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As one of the comments mentions, the best solution to cold temperatures has always been wool. As a foreigner it's striking to me how little wool is worn here in

As one of the comments mentions, the best solution to cold temperatures has always been wool. As a foreigner it's striking to me how little wool is worn here in the US. It's one of the few renewable natural fibres and a fantastic insulator. Get some merino long johns and wool sweaters and you're good. It's not itchy.

bluedino 4y ago
One of the best purchases I ever made was a big pack of wool socks.
galdosdi 4y ago
As a born and raised (dyed in the wool? :P) US American, I am equally amazed it took me so long in life to discover the joy of good wool. I think it's because Americans are conditioned to just stay in their house/car/public building HVAC bubble, with AC and heat always set to about 70 Fahrenheit[1], and never having to think about the real world for more than a moment in the parking lot. As a result if you talk to Americans about this you might find all kinds of nonsense objections, like calling wool an expensive luxury. One of the truly formative experiences of my life was the first time I slept in below-freezing weather outdoors. All it took was about $250 worth combined of wool clothing and a well rated sleeping bag. It really made me realize how much more powerful body insulation is in the fight against winter cold. Suddenly it makes sense why in old Victorian books, everyone is wearing nightcaps. But it's not even that expensive. Like yeah, it does cost more upfront compared to cheap clothes that provide no temperature regulating function, just cover you up. I get it. If you're very poor, it's harder. But if wearing more wool allows you to lower the thermostat, it can pay for itself massively. For example, a good pair of very warm long underwear is about $100, and will last 2 winters (let's say 5 months each, total of 10 months) if you are too lazy to ever mend it, significantly longer if you invest half an hour a year or so into mending holes and take good care of it (eg, only wear it under pants to reduce wear) That is about $10 a month (or half as much or less if you mend) and you can easily be comfortable 10 degrees cooler with it. If you can't save $10 a month by lowering the temperature 10 degrees If you are worried about your heat bill, first invest in wool. It will pay for itself very quickly. [1] All temps in this post in Fahrenheit. Not sorry, it's better for weather discussions while Centigrade is better for chemistry/cooking.
- wyager 4y ago
  > I think it's because Americans are conditioned to just stay in their house/car/public building HVAC bubble, with AC and heat always set to about 70 Fahrenheit[1], and never having to think about the real world This can also be described as "living in a civilization with abundant energy", and it's an admirable state of affairs - one we should strive to develop further, rather than regressing to the level of societal poverty where we're subject to weather's capriciousness. I love wool, but not because I hate temperature control technology.
  - cma 4y ago
    It's a false abundance where we don't pay for its externalities.
    - wyager 4y ago
      Then correctly price in those fairly insignificant externalities. Don't try to force everyone into poverty.
  - elliottkember 4y ago
    > This can also be described as "living in a civilization with abundant energy", and it's an admirable state of affairs I think this is the American mindset that I've noticed the most - a historical abundance of energy means future energy supply should be guaranteed. Big cars, A/C, central heating - all are inefficient uses of energy. Your body naturally produces heat, all day. Wearing insulating material, like wool, makes use of that heat. Burning fuel to replace its loss does not.
- ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
  > All temps in this post in Fahrenheit. Not sorry, it's better for weather discussions Fahrenheit is only officially used in the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Cayman Islands, and the former American colony of Liberia. Everywhere else in the world disagrees with you. >Centigrade is better for chemistry/cooking. It's been called Celsius since 1948.
Arrath 4y ago
I love my merino wool long underwear, its both incredibly comfortable and very warm. For everything from skiing to work, to lounging at home during the winter. Hands get cold? Better brew up a cup of something!
lm28469 4y ago
Merino wool is magic, I only wear that these days. It never smells, dry very quickly, warm when you layer it, cool when you use a single layer
kixiQu 4y ago
I adore it, and as someone trying to avoid non-biodegradable fabrics, I lean on it, but its care needs are quite different to all the other clothing I own. An absence of wool perpetuates itself because then people aren't comfortable cleaning it.
skyfaller 4y ago
Low-Tech Mag also discusses insulating the body without electricity: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/02/body-insulation-thermal-underwear.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/02/body-insulation-th... As they mention in that article, the main advantage of synthetics over wool is that synthetics weigh much less while providing the same insulation. However, I figure this is less important if you're sitting around your house than if you're e.g. hiking and have to carry the weight with you, and wool should be great indoors. Personally I will avoid buying synthetics from now on in an effort to eliminate plastics / fossil fuel products from my life, and reduce microplastic pollution. I will probably be buying more wool, to avoid "death cloth" / clothes that stop insulating if you sweat / get wet. Are there any other notable natural fibers besides wool that continue to insulate when wet?
- tristor 4y ago
  Synthetics do weigh less, and there's definitely a place for them, but this is not without trade-offs. If you're purely trying to warm up, synthetics are superior to wool, but if you want to assist body temperature regulation across a wider temperature band, wool is actually superior to synthetics.
- fractallyte 4y ago
  Fiber pile, for example from Buffalo Systems (https://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/ https://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/) insulates when wet. They even produce clothing for situations where one must remain stationary in Arctic conditions!
  - skyfaller 4y ago
    Are you sure these are natural? In their FAQ, they say: > Is My Buffalo Vegan Friendly? > "Yes - The shell lining we use is 100% Polyamide and our internal lining is synthetic - 100% Polyester. No animal products were used in the production of your Buffalo Systems garment. I think that means it is synthetic, not natural. It may be possible to make fiber pile from natural fibers, but I think this company is using plastic.
wyager 4y ago
It's also less likely to subject your body to endocrine disruptors.
francisofascii 4y ago
I think even the merino clothing is itchy honestly, so I will wear an undershirt for even more insulation.
tristor 4y ago
> As a foreigner it's striking to me how little wool is worn here in the US. This one has always surprised me as well. I wear wool socks, wool underwear, and a wool undershirt/t-shirt every day. I got into the habit while traveling as a digital nomad, because wool is so good at temperature regulation that it actually works well in any climate. Just a thin layer of wool will help you to both feel cooler when in hot weather and warmer when in cold weather, and this works even when wool is wet (unlike cotton). There's definitely an increased cost to doing this, but wool clothing items tend to also be more durable (and easier to fix through mending and darning) than other clothes, and it packs well because wool doesn't produce wrinkles in the same way as other materials. It seems though that there is at least some appreciation for wool in the US for those who like technical clothing or who do outdoors activities.
- adammarples 4y ago
  Kind of disagree with this. My merino wool tshirts are great in winter but they are not cooler in summer than cotton, and they are also less hard wearing than cotton. Great for all temps except warm temps and with the advantage of being nice and soft and smelling less.

bluedino 4y ago

One of the best purchases I ever made was a big pack of wool socks.

galdosdi 4y ago

As a born and raised (dyed in the wool? :P) US American, I am equally amazed it took me so long in life to discover the joy of good wool. I think it's because Americans are conditioned to just stay in their house/car/public building HVAC bubble, with AC and heat always set to about 70 Fahrenheit[1], and never having to think about the real world for more than a moment in the parking lot. As a result if you talk to Americans about this you might find all kinds of nonsense objections, like calling wool an expensive luxury. One of the truly formative experiences of my life was the first time I slept in below-freezing weather outdoors. All it took was about $250 worth combined of wool clothing and a well rated sleeping bag. It really made me realize how much more powerful body insulation is in the fight against winter cold. Suddenly it makes sense why in old Victorian books, everyone is wearing nightcaps. But it's not even that expensive. Like yeah, it does cost more upfront compared to cheap clothes that provide no temperature regulating function, just cover you up. I get it. If you're very poor, it's harder. But if wearing more wool allows you to lower the thermostat, it can pay for itself massively. For example, a good pair of very warm long underwear is about $100, and will last 2 winters (let's say 5 months each, total of 10 months) if you are too lazy to ever mend it, significantly longer if you invest half an hour a year or so into mending holes and take good care of it (eg, only wear it under pants to reduce wear) That is about $10 a month (or half as much or less if you mend) and you can easily be comfortable 10 degrees cooler with it. If you can't save $10 a month by lowering the temperature 10 degrees If you are worried about your heat bill, first invest in wool. It will pay for itself very quickly. [1] All temps in this post in Fahrenheit. Not sorry, it's better for weather discussions while Centigrade is better for chemistry/cooking.

wyager 4y ago
> I think it's because Americans are conditioned to just stay in their house/car/public building HVAC bubble, with AC and heat always set to about 70 Fahrenheit[1], and never having to think about the real world This can also be described as "living in a civilization with abundant energy", and it's an admirable state of affairs - one we should strive to develop further, rather than regressing to the level of societal poverty where we're subject to weather's capriciousness. I love wool, but not because I hate temperature control technology.
- cma 4y ago
  It's a false abundance where we don't pay for its externalities.
  - wyager 4y ago
    Then correctly price in those fairly insignificant externalities. Don't try to force everyone into poverty.
- elliottkember 4y ago
  > This can also be described as "living in a civilization with abundant energy", and it's an admirable state of affairs I think this is the American mindset that I've noticed the most - a historical abundance of energy means future energy supply should be guaranteed. Big cars, A/C, central heating - all are inefficient uses of energy. Your body naturally produces heat, all day. Wearing insulating material, like wool, makes use of that heat. Burning fuel to replace its loss does not.
ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
> All temps in this post in Fahrenheit. Not sorry, it's better for weather discussions Fahrenheit is only officially used in the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Cayman Islands, and the former American colony of Liberia. Everywhere else in the world disagrees with you. >Centigrade is better for chemistry/cooking. It's been called Celsius since 1948.

Arrath 4y ago

I love my merino wool long underwear, its both incredibly comfortable and very warm. For everything from skiing to work, to lounging at home during the winter. Hands get cold? Better brew up a cup of something!

lm28469 4y ago

Merino wool is magic, I only wear that these days. It never smells, dry very quickly, warm when you layer it, cool when you use a single layer

kixiQu 4y ago

I adore it, and as someone trying to avoid non-biodegradable fabrics, I lean on it, but its care needs are quite different to all the other clothing I own. An absence of wool perpetuates itself because then people aren't comfortable cleaning it.

skyfaller 4y ago

Low-Tech Mag also discusses insulating the body without electricity: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/02/body-insulation-thermal-underwear.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/02/body-insulation-th... As they mention in that article, the main advantage of synthetics over wool is that synthetics weigh much less while providing the same insulation. However, I figure this is less important if you're sitting around your house than if you're e.g. hiking and have to carry the weight with you, and wool should be great indoors. Personally I will avoid buying synthetics from now on in an effort to eliminate plastics / fossil fuel products from my life, and reduce microplastic pollution. I will probably be buying more wool, to avoid "death cloth" / clothes that stop insulating if you sweat / get wet. Are there any other notable natural fibers besides wool that continue to insulate when wet?

tristor 4y ago
Synthetics do weigh less, and there's definitely a place for them, but this is not without trade-offs. If you're purely trying to warm up, synthetics are superior to wool, but if you want to assist body temperature regulation across a wider temperature band, wool is actually superior to synthetics.
fractallyte 4y ago
Fiber pile, for example from Buffalo Systems (https://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/ https://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/) insulates when wet. They even produce clothing for situations where one must remain stationary in Arctic conditions!
- skyfaller 4y ago
  Are you sure these are natural? In their FAQ, they say: > Is My Buffalo Vegan Friendly? > "Yes - The shell lining we use is 100% Polyamide and our internal lining is synthetic - 100% Polyester. No animal products were used in the production of your Buffalo Systems garment. I think that means it is synthetic, not natural. It may be possible to make fiber pile from natural fibers, but I think this company is using plastic.

wyager 4y ago

It's also less likely to subject your body to endocrine disruptors.

francisofascii 4y ago

I think even the merino clothing is itchy honestly, so I will wear an undershirt for even more insulation.

tristor 4y ago

> As a foreigner it's striking to me how little wool is worn here in the US. This one has always surprised me as well. I wear wool socks, wool underwear, and a wool undershirt/t-shirt every day. I got into the habit while traveling as a digital nomad, because wool is so good at temperature regulation that it actually works well in any climate. Just a thin layer of wool will help you to both feel cooler when in hot weather and warmer when in cold weather, and this works even when wool is wet (unlike cotton). There's definitely an increased cost to doing this, but wool clothing items tend to also be more durable (and easier to fix through mending and darning) than other clothes, and it packs well because wool doesn't produce wrinkles in the same way as other materials. It seems though that there is at least some appreciation for wool in the US for those who like technical clothing or who do outdoors activities.

adammarples 4y ago
Kind of disagree with this. My merino wool tshirts are great in winter but they are not cooler in summer than cotton, and they are also less hard wearing than cotton. Great for all temps except warm temps and with the advantage of being nice and soft and smelling less.