Natural alternatives to fleece?

[Burt]

I am after replaing my current synthetic fleece and am looking at either a Swanndri Ranger Shirt or a 400gsm Ulfrotte jacket as on RM site. I will be using it for british weather mainly. Has anyone got any suggestions as to which would be the most user friendly/warm/hardwaring. Secondly where are the cheapest places to obtain either for the UK. :?:

[Not Bob]

The best replacement for synthetic fleece has got to be natural fleece aka wool surely?

[steve a]

I'd go for the Swannie, the ulfrotte gear is not really designed to be worn as a top layer and is not that durable if worn as such.

[RJP]

I don't know about the Ullfrotte stuff, but I have had a Swandri skippers shirt that came form the swandri seconds shop about 4years ago. It was about £30 and was a trial colour (red/grey check). It was brought over by a friend from NZ. It is excellent very hard wearing, and I personally find it a lot warmer than a fleece of similar weight.
The downside is that it is not very wind proof.
I have just bought a rangers shirt which is a non-seconds, and is also very good although I still prefer the Skippers shirt. The rangers shirt is overhead by the way.
It might be worth contacting Swandri in NZ about the access to seconds over the web,
Hope this helps,
Rob.

PS. I think Gary on here does the rangers shirts (bearclawbushcraft.co.uk)

[arctic hobo]

The best replacement for synthetic fleece has got to be natural fleece aka wool surely?

Exactly. Pure wool, no competition. I could go on for hours about how good it is but I don't think I need to. As regards Ulfrotte, it is very popular and often seen as a standard, but I know for one that Gary at Bearclaw thinks it's rubbish. A try before you buy would be a good idea.

[jakunen]

I'd go for the SwannDri too personally. I've got a Ranger Extreme coming from NZ thanx to a good friend over there (once his local shop lets him know its in).

[bambodoggy]

Hey Mate, can't say anything about the Ullfrotte as I've never used one but I can vouch for the Swanni's being a top bit of kit. Very warm and very hardwearing....i have the Ranger shirt and wouldn't be without it.
I got mine off a New Zealand website...

http://www.ecowool.com/product/1657

Don't think there's much difference with buying off there and having it shipped here compared to buying it over here.... (the site says free shipping worldwide but I can't remember if that was the case when I got mine).

Hope that helps....

[tenbears10]

Swanndri sizes are quite gengerous.

How do you guys wash them? is 40 degrees in the machine ok?

[Not Bob]

My suggestion - go to a charity shop and buy a good quality woolly pully in not too hideous a colour/pattern and wear that.
The plus points of this strategy are:
- it'll be cheap,
- it'll keep you warm,
- it won't melt on you,
- by buying from a charity shop you'll be doing someone some good,
- you'll be having less effect on the environment than buying new,
- you won't care if you ruin it
- and if, after you've worn it a while, you still decide you want a Swanni or the like you'll still have money to buy one and can at least be sure you shouldn't have settled for a cheaper alternative

[tenbears10]

Notbob has a point, an army surplus wolly jumper is very cheap and if you don't want green get a navy or raf one.

[Not Bob]

Notbob has a point

Thanks, I thought so too.
It needn't be an ex-forces jumper though, any close-knit hardwearing one will do.

[Snufkin]

I am a Swanndri fan, go for the ranger shirt, I got mine from ecowool too and didn't get charged postage. I got my bushshirt direct from Swanndri but with postage it worked out at the same price as from ecowool.
I handwash mine but as they are wool and non-stinky you don't have to do it that often.

[Danceswithhelicopters]

Swanndri, Wash it??????? 10 years without a clean-apart from cold loch water-and still looking good. I forget how good they are for a while and when I find it again it always impresses me with the warmth and simplicity. I'd kill for a DPM one. It appears only small ones are available.

[Paganwolf]

Er wash your swandri!! you will wash all the stink of woodsmoke out of it and it will be rendered an virgin once more :shock: seriously, swandri's are a top quality bit of clothing which will last you a life time,and thats no exaggeration..

[Snufkin]

You gotta wash Swannies regularly, once every five years :wink:

[greg2935]

I agree, Swandri are very good, and people I've met that have one swear by them, but £53 is a tad out of my reach, £3.50 for a good quality wooly, and that will last 5 years+ with reasonable wear. I would prefer to pay more for a good quality water proof breathable outer jacket and keep inner layers' costs down, just my preference though!

Greg

[Viking]

Never used a swanni, but I have used a ullfrotte jacket 400g for 8 years now (army issue) and I think they are excellent for cold weather when you are wearing a jacket over.

[2blackcat]

I can only vouch for the Swanndri.
I found it cheaper to order direct from New Zealand. Including postage it still worked out cheaper. That was for the lace-up classic one (forget the proper name - it's late) :?:


Steve

[Hoodoo]

The sizes on the Swanndri don't make much sense to me. They seem to be different than what Mears has listed on his site for s, m, l, xl, etc. Mears states explicity his sizes are chest sizes. If the Swanndri site is the same, then the sizes do not dovetail with Mears.

[Moonraker]

For those that ordered direct from NZ did you not have to pay import tax + VAT to Customs when it came into the UK?

[jakunen]

Mine's coming in a plain brown wrapper...

[bambodoggy]

For those that ordered direct from NZ did you not have to pay import tax + VAT to Customs when it came into the UK?

It's very hit and miss....they only grab a selection as they go through...sometimes you'll pay and other times you won't. You can try to get round it by asking the supplier to mark it clearly as "2nd hand goods" or if they will to put it's value below £30 (I think that's the watershed).... but really it's in the lap of the gods.
It's never happened to me with goods from NZ or Oz but happens all the time with goods from the USA (I'm a dispatch manager so I have lots of stuff going in and out all the time).

[Moonraker]

And looking at the prices, and Swanndri Original Bush Shirt is 289NZD which is around £107 from one of the links given above Ecowool with free world shipping.

But you can get the same product from Woodland Organics for example for £104.99 including free shipping in UK. Why get them from NZ when they cost about the same with the danger of paying a large chunk of tax on top and you can support local business here :?:

[bambodoggy]

According to Eco's converter it's only £104.21...lol...a saving over 75p!!!! but that's a fair point about buying from home mate.

I got mine from them because at the time the price difference was quite a lot more....looks like it's less worth while now.

[Snufkin]

And looking at the prices, and Swanndri Original Bush Shirt is 289NZD which is around £107 from one of the links given above Ecowool with free world shipping.

But you can get the same product from Woodland Organics for example for £104.99 including free shipping in UK. Why get them from NZ when they cost about the same with the danger of paying a large chunk of tax on top and you can support local business here :?:

It just depends on the exchange rate at the time. For me, when I ordered, even if I got caught for VAT and duty it still worked out cheaper. I got charged for the bush shirt not for the ranger. I worked out the bush shirt cost £97 and the ranger £35ish (a while ago so figures are ballpark).
But I agree in supporting local business if it isn't going to cost me over the odds.

[jamesdevine]

If your in a Euro country it's far cheaper to get it direct from NZ. As the exchange with the UK kills me I can get a ranger shirt of €60.00 which is £35 pounds even if customs get me it worth it. :super:

James

[MartiniDave]

I have a swanni ranger shirt, which is good, but I get on almost as well with the thick lined cotton overshirts, favoured by builders etc, off the market for about a tenner a pop. You don't worry so much if they get snagged or ripped. Nikwax works well on these.

Dave

[RJP]

On the issue of customs, you could always go to NZ and buy it, wear it and then bring it back! ):
It wouldn't be the cheapest option, but you would get a trip to NZ thrown in!! :rolmao:
Rob

[Gary]

I am after replaing my current synthetic fleece and am looking at either a Swanndri Ranger Shirt or a 400gsm Ulfrotte jacket as on RM site. I will be using it for british weather mainly. Has anyone got any suggestions as to which would be the most user friendly/warm/hardwaring. Secondly where are the cheapest places to obtain either for the UK. :?:

Burt, Im probably a bit late here but as I have both I can confidantly recommend the Swandri - as its warm, more versatile and harder wearing.

If your a xl and want a cheap Ulfrotte pm me! :wink:

[JimH]

I bought most of my Swannies from a bloke on Penkridge Market who had masses of remaindered rangers/explorers for ~30 quid apiece (18 months ago). When I last checked he still had a load, though mainly XL or smaller and *very* vivid colours for the most part. I was planning on looking him up again shortly. Anyone fancy a cheap, loud Swannie, I could pass a message. He told me he'd mail them if I wanted, postage unspecified...

Jim.