Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

I40CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTwoven, so as to hold air and take up moisture fromthe body. The air connned in the interspaces is anon-conductor, and so helps to prevent sudden chillingon the one hand and over-heating on the other.A loose texture absorbs sweat but does not hold it—the moisture is free to pass on to and through theouter garments. In town we may endure closewovenunderwear in summer, if thin enough, becausew^e exercise little and can bathe and changefrequently. In the woods we would have to changefour times a day to keep near as dry.Wool versus Cotton.— Permeability also dependsupon material. Ordinary cotton and linengoods do not permit rapid evaporation. They abi>orbmoisture from the skin, but hold it up to t'heThen, when they can hold nclimit of saturation.more, they are clammy, and the sweat can onlyescape by running down one's skin.After hard exertion in such garments, if you sitdown to rest, or meet a sudden keen wind, as in toppinga ridge, you are likely to get a chill — and thenext thing is a " bad cold," or lumbago, rheumatism,or something worse.Wool, on the contrary, is permeable. That iswhy (if of suitable weight and loose weave) it isboth cooler in summer and warmer in winter than*'cloth made from vegetable fibre. One wraps himselfin a woolen blanket to keep warm — to keepthe heat in. He wraps ice in a blanket to keep itfrom melting — to keep the heat out." In otherwords, wool is the best material to maintain anequable, normal temperature.However, the broad statement that one shouldwear nothing but wool at all seasons requires modification.It depends upon quality and weave.Some flannels are less absorptive and less permeable(especially after a few washings by the scrub-andwring-outprocess) than open-texture cottons andlinens.And, speaking of washing, here comes another