Swanndri alternative?

[Lurch]

Anyone know of an "affordable" alternative to Swanndri?
I'm sure there must be such a beast.

[Ed]

Anything wool..... natural wool (with the oils still in it) has the amazing ability to shed water.... just ask any sheep. I have a few pure wool shirts that I keep 'oiled' as well as swanndris .... theres not much difference between a wool shirt and a swanndri ranger performance wise but I've never come accross something on par with the bush-shirt that swanndri make.... very thick, lined with merino wool and 3/4 length..... gets a bit heavy when wet though.

Ed

[TheViking]

Hi...

I DON'T know if it's an alternative to Swanndri, but in summer, spring and early autumn i wear a normal cotton shirt, from the army. I know that cotton kills, but I've only fallen in water on my own will! :wink: (well on bushcrafting trips.... :lol: )

[Viking]

Check the normal clothing stores and second hand shops for shirts in wool. I bought one with wool mixed with polyester and it works really great now in autumn and in winter and the best part is I got it on sale in an clothes shop for only £10.

[Lurch]

Well as an ex-farmer, I've seen plenty of wet sheep. Not all of them seemed that happy in the rain.
Ed, how do you mean by keeping a shirt oiled?

[Ed]

Ed, how do you mean by keeping a shirt oiled?
After washing, make sure all the soap is rinced out and add a cap full of baby oil to the last rince .... replenishes the natural oils that the detergants/soaps strip out..... I now some people use hair conditioner on their woolens but I've never used it myself.

:-)
Ed

[Lurch]

Mate that sounds so wrong!
C'mon admit it, you just like to smell of baby oil!

[martin]

I bought a Bushshirt from Bison Bushcraft at the Wilderness Gathering and I asked Roger about washing and proofing. His reply was, when it needs washing hang it on the line in the rain and use lanolin to reproof it. Anybody have any thoughts on this? And if anyone knows where I can buy some lanolin it would be a big help.

[ESpy]

The older army shirts were wool. Itched like crazy, but very effective.
Much, much lighter weight than a Swanndri, however!

[mr dazzler]

MOAC (mountaineering activities) wool climbing shirt V.excellent I was lucky to get one in't charty shoppe £4.
I know what you mean about army wool shirts being itchy and scratchy espy-I used to wear them as a youth for farming work, shooting fishing etc-tough go anywhere

[Gary]

I'd say old army KF shirts would fit the bill although they itch to buggery - we used to shave the insides of ours with bic razors to help prevent it, Squaddies hated them!

A good army woolly pull will do you well to. However not a robust as a swanni it will be cheap and careful. One thing to bear in mind is that the Swanni will last a long long time.

Other companies making woollen gear in the US are Filson's or Columbus (or a similar name) having tried some of their clothing I would say Swanni's are generally better and now Swandri have a waterproof/windproof lay they really are spot on.

Hope that helps

[Nightfall]

Hi everyone :wave: Gary, it's columbia. They do make good wool sweaters.Woolrich also make some good wool clothing.Nixwax, I think thats how you spell it. They make a wash in treatment for water rerepellent.