Don't think that's still available. I think "they" banned it some time ago because it was supposed to be eating a hole in the ozone layer. Too bad, because it worked well.
Loving these videos! And dude, when people write you every day asking where they can buy something that's not currently out there to buy easily, that's the Universe knocking on your door with a business idea. That doesn't happen very often - you should listen to it! ;)
I found a product from Finland, that was made specifically for treating wool. Ive used it, and it helps for sure, but I never thought of multiple applications. Unless it's heavy and thick enough to not see through, it will never ever be waterproof, or even close to it. They've used waxed cotton, oiled canvas, all sorts of things over the years, to be waterproof, but it has to be a tight weave. Main thing is, as you said, people were wayyyy tougher back then.
An American writer Horace Kepart wrote in Camping And Woodcraft,in 1917.To waterproof woolen clothing to use anhydrous lanolin(water free as opposed to hydrous lanolin used for cosmetics)mixed with a solvent, he used gasoline but I am sure today there would be better and less volitile products to use.He claims it to be waterproof ,breathable,permanent with no change to weight, odour or colour.The strength of the solution to vary with climate,for average,temperate climate use 4 ounces to a gallon(US)gasoline,for cold or winter use only use 2 ounces per gallon.I have never used it but it has intrigued me for many years.I like your stuff even though my ancestors moved from the Highlands to New Zealand 4 generations ago.
@@danielcummings8226 sets off a vague memory that turpentine is no longer available because it's carcinogenic. I haven't researched that but I'm reasonably sure.
A points I wanted to touch on, if a person is doing something physical, it really isn't a big deal to be out in colder weather. I been out in -20F working and it is not abnormal to only be wearing a long sleeve shirt while working (not even a sweater). My thinking is that when it was really cold out, either they were sitting by a good fire or working really hard
I also think they were simply accustomed to being -- what we call today -- uncomfortable. Something that many of us experience when we spend a lot of time outdoors.
Just a side not, if you look for videos of Mongolian ger(yurts), you will find that they have a massive felting process to make the large woolen fabrics that cover the ger. I was impressed by it. Essentially, people have been living in felt tents for a very long time. But I believe they get much less rain than the Highlands.
I've found success with Scotweb or simply going through the mills. Lochcarron will sell cloth ... I'm 175 cm tall and about 75 kg and I find that double-width 4 yards of material is more than enough for me. Apparently, records of the military suggest that sometimes soldiers went as low as 3 yards of double-width material! Personally, I find 4 yards of 13 oz wool to be perfect ... unless it's winter. And winter in rural New England can be fairly cold so then I'd like the 16 oz but I find 13 oz wool to be just fine most of the time.
Sport kilt in America sells a couple of versions of the great kilt. Waulking the wool using urine is the traditional way to waterproof the plaid. Boiled linseed oil is used waterproofing cotton tent fabric.
60" wide plaid can be found if you look carefully. Johnson Woolen Mills in the US. It is very expensive. My great kilt is "old style." No swen pleats. I also have a source for pure wool Gabardine. No plaids and only 12 oz. But extremely tightly woven. It makes a great lighter weight kilt. Also look for pure wool "whipcord" fabric. Extrekely tightly woven material. I only wear wool. Year round. Warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Waterproofing a great kilt is a tricky proposition. Beeswax/Lanolin/Linseed Oil are some natural choices. When "in the woods" I wear a great kilt plus carry another as a shelter. The shelter great kilt has been treated with my waterproofing mixture. If you use pure Lanolin mix in a little bit of Citronella Oil to keep away the bugs.
I wear alpaca wool socks in the winter and my feet are never cold, even if the socks get wet. Likewise, I have an alpaca scarf and beret and both are super warm (and stylish) and shed rain and snow ( I pull the beret down over my ears and pull the scarf over my lower face when it's windy). I even knitted an alpaca turtle neck, cable knit pullover sweater for my dog when he got elderly and it kept him toasty warm on walks, although his feet still got cold (no, I don't think he would have liked to wear alpaca socks, ha ha).
Your videos are always very helpful for living history. I have a project that fits in here. That difference in loom size you mentioned is certainly making it difficult. I recall finding a translated book by François-Alexandre-Pierre de Gersault from the 1760s which instructs the shirt maker to use 80cm wide linen and both the body as well as the sleeves are formed by stitching the selvedges together. I think this process makes a lot of sense and would have been widespread in shirtmaking/undergarments well into the 1800s. I would like to try to hand stitch an entire 18th century shirt off Gersault’s design and time the whole thing. however sadly shirt linen of that 80cm width is very elusive. Wish me luck.
Don't mind being damp as long as I am warm, after all skin is waterproof, would probably use a linseed oil based homemade waterproofing non to keen on the wee bitey buggers, excellent vid as usual
Try soaking in alum, that is what used to be used on Swandri products to make them water resistant. Beeswax and linseed will just make the wool stiff, works well on cotton.
I would think of using beeswax and lanolin heated and mixed and then rubbed into the fabric then heated with a very hot hair dryer. It would make the fabric very waterproof but stiff and probably not as soft and warm. Perhaps a separate cloak from the kilt would be in order? But naturally, that might not be as traditional.
I cana see onybody else dein the same as yersell, yev got a unique channel so shouldna change onything, jist keep dein the same kin o idea as ye dee inoo, gwa doon be a beach somewye an eat fit widve bin eaten years ago, yer makin a heap o ither scots feel proud, ken, jist keep up the guid work
Hi Tom - have you looked at contacting D.C. Dalgliesh? It's likely a length of their tartan is expensive, but maybe they'd give you a discount? Especially with your interest in the historical significance of highland living and media coverage - like a sponsor or patron. There is also USA Kilts in Pennslyvannia, USA that sells 13 oz wool yardage! I believe they source their wool from the UK.
The hikers shop just around the corner from me sells a silicone waterproofing spray for tightly woven fabrics, if this appeals to you. It works, needs refinishing now and then depending on use.
Dear Thomas, which clan are you from? I am writing to make it clear if the rattan pattern you use in your videos is random? I love Scottish culture very much from the moment I first met it. I believe that in my past life I was a Scottish Highlander. God bless you bro!
Thoughts on the lanolin wax: could you mix in something that is insect repellent like citronella oil to counteract the smell? I know that it's fairly volatile, but could the combined residual odour build up over time? My main concern is with ticks because over here (Canada), Lyme disease is definitely on the rise. Although I don't know if citronella would work well for ticks in the first place.
@Sean Boyd - You might want to consider Tea Tree oil or Neem Oil (Indian Lilac) both of which are natural remedies but which modern science uses in insecticides. They are not safe for children.
Thanks for the replies. I had used Citronella as an example because I couldn't recall any other natural repellent. As far as being unsafe for children, would this still be a concern once worked into the wool for a period of time?
@@seanboyd2898 - It's up to you. I, personally, would not trust an insecticide to become safe over a period of time so I would treat the active ingredient even more cautiously. And, rather than treating just the wool, I would be looking for a topical for my skin, to include eating garlic and thyme, both internally and externally.
Have you tried smoking bathing the plaid in fresh pine cuttings? That's my first order of business whenever im out camping - bugs, especially mosquito and gnat, hate it.
Little did you know how cunning was your plan: give the "water proof" plaid to your unsuspecting hiking partner, to be bait for blood sucking pests, sparing you! Well done! What is a little wet compared to the swarm!
Notice you wear different plaid in your Are blackguard regiment colors? Heard it is illegal to wear a paid that isn't your families in Scotland. Have Scottish in my family history, they were from a broken clan. was told I can wear black guard since I only trace female heritage since all males were killed,enslaved and forgotten over 6-8 generations. Just curious friends. The whole 9 yards of woven wool paid material can range from $500-$1000+usd that I've seen, its Very fine material. "Wool stays warm when wet"
FINALLY!!! Garrrrr I watched about 6 of your videos on this blasted thing and kept wondering WHY you don't mention WHERE to buy them!!!! HAHAhhahahaha Perhaps explain this (around 2:45) in the descriptions of your vids on this topic! Anyway, thoroughly enjoying binge-watching your vids! (Got recommended ever since i posted my own little bush adventure) ← ↑ Comment for algorithm + 👍 'd #OldManPaxus Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Hum, I wounder if a wax would work better for waterproofing compared to an animal oil. Wax treated material has been around for a very long time. I know the technology existed before my country, the USA, was around because the technology was brought over from Europe.
To weatherproof your plaid, full your fabric, either using the modern method with soap, or the traditional method, with stale urine, and pounding and agitating in a systematic manner. This tightens up the weave and locks more of the fibers together in a solid mat. Fulling will shrink the fabric--do a sample first. Wool shrinks in the direction you are rubbing it, so measure often and keep working evenly. After fulling, the fabric would have been stretched back into square bu hanging in a tenterhook--a board with nails all aong it, and weights along the other side. You wouldn't be going for full-on felting, like your bonnet, because it would make your plaid too stiff. You're just firming up the fabric. You will end up washing out the soap or urine, and at that point you add some lanolin back in, to conditon the fabric and make it softer and more waterproof. Yes, you will smell a bit like a sheep. Do this with any wool garment, just a bit--it helps the fabric last longer. You can use a bit of olive oil if you want to smell like a salad rather than a sheep... Fulling cloth is called 'waulking', and there are lots of sites where you can read in detail about how to do it. There are songs with many verses and a singable chorus that waulkers sing to keep everyone working together, something like sea chanteys or other work songs. The finish of a length of cloth would be described in terms of how many 'songs'. And yes, I think people just got wet, too, though dressed in wool they would have been fairly warm, but five yards of wet wool would gain quite a bit of weight!
Nillie This time of year urine goes stale pretty fast! If you're saving it for the garden anyway it's easy to get enough at the proper whiff. Though yes, store bought amonia works too. Or just soap and hot and cold water--wool is felt waiting to happen! It's more of an issue getting an even finish and controlling the fulling to get the result than getting the wool to felt.
I came here to mention this. Waulking cloth has important cultural significance in Scotland as well, and particularly in the Hebrides. Waulking songs which are still around today would originally have been used while the women were waulking the cloth to help them keep the beat while they pounded the cloth. The plaids that the 17th and 18th century highlanders wore would certainly have been made from cloth that would have been waulked.
@@OctaneFreelance - A few waulking songs are still around today: Waulking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves and Waulking on The Moon by The Police. Nancy Sinatra's Boots Are Made For Waulking and Annie Lennox likes Waulking On Broken Glass. Waulking in Memphis is also popular.
"It's about a certain amount of acceptance." As a backcountry hiker and camper from a kid till now (27 y/o) I love this mindset. A good friend of our family said one time to us when me and her kids were young and out hiking in potentially inclement weather, "If it rains, well, you'll get wet." That struck a cord with me, and I've had that "certain amount of acceptance" ever since! Love it man, keep up the passion for the wilderness and history!
Ive waterproofed wool tweeds with lanolin wax - I rub it on with a cloth directly onto the tweed then with a hairdryer heat it and it sinks evenly into the tweed cloth, it is a similar method to reproofing a wax jacket . I do it every year and now on a cold morning in the mountains the tweeds feel stiffer than normal as the wax solidifies !
Yes - and you can even rub a traditional "candle", when its been warmed, onto the tweed and it will first adhere but also sink in. So, thru friction any of the surface stuff will wear off fairly quickly - but from then on the cloth will still be water 'resistant' - and not lose any of its other properties e.g. warmth and softness and pliability... probably age better as well...
Not sure why this was recommended to me but I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I knew about kilts but never knew about the similarities to Comanche blankets. I am Native American and we have a similar uses for blankets. If you ever have difficultly finding good textile, many Native outlets on Etsy and such do sell them (it will most definitely not have a plaid pattern though lol) The blanket I own 100% wool and measures 94in x 75in.
If you can see through the fabric, it may not necessarily be the fabric weight that’s the issue; another possible issue could be that it’s not properly fullered/waulked.
I got my filleadh beag in cloth from a kilt maker in Aberdeen (MacGregor and MacDuff). They posted it to me in Hong Kong. It was £150 (would have been £350 if they had sewn it to size with flashes and buckles). I had a master kilt maker in Hong Kong finish it for me for £100. Not bad, all things considered. I agree that 100% pure wool is essential. In hot Hong Kong weather, wool breathes really well and like you say, water resistant pays off especially when the weather turns sour.
You could always wash your socks in a mix of 1/2 a litre of warm water and 10-15 drips of mint oil wards of most of the bugs that bite and your sock smell minty. Also I love your videos and I’m really enjoying the highland series.
I found a very old knitting pattern book for baby things from the 1940’s. The covering panties for going over cloth diapers( nappies) were called “Soakies”. They called for unprocessed wool yarn. (Yarn made from wool that has Not been washed in detergent which removes the lanolin. ).
Thank you, so it's be a bit wet in good heavy real wool plaid, or be wet through and smell like a sheep in cheap plaid, While I'm not likely to get a plaid I do appreciate your efforts, we've made historically accurate clothing in the past for reenactment and just finding enough of the right wool is very hard, we made our own uniforms (Napoleonic Period) and things like duster coats from canvas, calico shirts etc. Keep up the great work :) ATB.
Thanks, Tom! Just curious... how long did it take your body heat to dry out that plaid? Might be the long way round, but there's a kilt shop in Pennsylvania, USA called USA Kilts and Celtic Heritage. You might try reaching out to them for info on mills. They get all their kilt fabric from UK mills. They have a great TH-cam channel. I have a kilt on order from them which I hope to get soon. As soon as I know the fit is right I'm ordering more. I've never been so comfortable in my life as in a kilt! Cheers!
15:22 this youtuber, this human being is hard core... as the rain is getting louder, he just talks louder.. most people are not outside in that kind of weather, not to mention, having a pleasant little chat.
I can't do goretex as I sweat and end up just as wet as if I had not worn it. I wear wool and canvas, with some of it being waxed or oil cloth. Natural materials seem to beat out man made most of the time.
Hey there. Great video. I suggest mixing the oil of peppermint into your lanolin to deter bugs. Other essential oils and their mixes may be used also but peppermint is a very straight forward option. Another more lowtech method, one of richer tradition, is smoking the clothes. Extra strong smoke can be made by picking the right kinds of wood to burn. Extracting peat and using that on the skin, like on the legs is an old method also.
This regular practice of fabric smoking, through tar, also has a slight effect on water proofing. Smoke also has a substantial sanitizing antimicrobial effect.
@@FandabiDozi I smother my textiles in the wilderness a lot, and tar my skin (a mix of tar and vegetable oil). Sure it'll count me as dirty to city domesticated people, but flying biting insects will avoid me ;) Peppermint oil is strong enough a deterrant to work in making wasp nests fuck off from where you dont want them
Thanks for the videos! Appreciating all the research and work involved. I have a theory on the comments about how the early kiltwearer dealt with crawlies under their plaid. I was part of a group of 30 youth that enjoy outdoor adventuring. Some of us decided to try an experiment with our diets beforehand. Half of us went to a non-processed, low sugar healthy diet, drinking mostly water over fruit juices. The rest were eating junk & fast food. Sucking down lots of sodas and chocolate milk and such. We began this 2 weeks before heading out to the woods. Long story short- The junk fooders were plagued with ticks, flies and misquitos! One guy had 14 ticks attached the first day! My group of healthy dieters had 3 attached over a weekend of camping. They would crawl or land on us, but didn't want us. To test it further, the last day, we had a supper of greasy burgers candy bars and sodas. On the trek back, the previously bug free hikers were suffering the same issues with bugs within about 1 hour. Our theory is bugs like that seem to prefer their hosts to unhealthy vs healthy. This was just for fun- but the results changed how some of us eat overall!
Heating bees wax and linseed oil , or just plain old linseed oil , will help in waterproofing a cape for wet weather :) . In Australia we have oilskin jackets , dry as a bone , they repell water quite well . I think in olden times in old Scotland , they must have had a coat or cape for bad weather . If you have ever worn a thick wool jacket from old navy or those German style long coats , they are surprisingly dry in wet weather , very warm , and also dry from body heat when you keep wearing them in the field . :) food for Thaught !
You could try smoking the plaid like at the end of the buckskin tanning process. Just so that if you soak it in lanolin then the smoke smell would repel insects more.
USA Kilts sells Great Kilts. They also have a youtube channel. I;ve seen some on sport kilt and the celtic croft. USA Kilts has a better quality from looks
The material USA Kilts sells is simply wool. Sport Kilt's "great kilt" is not wool at all but a lightweight not-wool-thing. I was, essentially, given five yards of the Sport Kilt's "great kilt" and, sure, it's fine for warmer weather and not-wet-conditions but there's not a gram of wool in that thing. Remember, that a belted plaid is simply fabric.
The shepherds plaid or maud was a similar garment, around 3 yards long, worn in the Scottish Border regions. They'd wear trews instead of a kilt but the maud was draped over a shoulder and drawn about the body in a number of ways; a fold could be arranged into a pouch for carrying items or lambs for instance - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_(plaid)
I couldn't find a fulled tartan cloth for my great kilt so I resorted to weaving it myself. Started like many of my projects.....I said to myself "it can't be that hard....."
Hmmm, In Roman times Britain was the exporter of waterproof cloaks that were famous all over the classical world. All that I know about them is they were made of wool and were the best in existence. So there has been waterproof plaid on these islands a lot longer than most realise.
Actually, wool IS waterproof and heats you up really good. Lindybeige stated this in his video about cloaks. He said that he wasn't noticing the rain under the woolen cloak and he got very hot in there eventually, but could just open the cloak and cool off. He used his cloak in his battle times quite a lot, even in bad weather and I can say the same. Pure wool will only get heavy, not wet from the inside and still make you feel warm.
Eh ... from personal experience wearing 100% pure wool (in a traditional kilt), the rain soaked the first front apron all the way through but didn't seem to get through the underapron. Wearing a belted plaid in the rain, I have found that while I *am* warm, the rain eventually does get through. Perhaps your wool cloak there was made of thicker material than my kilts are.
@@jhohlkennedy yeah, would be a possibility. The thickness of the fabric obviously messes with its waterproofness, but also my Belted Plaid is very waterproof, but it's not as thick as my cloaks are. Could be in correlation with the woolfat, that makes the water run off the fabric, rather than let the fabric absorb the water
I'm sorry but I spin wool and my friend knits it. I were 100% wool and it DOES get wet! It gets soaked through! you just don't feel as cold as you do with cotton. but your still soaked!!
I am not sure why youtube recommended your video to me. But as soon as you started talking you had me. I stayed to listen to you and your awesome accent and turns out the content is very interesting. (Even if it's not relevant for me) 💖 love from Switzerland
I've read that apart from the weave being heavy and tight the fabrics were put through a process that made it shrink and at the same time massaged. I think this would make it more waterproof. Anyone who has ever shrunk a pure wool garment knows about this.
Lanolin/Beeswax(50/50) is how I waterproof my Great Kilt (tent) It is not the one I wear. I waterproof my wearing kilt with beeswax/linseed oil. Both are 8 meters long 152 cm wide. Not sewn. I fold in the pleats as I put it on. Pure Wool 16 oz. Gabardine. The "tent" version is not too heavy to carry as a incredibly versatile weatherproof shelter. Lanolin can be rendered scent free. It is not easy and best accomplished cooking it outdoors. I should add that I use a pack animal in the mountains (burro). When I was much younger I did not need a pack animal but at 71 wandering in the mountains is tough for these old bones.
I found a good site USA kilts. But there not cheap. I'm a big guy, so I needed an 8 yard kilt. It came to over $600. With the inport fees from Scotland.
I would absolutely love to make myself a winter cloak out of plaid. I hope that’s not a terrible insult. Im a scot living in Canada and while my grey great coat is wool and quite warm it gets cold enough to need another layer.
@FandabiDozi Question, is the wools your using waulked wool? I’m not sure it’s still done for modern kilts. Might be worth looking in to for the one you have and ones you might test for water resistants.
You should have companies sponsor you with their fabric since you are basically giving them business in exchange for your videos reaching a lot of folks. They will do it, if you reach out to them.
Merch bro merch... you could be the first
Fandabi Dozi Plaid. Even sounds amaizing
@@grisha4167 With a Clan Dozi tartan? :-)
He's from Scotland? How about using actual real english huh?
10 out of 10 would buy
@@jamescooper2618 shut it colinizer
It’s fine Scottish weather you’re having. The rain is falling straight down and kind of to the side like. ;-)
It's kind of funny, here in the states we have a waterproofing product that comes in a red plaid aerosol can that's called Scotch Guard.
Don't think that's still available. I think "they" banned it some time ago because it was supposed to be eating a hole in the ozone layer. Too bad, because it worked well.
Loving these videos! And dude, when people write you every day asking where they can buy something that's not currently out there to buy easily, that's the Universe knocking on your door with a business idea. That doesn't happen very often - you should listen to it! ;)
Love that the weather came in and you just bossed through it
Keeps the midges down. And you don't end up smelling like smoke. As much.
The way he absolutely ignored it initially as the rain absolutely bucketed down made me laugh.
Scot Level: over 9000
That be how the Northern folks do...
@@geofixated even hail wouldn't stop some of the mutant ones...
This man is gallivanting in the highlands with a french cuffed shirt :D absolute mad lad!
I found a product from Finland, that was made specifically for treating wool. Ive used it, and it helps for sure, but I never thought of multiple applications.
Unless it's heavy and thick enough to not see through, it will never ever be waterproof, or even close to it. They've used waxed cotton, oiled canvas, all sorts of things over the years, to be waterproof, but it has to be a tight weave.
Main thing is, as you said, people were wayyyy tougher back then.
An American writer Horace Kepart wrote in Camping And Woodcraft,in 1917.To waterproof woolen clothing to use anhydrous lanolin(water free as opposed to hydrous lanolin used for cosmetics)mixed with a solvent, he used gasoline but I am sure today there would be better and less volitile products to use.He claims it to be waterproof ,breathable,permanent with no change to weight, odour or colour.The strength of the solution to vary with climate,for average,temperate climate use 4 ounces to a gallon(US)gasoline,for cold or winter use only use 2 ounces per gallon.I have never used it but it has intrigued me for many years.I like your stuff even though my ancestors moved from the Highlands to New Zealand 4 generations ago.
Oh very interesting thank you. Yeah I wouldnt use gas but maybe a mineral spirit would work?
Turpentine is made from trees, not petroleum. Might work.
@@danielcummings8226 sets off a vague memory that turpentine is no longer available because it's carcinogenic. I haven't researched that but I'm reasonably sure.
A points I wanted to touch on, if a person is doing something physical, it really isn't a big deal to be out in colder weather. I been out in -20F working and it is not abnormal to only be wearing a long sleeve shirt while working (not even a sweater).
My thinking is that when it was really cold out, either they were sitting by a good fire or working really hard
I also think they were simply accustomed to being -- what we call today -- uncomfortable. Something that many of us experience when we spend a lot of time outdoors.
Just a side not, if you look for videos of Mongolian ger(yurts), you will find that they have a massive felting process to make the large woolen fabrics that cover the ger. I was impressed by it. Essentially, people have been living in felt tents for a very long time. But I believe they get much less rain than the Highlands.
I've found success with Scotweb or simply going through the mills. Lochcarron will sell cloth ... I'm 175 cm tall and about 75 kg and I find that double-width 4 yards of material is more than enough for me. Apparently, records of the military suggest that sometimes soldiers went as low as 3 yards of double-width material! Personally, I find 4 yards of 13 oz wool to be perfect ... unless it's winter. And winter in rural New England can be fairly cold so then I'd like the 16 oz but I find 13 oz wool to be just fine most of the time.
Can you write me total weight of your great kilt? I'm similar body size, and i search perfect kilt for me
@@Cyberowaty Mine? My 4 yards x 13 oz plaids average about 1.5 kg each.
@@jhohlkennedyNow i understand, really thank you :)
Found this while searching about lanolizing a poncho, really helped
Thanks a lot and a South American salute from a gaucho
My favourite part accidentally ended up being how you gradually had to shout at the rain came in.
it's like the annoying trumpet on family guy, getting louder as the scene goes by lmao.
Sport kilt in America sells a couple of versions of the great kilt.
Waulking the wool using urine is the traditional way to waterproof the plaid. Boiled linseed oil is used waterproofing cotton tent fabric.
60" wide plaid can be found if you look carefully. Johnson Woolen Mills in the US. It is very expensive. My great kilt is "old style." No swen pleats.
I also have a source for pure wool Gabardine. No plaids and only 12 oz. But extremely tightly woven. It makes a great lighter weight kilt. Also look for pure wool "whipcord" fabric. Extrekely tightly woven material. I only wear wool. Year round. Warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Waterproofing a great kilt is a tricky proposition. Beeswax/Lanolin/Linseed Oil are some natural choices. When "in the woods" I wear a great kilt plus carry another as a shelter. The shelter great kilt has been treated with my waterproofing mixture. If you use pure Lanolin mix in a little bit of Citronella Oil to keep away the bugs.
I wear alpaca wool socks in the winter and my feet are never cold, even if the socks get wet. Likewise, I have an alpaca scarf and beret and both are super warm (and stylish) and shed rain and snow ( I pull the beret down over my ears and pull the scarf over my lower face when it's windy). I even knitted an alpaca turtle neck, cable knit pullover sweater for my dog when he got elderly and it kept him toasty warm on walks, although his feet still got cold (no, I don't think he would have liked to wear alpaca socks, ha ha).
Your videos are always very helpful for living history.
I have a project that fits in here. That difference in loom size you mentioned is certainly making it difficult.
I recall finding a translated book by François-Alexandre-Pierre de Gersault from the 1760s which instructs the shirt maker to use 80cm wide linen and both the body as well as the sleeves are formed by stitching the selvedges together.
I think this process makes a lot of sense and would have been widespread in shirtmaking/undergarments well into the 1800s.
I would like to try to hand stitch an entire 18th century shirt off Gersault’s design and time the whole thing. however sadly shirt linen of that 80cm width is very elusive. Wish me luck.
Don't mind being damp as long as I am warm, after all skin is waterproof, would probably use a linseed oil based homemade waterproofing non to keen on the wee bitey buggers, excellent vid as usual
Try soaking in alum, that is what used to be used on Swandri products to make them water resistant. Beeswax and linseed will just make the wool stiff, works well on cotton.
Interesting. And kudos for weather resistance, literally.
About 8 years ago I bought 5 metres of Harris Tweed for a plaid, it is definitely worth the money!
I would think of using beeswax and lanolin heated and mixed and then rubbed into the fabric then heated with a very hot hair dryer. It would make the fabric very waterproof but stiff and probably not as soft and warm. Perhaps a separate cloak from the kilt would be in order? But naturally, that might not be as traditional.
I cana see onybody else dein the same as yersell, yev got a unique channel so shouldna change onything, jist keep dein the same kin o idea as ye dee inoo, gwa doon be a beach somewye an eat fit widve bin eaten years ago, yer makin a heap o ither scots feel proud, ken, jist keep up the guid work
Big_sless im from germany and this felt like reading written out bavarian
9:00 ignoring the rain, that is great
Awesome stuff! Good to see you again!
How do you know how big it needs to be in relation to your height etc?
Corps Sutler in Australia has the tartan fabric, 80% wool, for about $85 for 4 meters.
I love this rain!
If you have a plant in the area that repels the biting critters, you can soak that in you lanolin bath as well. Should help
Hi Tom - have you looked at contacting D.C. Dalgliesh? It's likely a length of their tartan is expensive, but maybe they'd give you a discount? Especially with your interest in the historical significance of highland living and media coverage - like a sponsor or patron.
There is also USA Kilts in Pennslyvannia, USA that sells 13 oz wool yardage! I believe they source their wool from the UK.
The hikers shop just around the corner from me sells a silicone waterproofing spray for tightly woven fabrics, if this appeals to you. It works, needs refinishing now and then depending on use.
Ant to be warmer? Food it in half length wise. You’ll have less pleats but double the fabric keeping you warm.
I made my kilt with declaton tarp.. fantastic
I wonder if you could blend lavender or juniper oil in with your lanolin before soaking your wool?
Try fashion fabrics, or mood fabrics when in stock. Fashion is on EBay under wool plaid faberic.
I guess historical woollen mills might be able to supply rolls of fabric to the correct specification.
Hey Highlanders! Could be this amazing all around civil/military technology improved by using canvas instead of wool?
It is my experience that wool will keep you warm even when wet .
Get a store, sell the stuff you use and link it under your videos! Ofcourse you would have to find a supplier yourself first ^^
Yes people only knew what what they had my mother talked about harder times as a young girl and only drinking one coke in her formative Years
ENJOY THE VIDEO ,OUTDOORS WHICH MY JOB AS I OUT ALL WEATHER, LUCKY TODAY WE MODERN CLOTHES TO PROTECT US
Dear Thomas, which clan are you from?
I am writing to make it clear if the rattan pattern you use in your videos is random?
I love Scottish culture very much from the moment I first met it. I believe that in my past life I was a Scottish Highlander. God bless you bro!
Aye! Bide as is lad.
Thoughts on the lanolin wax: could you mix in something that is insect repellent like citronella oil to counteract the smell? I know that it's fairly volatile, but could the combined residual odour build up over time?
My main concern is with ticks because over here (Canada), Lyme disease is definitely on the rise. Although I don't know if citronella would work well for ticks in the first place.
@Sean Boyd - You might want to consider Tea Tree oil or Neem Oil (Indian Lilac) both of which are natural remedies but which modern science uses in insecticides. They are not safe for children.
Studies have indicated that citronella isn't very effective. I hope that I can be proven wrong.
Thanks for the replies. I had used Citronella as an example because I couldn't recall any other natural repellent.
As far as being unsafe for children, would this still be a concern once worked into the wool for a period of time?
@@seanboyd2898 - It's up to you. I, personally, would not trust an insecticide to become safe over a period of time so I would treat the active ingredient even more cautiously. And, rather than treating just the wool, I would be looking for a topical for my skin, to include eating garlic and thyme, both internally and externally.
Where did you get your bonnet? I apologize, I won't post again :-)
Have you tried smoking bathing the plaid in fresh pine cuttings? That's my first order of business whenever im out camping - bugs, especially mosquito and gnat, hate it.
In South Florida, If I wore all that woolen cloth, all that would be left would be the cloth and a puddle of water... LOL But verra cool nonetheless.
Doesn't felting waterproof wool?
That plaid seemed a little close to Cornish Hunting Tartan but I couldn’t see every color clearly.
What is the hat, and where did you get it?
Looks like a woolen beret
I got my Great kilt from the soar patrol website. By Charlie Allan.
Hey F.D., what clan do you hail from?
Little did you know how cunning was your plan: give the "water proof" plaid to your unsuspecting hiking partner, to be bait for blood sucking pests, sparing you! Well done! What is a little wet compared to the swarm!
Notice you wear different plaid in your
Are blackguard regiment colors?
Heard it is illegal to wear a paid that isn't your families in Scotland.
Have Scottish in my family history, they were from a broken clan. was told I can wear black guard since I only trace female heritage since all males were killed,enslaved and forgotten over 6-8 generations.
Just curious friends.
The whole 9 yards of woven wool paid material can range from $500-$1000+usd that I've seen, its
Very fine material.
"Wool stays warm when wet"
Hey Tom. Do you have fat wood in Scotland?
Ye ken fat wood comes frae pine trees, aye? And ye’ve heard o Scots pine, aye? So.........aye, Loads o it🔥🔥🔥🏴😉
Use citronella?
FINALLY!!! Garrrrr
I watched about 6 of your videos on this blasted thing and kept wondering WHY you don't mention WHERE to buy them!!!! HAHAhhahahaha
Perhaps explain this (around 2:45) in the descriptions of your vids on this topic! Anyway, thoroughly enjoying binge-watching your vids! (Got recommended ever since i posted my own little bush adventure) ← ↑ Comment for algorithm + 👍 'd
#OldManPaxus Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Maybe use an oil that insects don't like?
Have you tried "Scotch Guard"...LOL? ;)
... and slowly the water level gets to the knees...SWIM !
👍😊
go to edinbrah and get a ton of them 😂
Hum, I wounder if a wax would work better for waterproofing compared to an animal oil. Wax treated material has been around for a very long time. I know the technology existed before my country, the USA, was around because the technology was brought over from Europe.
I know mosquitoes hate gin. Perhaps a waste of good drink but possibly you could soak it in gin
Not exactly my favorite tipple lol
I don't see that it would be unethical to add some citronella oil, a natural oil, to the lanolin to repel the insects a bit.
If you can't find a good Great Kilt, can you use a great Good Kilt? Just playing :D
To weatherproof your plaid, full your fabric, either using the modern method with soap, or the traditional method, with stale urine, and pounding and agitating in a systematic manner. This tightens up the weave and locks more of the fibers together in a solid mat. Fulling will shrink the fabric--do a sample first. Wool shrinks in the direction you are rubbing it, so measure often and keep working evenly. After fulling, the fabric would have been stretched back into square bu hanging in a tenterhook--a board with nails all aong it, and weights along the other side. You wouldn't be going for full-on felting, like your bonnet, because it would make your plaid too stiff. You're just firming up the fabric. You will end up washing out the soap or urine, and at that point you add some lanolin back in, to conditon the fabric and make it softer and more waterproof. Yes, you will smell a bit like a sheep. Do this with any wool garment, just a bit--it helps the fabric last longer. You can use a bit of olive oil if you want to smell like a salad rather than a sheep... Fulling cloth is called 'waulking', and there are lots of sites where you can read in detail about how to do it. There are songs with many verses and a singable chorus that waulkers sing to keep everyone working together, something like sea chanteys or other work songs. The finish of a length of cloth would be described in terms of how many 'songs'. And yes, I think people just got wet, too, though dressed in wool they would have been fairly warm, but five yards of wet wool would gain quite a bit of weight!
Isa Delahunt
Instead of collecting urine and storing it for three weeks, you could buy synthetic ammonia.
Nillie This time of year urine goes stale pretty fast! If you're saving it for the garden anyway it's easy to get enough at the proper whiff. Though yes, store bought amonia works too. Or just soap and hot and cold water--wool is felt waiting to happen! It's more of an issue getting an even finish and controlling the fulling to get the result than getting the wool to felt.
That's what I told him he needed to waulk the wool as you described.
I came here to mention this. Waulking cloth has important cultural significance in Scotland as well, and particularly in the Hebrides. Waulking songs which are still around today would originally have been used while the women were waulking the cloth to help them keep the beat while they pounded the cloth. The plaids that the 17th and 18th century highlanders wore would certainly have been made from cloth that would have been waulked.
@@OctaneFreelance - A few waulking songs are still around today: Waulking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves and Waulking on The Moon by The Police. Nancy Sinatra's Boots Are Made For Waulking and Annie Lennox likes Waulking On Broken Glass. Waulking in Memphis is also popular.
"It's about a certain amount of acceptance." As a backcountry hiker and camper from a kid till now (27 y/o) I love this mindset. A good friend of our family said one time to us when me and her kids were young and out hiking in potentially inclement weather, "If it rains, well, you'll get wet." That struck a cord with me, and I've had that "certain amount of acceptance" ever since! Love it man, keep up the passion for the wilderness and history!
Ive waterproofed wool tweeds with lanolin wax - I rub it on with a cloth directly onto the tweed then with a hairdryer heat it and it sinks evenly into the tweed cloth, it is a similar method to reproofing a wax jacket . I do it every year and now on a cold morning in the mountains the tweeds feel stiffer than normal as the wax solidifies !
Yes - and you can even rub a traditional "candle", when its been warmed, onto the tweed and it will first adhere but also sink in. So, thru friction any of the surface stuff will wear off fairly quickly - but from then on the cloth will still be water 'resistant' - and not lose any of its other properties e.g. warmth and softness and pliability... probably age better as well...
Not sure why this was recommended to me but I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I knew about kilts but never knew about the similarities to Comanche blankets. I am Native American and we have a similar uses for blankets. If you ever have difficultly finding good textile, many Native outlets on Etsy and such do sell them (it will most definitely not have a plaid pattern though lol) The blanket I own 100% wool and measures 94in x 75in.
If you can see through the fabric, it may not necessarily be the fabric weight that’s the issue; another possible issue could be that it’s not properly fullered/waulked.
I got my filleadh beag in cloth from a kilt maker in Aberdeen (MacGregor and MacDuff). They posted it to me in Hong Kong. It was £150 (would have been £350 if they had sewn it to size with flashes and buckles). I had a master kilt maker in Hong Kong finish it for me for £100. Not bad, all things considered. I agree that 100% pure wool is essential. In hot Hong Kong weather, wool breathes really well and like you say, water resistant pays off especially when the weather turns sour.
You could always wash your socks in a mix of 1/2 a litre of warm water and 10-15 drips of mint oil wards of most of the bugs that bite and your sock smell minty.
Also I love your videos and I’m really enjoying the highland series.
I found a very old knitting pattern book for baby things from the 1940’s. The covering panties for going over cloth diapers( nappies) were called “Soakies”. They called for unprocessed wool yarn. (Yarn made from wool that has Not been washed in detergent which removes the lanolin. ).
Look into USAkilts, they have full plaids. Clan and county tartans.
Yes for stateside brethren I would recommend USA Kilts as well. They source (some/all?) of their wool from mills in the UK.
Thank you, so it's be a bit wet in good heavy real wool plaid, or be wet through and smell like a sheep in cheap plaid, While I'm not likely to get a plaid I do appreciate your efforts, we've made historically accurate clothing in the past for reenactment and just finding enough of the right wool is very hard, we made our own uniforms (Napoleonic Period) and things like duster coats from canvas, calico shirts etc. Keep up the great work :) ATB.
Thanks, Tom! Just curious... how long did it take your body heat to dry out that plaid? Might be the long way round, but there's a kilt shop in Pennsylvania, USA called USA Kilts and Celtic Heritage. You might try reaching out to them for info on mills. They get all their kilt fabric from UK mills. They have a great TH-cam channel. I have a kilt on order from them which I hope to get soon. As soon as I know the fit is right I'm ordering more. I've never been so comfortable in my life as in a kilt! Cheers!
15:22 this youtuber, this human being is hard core... as the rain is getting louder, he just talks louder.. most people are not outside in that kind of weather, not to mention, having a pleasant little chat.
Disappointed with ETSY quality!? My, my. Whodda thought that could ever be possible!! 😁😁😁
I can't do goretex as I sweat and end up just as wet as if I had not worn it. I wear wool and canvas, with some of it being waxed or oil cloth. Natural materials seem to beat out man made most of the time.
Hey there. Great video. I suggest mixing the oil of peppermint into your lanolin to deter bugs. Other essential oils and their mixes may be used also but peppermint is a very straight forward option. Another more lowtech method, one of richer tradition, is smoking the clothes. Extra strong smoke can be made by picking the right kinds of wood to burn. Extracting peat and using that on the skin, like on the legs is an old method also.
This regular practice of fabric smoking, through tar, also has a slight effect on water proofing. Smoke also has a substantial sanitizing antimicrobial effect.
Thanks for the suggestion! My clothes get pretty Smokey anyway, but I like the essential oil idea
@@FandabiDozi I smother my textiles in the wilderness a lot, and tar my skin (a mix of tar and vegetable oil). Sure it'll count me as dirty to city domesticated people, but flying biting insects will avoid me ;) Peppermint oil is strong enough a deterrant to work in making wasp nests fuck off from where you dont want them
Thanks for the videos! Appreciating all the research and work involved. I have a theory on the comments about how the early kiltwearer dealt with crawlies under their plaid.
I was part of a group of 30 youth that enjoy outdoor adventuring. Some of us decided to try an experiment with our diets beforehand. Half of us went to a non-processed, low sugar healthy diet, drinking mostly water over fruit juices. The rest were eating junk & fast food. Sucking down lots of sodas and chocolate milk and such. We began this 2 weeks before heading out to the woods. Long story short-
The junk fooders were plagued with ticks, flies and misquitos! One guy had 14 ticks attached the first day!
My group of healthy dieters had 3 attached over a weekend of camping. They would crawl or land on us, but didn't want us. To test it further, the last day, we had a supper of greasy burgers candy bars and sodas. On the trek back, the previously bug free hikers were suffering the same issues with bugs within about 1 hour.
Our theory is bugs like that seem to prefer their hosts to unhealthy vs healthy. This was just for fun- but the results changed how some of us eat overall!
Interesting
Heating bees wax and linseed oil , or just plain old linseed oil , will help in waterproofing a cape for wet weather :) . In Australia we have oilskin jackets , dry as a bone , they repell water quite well .
I think in olden times in old Scotland , they must have had a coat or cape for bad weather .
If you have ever worn a thick wool jacket from old navy or those German style long coats , they are surprisingly dry in wet weather , very warm , and also dry from body heat when you keep wearing them in the field . :) food for Thaught !
So the moral of the story, if wearing lanolin soaked plaid, don't go to Wales.
You could try smoking the plaid like at the end of the buckskin tanning process. Just so that if you soak it in lanolin then the smoke smell would repel insects more.
USA Kilts sells Great Kilts. They also have a youtube channel. I;ve seen some on sport kilt and the celtic croft. USA Kilts has a better quality from looks
The material USA Kilts sells is simply wool. Sport Kilt's "great kilt" is not wool at all but a lightweight not-wool-thing. I was, essentially, given five yards of the Sport Kilt's "great kilt" and, sure, it's fine for warmer weather and not-wet-conditions but there's not a gram of wool in that thing.
Remember, that a belted plaid is simply fabric.
Thats right, give the other guy the inferior plaid soaked in tick attractant... ;) Thanks for the insightful video.
The shepherds plaid or maud was a similar garment, around 3 yards long, worn in the Scottish Border regions. They'd wear trews instead of a kilt but the maud was draped over a shoulder and drawn about the body in a number of ways; a fold could be arranged into a pouch for carrying items or lambs for instance - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_(plaid)
I really like the shop idea! Definitely do that😆
Sell your own great kilts!
I’ll take a cut for the suggestion ;)
Yes, sell plaits and cloaks.
I couldn't find a fulled tartan cloth for my great kilt so I resorted to weaving it myself. Started like many of my projects.....I said to myself "it can't be that hard....."
It ain't hard... just time consuming.
@@MrEmiosk i got pretty quick. 1m per hour for a fine garment weight cloth.
Hmmm, In Roman times Britain was the exporter of waterproof cloaks that were famous all over the classical world. All that I know about them is they were made of wool and were the best in existence. So there has been waterproof plaid on these islands a lot longer than most realise.
Actually, wool IS waterproof and heats you up really good. Lindybeige stated this in his video about cloaks. He said that he wasn't noticing the rain under the woolen cloak and he got very hot in there eventually, but could just open the cloak and cool off. He used his cloak in his battle times quite a lot, even in bad weather and I can say the same. Pure wool will only get heavy, not wet from the inside and still make you feel warm.
Eh ... from personal experience wearing 100% pure wool (in a traditional kilt), the rain soaked the first front apron all the way through but didn't seem to get through the underapron. Wearing a belted plaid in the rain, I have found that while I *am* warm, the rain eventually does get through. Perhaps your wool cloak there was made of thicker material than my kilts are.
@@jhohlkennedy yeah, would be a possibility. The thickness of the fabric obviously messes with its waterproofness, but also my Belted Plaid is very waterproof, but it's not as thick as my cloaks are. Could be in correlation with the woolfat, that makes the water run off the fabric, rather than let the fabric absorb the water
I'm sorry but I spin wool and my friend knits it. I were 100% wool and it DOES get wet! It gets soaked through! you just don't feel as cold as you do with cotton. but your still soaked!!
I am not sure why youtube recommended your video to me. But as soon as you started talking you had me. I stayed to listen to you and your awesome accent and turns out the content is very interesting. (Even if it's not relevant for me) 💖 love from Switzerland
I've read that apart from the weave being heavy and tight the fabrics were put through a process that made it shrink and at the same time massaged. I think this would make it more waterproof. Anyone who has ever shrunk a pure wool garment knows about this.
In case you didn't see previous comments, quite a few people wrote about waulking wool, which sounds like what you're describing.
Lanolin/Beeswax(50/50) is how I waterproof my Great Kilt (tent) It is not the one I wear. I waterproof my wearing kilt with beeswax/linseed oil. Both are 8 meters long 152 cm wide. Not sewn. I fold in the pleats as I put it on. Pure Wool 16 oz. Gabardine. The "tent" version is not too heavy to carry as a incredibly versatile weatherproof shelter. Lanolin can be rendered scent free. It is not easy and best accomplished cooking it outdoors. I should add that I use a pack animal in the mountains (burro). When I was much younger I did not need a pack animal but at 71 wandering in the mountains is tough for these old bones.
I found a good site USA kilts. But there not cheap. I'm a big guy, so I needed an 8 yard kilt. It came to over $600. With the inport fees from Scotland.
I would absolutely love to make myself a winter cloak out of plaid. I hope that’s not a terrible insult. Im a scot living in Canada and while my grey great coat is wool and quite warm it gets cold enough to need another layer.
@FandabiDozi Question, is the wools your using waulked wool? I’m not sure it’s still done for modern kilts. Might be worth looking in to for the one you have and ones you might test for water resistants.
You should have companies sponsor you with their fabric since you are basically giving them business in exchange for your videos reaching a lot of folks. They will do it, if you reach out to them.