View Full Version : Blanket + Time = Bushshirt?
Hello all. :wink:
Having been totally inspired by Mark's moccasins I was wondering if I could make a crude bushshirt, kinda like the swanndri (http://www.swanniestore.com/default.aspx?T=53&P=13&Y=&G=8&X=1/) ! :?:
I was thinking about using an army surplus blanket. Are they made of pure wool and how thick are they? Thick enough?
I doubt very much that the quality will be anything like a Swanndri especially with my sewing skills, but it would be a rustle free, spark proof and hopefully warm garment that I would not care about ruining. The problem with me is that I am a bit thin so I need a large size for the length but not that wide. I could custom make this one so it's just pukka.
Is this idea out of the question and i'm just being stupid? :?: :rolmao:
Cheers
Hootch :wink:
The mountain men in the forests of North America used to make jackets out of thick Hudsons Bay blankets. They even sell patterns for re-enactors to reproduce them. They actually looked pretty good and were quite functional. Wool is good stuff. Mac
jamesdevine
02-02-2005, 10:06
Some thing like this (http://www.duluthpack.com/store/product_detail.asp?SelectedCat egory=w&SubCategoryId=w1&Product=Wool%20Blanket%20Shirt ) might be what you have in mind. It's somthing I have been considering and is a little simpler then a Capote.
James
Is this idea out of the question and i'm just being stupid?
absolutely not, Go for it you'll end up with a garment you'll treasure much more than any off the shelf product.
I was thinking about using an army surplus blanket. Are they made of pure wool and how thick are they? Thick enough?
I doubt very much that the quality will be anything like a Swanndri especially with my sewing skills, but it would be a rustle free, spark proof and hopefully warm garment that I would not care about ruining. The problem with me is that I am a bit thin so I need a large size for the length but not that wide. I could custom make this one so it's just pukka.
Is this idea out of the question and i'm just being stupid? :?: :rolmao:
Cheers
Hootch :wink:
hootchi, the surplus blankets are wool, they are warm, but the material is not as thick as that used on a Swanndri, if you can, before you buy one for a project like this try and get to handle it as some of the surplus ones can be a bit thin and moth eaten.
You may also wish to double up on high wear areas like the shoulders and put the blanket through a hot wash before you start making the shirt (this way you can pre shrink it so that it is denser).
After it is made wash it through with a good proofing and this should give it some resistance to showers. Not a bad idea :-)
Hootchi, this sounds like a cracking idea and I'm tempted to have a go myself. Anyone know where we could find suitable patterns?
Hootchi, this sounds like a cracking idea and I'm tempted to have a go myself. Anyone know where we could find suitable patterns?
Don't know for sure, but you may want to get a catalogue from PointNorth (http://www.pointnorth.co.uk/shop.asp)
Kimboko made quite an impressive overcoat that he brought to Ashdown, PM him and ask for the pattern.
Are Swanni's waterproof?
Kimboko made quite an impressive overcoat that he brought to Ashdown, PM him and ask for the pattern.
Are Swanni's waterproof?
Not waterproof, but due to the density and thickness of them they will keep showers at bay, but don't think they will hold of a downpour, even a short one :-)
Cheers Leon, i reckon im gonna do a bit of searching!
Jake this is what they have to say about Swanndri on thier site in "THE HISTORY OF SWANNDRI" (http://www.swanndri.co.nz/History/default.asp) :wink:
bambodoggy
02-02-2005, 11:43
There's a pattern for a good blanket coat in Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger and it's a cracking book for other Bushcrafty ideas for things to make...from clothing to canoes...sleds to camp furniture...
Available, as always, from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0936070129/ref=pd_sim_b_dp_3/202-2346564-5079800
You can get grade one Ex-Army blankets quite cheap and as mentioned below it may be worth doubling them up in places...or even everywhere. All the Army blankets I've ever seen where also White (if a little off white) but I think you can get them in grey too..... could always dye the white ones with nettle dye...that would look the bizz! :)
Good luck Mate.... when you're done will you pop a few pics up so we can all see?
All the Army blankets I've ever seen where also White (if a little off white) but I think you can get them in grey too..... could always dye the white ones with nettle dye...that would look the bizz! :)
Good luck Mate.... when you're done will you pop a few pics up so we can all see?
There are three major colours, white, grey and brown and most of them have a stripe or three running down the center whcih can be red or black (on some of the white ones I had been issued with over the years it was more of a dark blue).
Yep and Wildwood Wisdom is one of my favourites :biggthump
Ranger Bob
02-02-2005, 12:09
I was considering making a shirt from blanket too! I'm currently finishing a Blanket coat (Capote) and have managed to get it out of just one blanket!.I was a bit concerned about the thickness, but once it was all stitched up, it really feels like a solid garment.
I got brand new army blankets from here: http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop/877/shopscr1475.html
However these are only 50% wool.
Pure wool blankets are availible here: http://www.the-outdoor.co.uk/ishop/853/shopscr179.html
...cheaper too! Hope this helps!
This may be of use to you, the page tells you how to make a Hudson Bay Capote in three to five hours -
http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/gear/capote.htm
Good luck
hootchi
I made several pairs of mitts from an old woolen blanket a couple of years ago. I hot washed the blanket and tumbled it dry 2 or 3 times first to try to get the wool to felt up. Worked very well and the wool felt a lot denser and warmer once I'd done it.
I'd suggest that you do that to your blanket too before turning it in to a shirt.
george
Hi,
I started writing out the following instructions for folks to cut out their own, but it's becoming a geometry lesson, soooo.... if you measure up as below, send me the numbers in an e-mail, I'll work out the cutting sizes and photo it with my digital camera and send the instructions for you to print off. (Well, I'll get one of my 'technical reference manuals, to do it for me :wink: )
I'm *not* offering to sew for anyone....I've already got 79 garments to make :yikes: and there's no way I need any more work. Besides, a lot of it's in the barter system or the 'good things network'. :lol:
If you make an underkirtle of linen too, you will have the ideal layer system.
Toddy (who's frantically sewing a pair of bodies to wear at Stirling Castle tomorrow and who desperately wishes she could just go for a walk in the woods this afternoon instead)
Making your own swanni style shirt is no problem, basic sewing skills will be fine, finishing edges and strengthening wear points is simply practical. The pattern is basically blocks, and trims and pockets are optional. The ideal stuff is the wool melton that school blazers (the sort of 'felty' ones) are made from. (Fabric discounters sell this for between £3 and £5 per metre) If you wash it cold, it won't shrink, and if you use lots of fabric conditioner you can greatly improve the shower proofing too. The other fabric that's used a lot here is Harris Tweed, which can be bought for £7 a metre in Lewis.
The basic pattern is as for a Viking or medieval kirtle without flared gores but with underarm gussets. 2 metres or one wool blanket is usually ample fabric.
I've made about 50 of these things and once they're on, they've just about to crawl off to get the guys to change out of them. Everyone from the Galgael boat crew to the local poachers wear them.
Toddy
Measurements......write out the following list :-)
Around head at widest part:-
Across shoulders:-
Back neck:-
Around neck:-
Shoulder to neck:-
Chest:-
Waist:-
Hips:-
Back neck to hem:-
Underarm to hem:-
Shoulder to wrist:-
Wrist:-
Fist:-
Elbow:-
Upper arm:-
Arm hole:-
Dip from back neck to front:-
Measuring Instructions
*Across back shoulders, from point to point, *usually* between 18 and 21", but I have made one at 29" (the re-enactor had a 79" waist, *big* man)
this gives the width that must be cut out for the back and front panels. I generally add on 1" for seams, sooo, if you measure 19" cut out at 20".
The seams allowance is 1/2".
*Measure around your head (you have to get the shirt on!) and a comfortable back neck from where the shoulder line will lie on one side to the other, usually between 7" and 8 +1/2".
*Shoulder to neck, measure from the side neck point to the outside edge of your shoulder. This gives the slope of the cut to make the shoulders fit properly.
*Measure from the same point on your neck to where you want the hem to be, add on 1/2 " for shoulder seam and 2" for hem.
This will give you a measurement for back and front pieces, something like 20" x 43".
*Chest, waist and hips....pick the biggest one and go with this as the measurement that all the body pieces fitted together have to cover comfortably. Most men wear their belts low, so measure around your belted trousers for your waist, not the skinny bit just below your ribs :-)
*Shoulder to wrist, this ought to be to just on the line of the first of the bones that define 'thumb' at the base of your wrist, remember wool will crease to comfort fit with wear, and sleeves may ride up a little bit in firmer fabrics. It's also a damn sight easier to cut off too much than add on extra.
*Wrist, not as tight as your watch strap, but the comfortable, movement allowing width, that won't flap about. The fist measurement matters because this is the widest your hand is likely to ever be, trying to get into the cuff. If you want an openable cuff this is the widest measurement that it needs to spread, if you like to roll-up your cuffs you will need to adjust the split that you leave at the wrist.
*Armhole...the rule is, "Sword, shield, rifle, rope or oar" Make a loop in an inch tape about 28". Get someone to hold this at your shoulder with your armhole through it.
Now move your shoulder and arm as though to Wield a sword, Raise a shield, Fire a rifle, Heave a rope, Pull an oar. (I suppose I ought to add 'work a fire bow' for bushcrafters here!) If the loop girds or binds your arm movement anywhere during these movements, it's too tight, slacken off an inch and try again until the tape is the right length. This measurement, plus 1" (1/2" each side for seams) is the number you need for the armhole.
Women and very slender men usually have a smaller than 28" measurement, but it's a good starting point, either way.
*Dip from front to back....you need more room at the front neck than at the back, and the neckline sits lower here too. Usual dip is between 2 and 3+1/2"
*Upper arm and elbow measurements; these make sure that there's enough room in a tapered sleeve for movement, under clothes, and to trap warm air.
Cutting list,
Back panel
Front panel,
2 sleeves,
2 underarm gores,
4 side gores,
collar if desired,
pocket pieces,
Hem gores if you don't want a split side seam,
Sewing order for those not used to the pieces.
((If you are experienced I suggest that the sleeves are sewn to the side gores and the underarm gores fitted in. Then the completed sides are sewn onto the 'tabard' and the underarm completed.))
Shoulder seams
Sleeves to shoulders
Side gores
Wrist to underarm gore
Hem to underarm gore (split or gores allowed for)
Fit underarm gores
Neckline
Cuffs
Hems
Pockets
Tabs and straps, buttons ......
Cheers,
Toddy
greg2935
02-02-2005, 13:59
Just a suggestion: you could get an old oversize shirt from a charity shop, unpick the sewing and use that as a pattern.
Greg
jamesdevine
02-02-2005, 14:05
Tons of info there and a great offer cheers. :You_Rock_
It would be good if anyone does make on they take a few pics of the process and do a quick tutorial. I'm to sort so melton and some sewing skills.
James
bambodoggy
02-02-2005, 14:19
This may be of use to you, the page tells you how to make a Hudson Bay Capote in three to five hours -
http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/gear/capote.htm
Good luck
Hey Rowen, fantastic link Mate....there's heaps to make on there. I'm really bad with sowing so I'm not planning to try any of that but I do fancy making a pair of snow shoes....
Nice one buddy!!!
WOW Thanks Guys :You_Rock_
I never expected all this help!! I need to take some time and digest it all. :super:
I'd just like to re-itterate Hootchi's sentiments. I've not long been on this forem and still a bit uncertain 'bout how thing work, but I can't get over what a great bunch of people are in this community.
You guys rock :super: :super: :super:
jdlenton
02-02-2005, 17:19
test
I found a bit of info (http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html) on using nettles to dye a light blanket. Apparantly it is a nice shade of green and doesn't need fixing. :super:
Fenlander
03-02-2005, 08:03
Hello all. :wink:
Having been totally inspired by Mark's moccasins I was wondering if I could make a crude bushshirt, kinda like the swanndri (http://www.swanniestore.com/default.aspx?T=53&P=13&Y=&G=8&X=1/) ! :?:
I was thinking about using an army surplus blanket. Are they made of pure wool and how thick are they? Thick enough?
I doubt very much that the quality will be anything like a Swanndri especially with my sewing skills, but it would be a rustle free, spark proof and hopefully warm garment that I would not care about ruining. The problem with me is that I am a bit thin so I need a large size for the length but not that wide. I could custom make this one so it's just pukka.
Is this idea out of the question and i'm just being stupid? :?: :rolmao:
Cheers
Hootch :wink:
The link below is for wool material at Pointnorth...£5.95per metre. They recommend it is used for clothing!
http://www.pointnorth.co.uk/shop_product.asp?product_id=86
Hope this is useful?
My capote is still unfinished, I need to dye it but as it cost only £1 at a charity shop and so I don't want to spend £10 on bought dyes. I have experimented with natural dyes- turmeric nettle, walnut but havnt been able to gather enough material as it is winter. Then i want to waterproof it the Horace Kephart lanolin (wool fat) method.
Its was easy to make - basically squares and rectangles and blanket stitch it all together ----the hood is too embarrassing to wear in company --to much like kkk.
Did you make it with a blanket Nick? I need to do some research into this blanket stitch!! Take it you use some thread a bit thicker that average?
Thanks for all the info guys:super:
Abbe Osram
03-02-2005, 12:22
----the hood is too embarrassing to wear in company --to much like kkk.
:rolmao: :rolmao: :rolmao:
you have to show a picture to us mate.
LOL
Abbe
One other thing to consider hootchi is a woollen poncho - simple to make and versatile.
For more Capote info check out the Mountain man web ring this has hundreds of sites, in paricular look up the blanket brigades site.
Good luck and happy sewing.
PS Nick your capotes spot on - I'd leave it white, at least we could see you in the dark!!
tenbears10
03-02-2005, 12:29
:rolmao: :rolmao: :rolmao:
you have to show a picture to us mate.
LOL
Abbe
Abbe it is in the gallery
http://www.bushcraftuk.net/photopost/data/500/221nick1-thumb.jpg
It looked great last weeked and nice and warm which is the idea, rather than fashion of course.
Bill
One other thing to consider hootchi is a woollen poncho - simple to make and versatile.
Thats kinda where I got the idea because I dressed up as Clint Eastwood on new years eve!! :o): :rolmao: I used an old blanket for that but I dont think it was pure wool?
bothyman
03-02-2005, 12:43
One other thing to consider hootchi is a woollen poncho - simple to make and versatile.
I have a couple of these I find them very good.
>> http://www.fort-apache.com/woven.htm
:wave:
ChrisKavanaugh
03-02-2005, 19:43
KKK? More like neo Druids working out Christian angst at Stonehenge and finding LEY lines in their nieghbors home designed by a FENG-SHUI master. :nana: Tell you niegbors your a R anger guarding the town from Ringwraiths :o):
I missed seeing the last few posts as I went home. In answer i used a thick knitting wool to sew it together you can also easily make a bone needle for sewing blanket. Blanket stich is like a series of half hitches over the edge of the cloth. Picture of capote in the gallery also needles. I'll not make another I've discovered match coats!!!.
ChrisKavanaugh can i join your fantasy/world?
Ranger Bob
04-02-2005, 13:30
In answer i used a thick knitting wool to sew it together
I was going to use wool to sew my blanket coat together, but it just seemed a bit to flimsy at the time, so....I used parcel string instead! Solid stuff!
BIG-TARGET
04-02-2005, 18:13
Just don't forget to put your BCUK patch on it, when done!!!!
Just don't forget to put your BCUK patch on it, when done!!!!
Sure will. :super: I need to buy one. Cheers for reminding me :wink:
Found another source for blanket coat patterns yesterday - The Identity Store in Northampton.
Thanks ESpy.
I've got an old blanket from a neighbor but it's not pure wool so I'm going to make a mock up of the cutting before I take the scissors to the wool. :o):
A few years back, while deer hunting, I was setting in my stand just before dawn, shivering so hard I couldn't hold my Bow. Seemed like when dressing for hunting, you either had too much on , which made you sweat, or too little , which, while comfortable for the hike in, was too little for sitting idle waiting for a buck to come by.
I have several USGI wool blankets at home, so i sorted through them, found the "thinnest",and proceeded to cut a ""x" right in the center. I made the x big enough to stick my hear through, anddpull the collar of my USGI m-65 field jacket through, then got MS. Ravenn to stitch down the inside of the cut. Next morning, I rolled up myu home made poncho, strapped it in the bungee of my day pack, and hiked back to my stand. After getting settled, just before the "chill ' set in, I slipped it over my head,and "bingo"! stayed warm until the sun came up. I've since seen over boots made from sections of blanket to slip over footwear while sitting.
Has anyone had any experience in dying wool dark green with something like nettles or grass? It's just that I have nearly got my blanket and was thinking I could dye it with something natural.
How did you do it?
What colour did it turn out?
Cheers
whitebuffalo
21-05-2005, 11:56
My first bushcraft was made this way, I copied an old trappers pattern for a capote. Really good and very warm.
I like making my own clothing much more than buying it.
Has anyone had any experience in dying wool dark green with something like nettles or grass? It's just that I have nearly got my blanket and was thinking I could dye it with something natural.
How did you do it?
What colour did it turn out?
Cheers
Sorry, I missed this question.The problem is not getting green colour on wool, it's getting a big enough 'bath' of hot water to keep the wool moving while it takes up the dye evenly. If you can manage that, then the longest lasting good greens are obtainable from nettles and copper, fomes fomentarius(doesn't need a mordant but is better with copper or iron), bog myrtle and iron, or weld and alum overdyed with woad or indigo.
Over 70% of British dyestuffs will give you yellow, these can usually be 'saddened' into khaki greens by adding iron. Every area will grow plants with slightly different minerals etc., and will have different waters too. Natural dyes can be a bit of a hit or miss for a particular tone or shade but the basics usually work countrywide.
Cheers,
Toddy
raskusdrotti
06-07-2005, 21:38
I just opened another thread thinking this was along dead one!
I read the date of the last post as 2004 :rolleyes:
Anyhoo!
Did anyone actually make one of these shirts?
Are there any photos?
Neil :D
I just opened another thread thinking this was along dead one!
I read the date of the last post as 2004 :rolleyes:
Anyhoo!
Did anyone actually make one of these shirts?
Are there any photos?
Neil :D
I just followed your link and answered the question...sorry for the muddle.
Toddy
Yo Toddy
The only digital picture I have is of me in my white Capote I hate the colour and won't wear it for real until I've toned it down. As I only spent £1 for the blanket at a charity shop I'm not going to spent £10 on bought dyes to tone down the colour. Keeping it simple please can you advise on how to dye it with nettles.
Yo Toddy
The only digital picture I have is of me in my white Capote I hate the colour and won't wear it for real until I've toned it down. As I only spent £1 for the blanket at a charity shop I'm not going to spent £10 on bought dyes to tone down the colour. Keeping it simple please can you advise on how to dye it with nettles.
Hmmm, it's fair bit of work, maybe a tenner isn't so bad :)
However, here goes.
To get dye to afix evenly you have to prepare the material you want dyed. Firstly removing *all* grease and oil and then it's usually more sucessful to pre-mordant the fibres. Basically a mordant will leave the fabric receptive to picking up the dye colour.
Don't fuss about special wool soaps and the like, cheap generic supermarket shampoo works fine; it's meant for hair, wool is hair. Ammonia will work really well at degreasing (that's what the stale urine was really used for!)
Mordants can be troublesome. They are all, without exception, toxic. Used carefully and in moderation they ought to cause no problems, but if I find someone using tin or chrome just to get a brighter colour I will come and be very nasty to them :(
The usual ones acceptable in the uk are alum, iron and copper.
Alum is used in water treatment so the sewerage systems are set up to deal with it, copper is used in water pipes and again, in moderation, is processed without destroying the rivers. Iron is used by most females in the land at some point or other and to quote a sewage engineer (yes, I did go and ask about these), "You lot excete most of it, so we've gotten used to treating the excess". He almost had hysterics when I mentioned chrome and tin, so we won't go there, will we?
You need to weigh your jacket, and if you let me know I'll send you sufficient mordant for it, or if you'd prefer advise weights and where to obtain supplies. Much less mordant than is usually advised is needed for dyeing. Most of the how much to use advice comes from companies selling the stuff so it's in their interests to advise *lots* when it's not really necessary. Originally mordants were obtained from local minerals and plants. The plants that supply alum are bog mosses and it's definitely not recommended to collect them now. Iron and copper ore or iron pan water are a real pain to process, though steel wool and vinegar will give iron mordant and copper pipe in ammonia will give the copper one.
Nettles: Lots! You need as many leaves as will fit into the largest pot you have, pour over boiling water and simmer gently for maybe half an hour....strain it and you should have a strong green-brown liquor. This is your dye. If it's not strong enough you'll get a very soft sunbleached khaki green colour on your wool, but you can always boil up some more dye and steep the jacket again. The dye can be diluted down to create a sufficient volume of liquid for the fabric to move freely in the dyebath.
If you don't move the fabric gently around in the dye it'll create a very patchy looking finish (camouflage??)
The only problem I can see is that some wool felts very easily, which is why I'd recommend dyeing the fabric before the garment is made up, at least that way you can make it big enough instead of worrying about shrinkage. However, if you make sure to raise and lower the temperature of the wool slowly, no thermal shocks, and don't agitate it in the water, just gently move it about it ought to be fine.
How long? Ah well, if you raise the temperature of a reaction by 10oC you cut the time needed for the reaction in half, but if you think about it, that means that time will work as well as heat, so just leave it in until it's a colour you like or finally run out of patience :D
Hope this helps, if not give me a phone, or send a pm and I'll see what I can do,
Cheers,
Toddy
Capote washed, mordanted and soaking in nettle dye as we speak. Doesn't look green, more a dirty yellow but at least its not white!!! I have walnut leaves boiling (for brown dye), so I may be able to get a varied tone cammo look by selective dyeing.
AAAArgh
I've misread the instructions I used Alum as a mordant and I think I should have used copper and ammonia to get a green!!!! Perhaps next time.
Nick P
Capote washed, mordanted and soaking in nettle dye as we speak. Doesn't look green, more a dirty yellow but at least its not white!!! I have walnut leaves boiling (for brown dye), so I may be able to get a varied tone cammo look by selective dyeing.
AAAArgh
I've misread the instructions I used Alum as a mordant and I think I should have used copper and ammonia to get a green!!!! Perhaps next time.
Nick P
:D :cool:
Excellent! You obviously have the hang of this; wool overdyes very successfully. Just make up a new dye bath and soak again. I think your walnut leaves ought to give you a mousey brown on top of the nettle yellow (sort of grey yellow usually with alum) Certainly bushcrafty and utterly authentic. Alternatively, lift the jacket out of the dyebath, and if you make up a copper mordant and add that to the dyeliquor and then re-immerse the jacket, it ought to turn the yellow to green. The longer you leave the wool in the dye the better the colour. The only problem might be whatever your dyebath is made from. If it's plastic, fine, if it's aluminium the dye will try to stick to that instead of your wool, if it's iron it'll sadden down your dye to a grey green. Stainless steel isn't as stainless as we might like and eventually acts a bit like iron and mostly you end up dyeing the dyepot :confused:
Best of luck with it, hope you get a colour you like. :)
Cheers,
Toddy
Not thinking you would reply so quickly I have started an experiment with ammonia and some old copper pipe fittings.
But now you are on line please can you tell me how to make the copper mordant????
Nick P
Sorry, went for a snooze :o I saw dawn this morning and I'd been up since 5 the day before :D
Find a jar with a good screw top! elsewise you'll blast your sinuses clear. Put copper into the jar, pour on ammonia, don't fill to the brim or anything just generously cover and agitate gently, with the lid on!. Within minutes you'll have a beautiful ink blue coloured mordant. If you soak wool in this you'll get a green anyway, but it's harsh on the wool and makes it brittle. I usually leave it overnight and then strain the liquid into my dyebath. Sometimes a couple of spoonsful is enough but you're dyeing rather a lot so say at least 100ml of ammonia/copper.
Cheers,
Toddy
running bare
29-09-2005, 22:41
i know im years outta date on this thread! ive just joined and trawlin thru. how bout using a fleece throw? you can usually pik em up for about a fiver nd they dont get heavy wen wet, not natural or enviro friendly or bio degradable but at least the coke bottles have utha uses than littering the woods.
tom
i hate jungles!!!! concrete ones that is.
i know im years outta date on this thread! ive just joined and trawlin thru. how bout using a fleece throw? you can usually pik em up for about a fiver nd they dont get heavy wen wet, not natural or enviro friendly or bio degradable but at least the coke bottles have utha uses than littering the woods.
tom
i hate jungles!!!! concrete ones that is.
Fleece works well......but not beside open fires :rolleyes: and it gets sweaty smelly in a way that wool doesn't, and it clings too and isn't warm when damp or wet. (okay, it's lighter and easier to wash) It's not bad stuff, just not as good as wool for some bushcrafty things.
I know what you mean about concrete jungles, and acres of tarmac too. Gulag school of architecture ought to be pulled down as a service to humanity! :)
Cheers,
Toddy