gus on 01/01/16 at 11:01:55 Ive never heard of the dryer dry cleaning process, Art. Interesting. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Art Webb on 01/01/16 at 11:08:27 It's called Dryel, used to get it at Wal Mart |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by MnSpring on 01/01/16 at 17:06:12 If their is the, ‘chance’, that you will get wet. Wool. If you, sweat, Wool. If their is high Humidity, Wool. Coming from first 20 years, of wearing, Wool, outside, then 10 years, of trying, ‘all the ‘new’ stuff. Then, last 20 years, back to Wool. If Wind is a problem, Wool, then Cheep, 'rain jacket/pants, to stop the wind. |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Kris01 on 01/01/16 at 17:07:51 MnSpring, I see a pattern forming! :D |
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Title: Re: Thermals? Is going wool worth it? Post by Art Webb on 01/05/16 at 08:35:45 I went looking for wool yesterday, but apparently I would have to drive to Austin to buy wool clothing locally I hate ordering online without I've tried it on first also, should do a 'patch test' first, to make sure I'm not allergic the weirdest things irritate my skin, including most synthetics |
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