Blahh, clothing and fabric finish, who in the heck would write about something so boring? Apparently my wife things I need to, I mean I do tap her mind for ideas when looking for the next blog article so I am greatly in debt to her. I'm thinking it's probably her outdoor retail experience kicking in, but hey, it did turn into a good idea the more I researched this topic. If I was a real adventurer I would probably know this stuff, I mean I pay a lot of money for all this gear with things I don't understand written all over the tags. It's about time we all change this, suck it up, and figure out what is what and why. If that makes sense.

Apparently the big thing these days is organic. Organic this and organic that, from food to the clothes you wear, to be honest does the word organic fabric make that much sense? Well, I guess organic cotton, like any other crop, is raised with out nasty chemicals. Apparently the process usually continues into the fabric making process, with organic cotton not using "bad" dyes, bleaches, and chemicals. So, if you feel like making a difference in the world in every way possible, check that tag next time to see if the fabric you are purchasing is organic.

Sheep. Yes sheep. Have you ever heard of Merino Wool? Mmm...me either. Apparently this woolly wool actually costs more then all those fancy synthetic fibers in all that high end athletic wear. The Merino is a type of sheep that has the best wool, weird, I know. The greatest thing about wool in the outdoor environment is that it keeps warm when wet, unlike cotton in which you would freeze. Something that surprised me about merino wool was the wicking properties, yes something else besides synthetic clothes can wick. So baaahhh.

DWR finish. Sounds like some sort of hardware store thing, but it stands for Durable Water Repellent. So all that nice rain ware you care so much for and trust to keep you dry needs a first line of defense. You need something on the very outer most layer of your clothing that will be in contact with water first, that is DWR. Durable Water Repellent is made up of chemicals that are applied not in-between the clothing fibers, but actually coat the fibers, making the water bead up and hopefully run right off the garment at contact. Yes your gear can get old and eventually DWR applied on the fibers will fade away from their former glory, but of course, everything else comes in a can, why not DWR? So never fear, you can pick up a can to spray on that old rain jacket you love so much.
That is all I can take for one day. Done.

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