6 ms·

I'm sort of pessimistic. I don't think we will ever have a perfect single textile material. A mixture of materials is more likely. Just because something is li

by agentgt 10y ago

I'm sort of pessimistic. I don't think we will ever have a perfect single textile material. A mixture of materials is more likely. Just because something is light and super strong does not make it comfortable. Otherwise we would all be wearing nylon all the time (or some derivation... nylon is super strong and of course there is Kevlar as well). The problem is nylon is pretty damn uncomfortable. I remember seeing something on PBS where they showed spider silk and I admit it seemed compelling and I can easily see it probably mixed in with other textile yarns. Of course why stop at spiders and not modify geese, goats, and sheep for their incredible and generally efficient fabric production. Synthetics still have a hard time beating goose down for warmth. Is spider silk going to be better for high loft? I doubt it.

Razengan 10y ago
Other than optimal temperature, what does the human skin need to feel "comfort?" Would the below work? [ Body | A layer of comfortable fabric that is only a few atoms thick | Pockets of air | A layer of light+strong magic material like spider silk ] and nanobots embedded throughout the clothing that sense your skin's temperature and heat/vent the air pockets accordingly.
- agentgt 10y ago
  > Other than optimal temperature, what does the human skin need to feel "comfort?" Water... Humidity control and water transport is a huge aspect. This is why wicking is a big deal for base layers. And there is different types of wicking as well: moving to the next layer or just absorbing the water. There are pros and cons to both methods. The synthetics usually transport moisture... but this really sucks if your outer layer is waterproof which is often the case. This is one of the many reason why wool is often used as a base layer. Wool has great humidity control via absorption with out loss of temperature. Some fabrics via absorption become like heat sink conductors (cotton) and others like neoprene (wool). Otherwise you get chaffing, extreme heat loss, fabric freezing to skin, difficult to dry among other things... there is hackneyed expression that hikers have: cotton kills. However wool can only absorb so much water. One of the fundamental problems is that it is really hard to create breathable fabric and waterproof fabric (despite gore-tex marketing claims). But yeah if you had nanotech adjusting to heat/cold and water... sure it would be possible.
  - Arizhel 10y ago
    >This is one of the many reason why wool is often used as a base layer. Wool is itchy and scratchy. Lots of people hate wool. >there is hackneyed expression that hikers have: cotton kills. Yes, cotton is terrible as a base layer. That's why high-quality hiker's socks have a lot of nylon, the thing you claim in another post is "pretty damn uncomfortable". My hiking socks aren't uncomfortable at all.
    - agentgt 10y ago
      > Wool is itchy and scratchy. Lots of people hate wool. And synthetics stink like crap after short use. Today's Merino Wool is not as scratchy as yesteryear (e.g. smartwool, icebreakers, etc). > Yes, cotton is terrible as a base layer. That's why high-quality hiker's socks have a lot of nylon, the thing you claim in another post is "pretty damn uncomfortable". My hiking socks aren't uncomfortable at all. Nylon is fantastic for feet particularly if mixed with other fabric. DarnTough and Smartwool use a merino nylon mix. Your feet are different than the rest of your body and my previous comment was alluding to 100% nylon. If you think a 100% nylon shirt is comfortable (or even warm for that matter) I must admit I will be amused.
      - Arizhel 10y ago
        >Your feet are different than the rest of your body and my previous comment was alluding to 100% nylon. >If you think a 100% nylon shirt is comfortable (or even warm for that matter) I must admit I will be amused. Tons of women seem to have no problem with nylon hosiery. And tons of men are now wearing fairly similar "baselayer" leggings made of nylon.
        agentgt 10y ago
        > Tons of women seem to have no problem with nylon hosiery. And tons of men are now wearing fairly similar "baselayer" leggings made of nylon. And there are tons of women that do find it uncomfortable. In fact I don't know of a single woman that enjoys being in nylons all day. As for men wearing nylon leggings (which I assume non hosiery but for active wear) it is a blend of fabrics. Usually it is a mixture of nylon, spandex, polyester maybe some wool. To be honest spandex is more of the key component (not by total % but giving it the stretch) in leggings these days. EDIT your reference to yoga pants/tights is amusing but you do know that yoga pants/tights aren't made of 100% nylon? They are made just like work out leggings which might have nylon as component. The key ingredient for tights these days is spandex and not nylon.
- kazagistar 10y ago
  There are psychological and social factors like not wearing skintight transparent clothing.
  - Razengan 10y ago
    I expect that would be a plus point for some.
Arizhel 10y ago
>The problem is nylon is pretty damn uncomfortable. How on Earth is nylon "pretty damn uncomfortable"? They make all kinds of body-hugging clothes with it.
- agentgt 10y ago
  Because Nylon (other than radiating heat back) doesn't trap heat worth a damn, often makes noises when you move, and various other things (doesn't absorb water). Now a mixture of nylon is a different thing but I was referring to 100%. Frankly I find the tactile feel of most synthetics (especially nylon exterior wear) pretty nasty (particularly the more water resistant/proof it is).
  - Arizhel 10y ago
    Maybe you're just weird. Lots of winter jackets these days are made of nylon outer layers and you're the only person I've ever heard call it "nasty". Obviously lots of people like them or else they wouldn't be selling so well.
    - agentgt 10y ago
      > Maybe you're just weird. Lots of winter jackets these days are made of nylon outer layers and you're the only person I've ever heard call it "nasty". People who want to move silently do not wear nylon (ask hunters and various hikers). I admit I find the feeling of it weird as it has a rough canvas feeling but even canvas feels better (I'm talking the jackets that use nylon). As per your other comment (different thread) about hosiery being made out of nylon that is because nylon is so strong and not because it is comfortable. The other options like silk would be far more comfortable. This is where spider silk could actually be a great alternative. > Obviously lots of people like them or else they wouldn't be selling so well. Actually nylon is becoming seen less and less for outerwear exterior particularly for performance wear or luxury wear. In large part this is due to breathability and weight. For example most of Patagonia's jackets these days aim for breathability so they sacrifice 100% waterproof nylon with a DWR polyester. Most of the high end brand outwear jackets now use a cotton blend + polyester (canadian goose, Fjallraven G1000, etc). I agree that nylon is superior in terms of strength and cost but clearly it isn't the most comfortable nor has a luxurious feel. It is also a regarded as dangerous to wear if you are around fire. Wool and Cotton/Poly blends are still often preferred by campers. I have admitted multitude of times that nylon is great for what it is but you seem contentious to prove it is the ultimate fabric. I would rather wear 100% merino wool (which I'm wearing now) than 100% nylon any day.

by agentgt 10y ago

Razengan 10y ago

Other than optimal temperature, what does the human skin need to feel "comfort?" Would the below work? [ Body | A layer of comfortable fabric that is only a few atoms thick | Pockets of air | A layer of light+strong magic material like spider silk ] and nanobots embedded throughout the clothing that sense your skin's temperature and heat/vent the air pockets accordingly.

agentgt 10y ago
> Other than optimal temperature, what does the human skin need to feel "comfort?" Water... Humidity control and water transport is a huge aspect. This is why wicking is a big deal for base layers. And there is different types of wicking as well: moving to the next layer or just absorbing the water. There are pros and cons to both methods. The synthetics usually transport moisture... but this really sucks if your outer layer is waterproof which is often the case. This is one of the many reason why wool is often used as a base layer. Wool has great humidity control via absorption with out loss of temperature. Some fabrics via absorption become like heat sink conductors (cotton) and others like neoprene (wool). Otherwise you get chaffing, extreme heat loss, fabric freezing to skin, difficult to dry among other things... there is hackneyed expression that hikers have: cotton kills. However wool can only absorb so much water. One of the fundamental problems is that it is really hard to create breathable fabric and waterproof fabric (despite gore-tex marketing claims). But yeah if you had nanotech adjusting to heat/cold and water... sure it would be possible.
- Arizhel 10y ago
  >This is one of the many reason why wool is often used as a base layer. Wool is itchy and scratchy. Lots of people hate wool. >there is hackneyed expression that hikers have: cotton kills. Yes, cotton is terrible as a base layer. That's why high-quality hiker's socks have a lot of nylon, the thing you claim in another post is "pretty damn uncomfortable". My hiking socks aren't uncomfortable at all.
  - agentgt 10y ago
    > Wool is itchy and scratchy. Lots of people hate wool. And synthetics stink like crap after short use. Today's Merino Wool is not as scratchy as yesteryear (e.g. smartwool, icebreakers, etc). > Yes, cotton is terrible as a base layer. That's why high-quality hiker's socks have a lot of nylon, the thing you claim in another post is "pretty damn uncomfortable". My hiking socks aren't uncomfortable at all. Nylon is fantastic for feet particularly if mixed with other fabric. DarnTough and Smartwool use a merino nylon mix. Your feet are different than the rest of your body and my previous comment was alluding to 100% nylon. If you think a 100% nylon shirt is comfortable (or even warm for that matter) I must admit I will be amused.
    - Arizhel 10y ago
      >Your feet are different than the rest of your body and my previous comment was alluding to 100% nylon. >If you think a 100% nylon shirt is comfortable (or even warm for that matter) I must admit I will be amused. Tons of women seem to have no problem with nylon hosiery. And tons of men are now wearing fairly similar "baselayer" leggings made of nylon.
      - agentgt 10y ago
        > Tons of women seem to have no problem with nylon hosiery. And tons of men are now wearing fairly similar "baselayer" leggings made of nylon. And there are tons of women that do find it uncomfortable. In fact I don't know of a single woman that enjoys being in nylons all day. As for men wearing nylon leggings (which I assume non hosiery but for active wear) it is a blend of fabrics. Usually it is a mixture of nylon, spandex, polyester maybe some wool. To be honest spandex is more of the key component (not by total % but giving it the stretch) in leggings these days. EDIT your reference to yoga pants/tights is amusing but you do know that yoga pants/tights aren't made of 100% nylon? They are made just like work out leggings which might have nylon as component. The key ingredient for tights these days is spandex and not nylon.
kazagistar 10y ago
There are psychological and social factors like not wearing skintight transparent clothing.
- Razengan 10y ago
  I expect that would be a plus point for some.

Arizhel 10y ago

>The problem is nylon is pretty damn uncomfortable. How on Earth is nylon "pretty damn uncomfortable"? They make all kinds of body-hugging clothes with it.

agentgt 10y ago
Because Nylon (other than radiating heat back) doesn't trap heat worth a damn, often makes noises when you move, and various other things (doesn't absorb water). Now a mixture of nylon is a different thing but I was referring to 100%. Frankly I find the tactile feel of most synthetics (especially nylon exterior wear) pretty nasty (particularly the more water resistant/proof it is).
- Arizhel 10y ago
  Maybe you're just weird. Lots of winter jackets these days are made of nylon outer layers and you're the only person I've ever heard call it "nasty". Obviously lots of people like them or else they wouldn't be selling so well.
  - agentgt 10y ago
    > Maybe you're just weird. Lots of winter jackets these days are made of nylon outer layers and you're the only person I've ever heard call it "nasty". People who want to move silently do not wear nylon (ask hunters and various hikers). I admit I find the feeling of it weird as it has a rough canvas feeling but even canvas feels better (I'm talking the jackets that use nylon). As per your other comment (different thread) about hosiery being made out of nylon that is because nylon is so strong and not because it is comfortable. The other options like silk would be far more comfortable. This is where spider silk could actually be a great alternative. > Obviously lots of people like them or else they wouldn't be selling so well. Actually nylon is becoming seen less and less for outerwear exterior particularly for performance wear or luxury wear. In large part this is due to breathability and weight. For example most of Patagonia's jackets these days aim for breathability so they sacrifice 100% waterproof nylon with a DWR polyester. Most of the high end brand outwear jackets now use a cotton blend + polyester (canadian goose, Fjallraven G1000, etc). I agree that nylon is superior in terms of strength and cost but clearly it isn't the most comfortable nor has a luxurious feel. It is also a regarded as dangerous to wear if you are around fire. Wool and Cotton/Poly blends are still often preferred by campers. I have admitted multitude of times that nylon is great for what it is but you seem contentious to prove it is the ultimate fabric. I would rather wear 100% merino wool (which I'm wearing now) than 100% nylon any day.