About Fabric

Thorough explanation of the characteristics of various fabrics, including how to choose fabrics to keep out the cold and to make summer more comfortable.

Overview

I searched for various documents and searched for them, but most of the fabrics only wrote that they were “excellent in OO”, and there was no numerical index that they were superior to any fabric. Absorption of water ○ Quick-drying × or absorption of water × quick-drying ○ "It is a material that is resistant to water."
Also, the characteristics may differ completely depending on the thickness, weave, and country of origin. Moreover, the ratio of synthetic fibers will also change.
Because it is better to check the performance and characteristics of each product.
And even if you look at water absorption, it is better to absorb sweat, but it is better not to absorb rain.

In this article, you may want to look at it as "about this characteristic".

Natural fiber

Natural fiber is a fiber that is made from natural materials as you can read.
It is said that natural fibers are divided into two types, plant fibers and animal fibers, but there are actually mineral fibers. However, since there are only asbestos mineral fibers, I omit it.
It has a low impact on the skin and high hygroscopicity, but causes deterioration and discoloration.

Plant fiber

Fiber made from plants.
Resistant to heat and water and durable against friction.

Cotton

Cotton is a fabric made from cotton fibers.
A versatile fabric that is widely used in clothing such as innerwear, outerwear, underwear and socks, and is also used for towels and gauze.
In the camp, it is used for tents and tarps, and for polycotton combined with polyester.

Merit

It's a major fabric for clothing because it feels good on the skin and is easy to dye.
Various weaving methods are available, and the characteristics of the weaving method, the type of cotton, and other materials are changed depending on the application.
A fabric that feels cool because it has good breathability and also radiates heat along with absorbed sweat.

Because it is strong, there is no problem even if you use it roughly, but if you dry it quickly with a dryer, it may shrink or wrinkle, so it is better to dry naturally.

Demerit

It has high water absorbency and is hard to dry, so clothes may become heavy and the body may become cold when sweating, such as climbing, so be careful.
In addition, since it retains heat and moisture when it gets wet, it is sometimes called a material of death when climbing.
Also, it is a moldy material, so if it gets wet, dry it thoroughly.

Camping

When used in tents, etc., it is made thicker, so it has better durability than clothing.
Because it is more breathable and cooler than a polyester tent through the wind, and because it keeps the inside of the tent warm with good heat insulation, it is a versatile fabric that can be used both in summer and winter.
Since it has a higher light-shielding property than polyester, it blocks light, but depending on the object, it may be completely dark even in the daytime when fully closed.
Since cotton itself absorbs moisture, it is also resistant to condensation and night dew, and is also resistant to ignition and melting, so it does not easily burn or melt even when exposed to bonfire powder or heat.

However, if it gets wet due to rain, etc., it becomes heavy and difficult to dry.
Although it is strong against ignition and melting, it needs to be careful because once it catches fire, it tends to burn more easily than polyester.

Linen

Hemp is a fiber made from the materials collected from the stems of plants.
A fabric that is popular for summer clothing because it has high breathability and transpiration.
In the camp, twine is used as a crater, and hemp bags are also popular items.

Merit

The bandage that wraps the mummy is linen, so its durability is origami. Since it is also used for twine and hemp bags, it has a high tensile strength.
It also has the property of increasing strength when wet with water.
It has the same water absorbency as cotton, but since hemp has good wicking property, it is very easy to dry.

Because of its low moisture retention, it doesn't get damp, and there are some sleeping gloves.

Demerit

It is easily fluffed and tingling, so it is sometimes disliked.
Since it is not stretchable, loose clothing is generally used.
Because it is a material that easily ignites, it will easily catch fire if left near the fire.

Animal fiber

Fiber made from animal hair and cocoons.
The animal wears itself as an armor, so it has excellent heat retention and moisture retention.

Wool

Wool is a fiber that uses wool.
An essential item for winter outdoors.

Merit

No. 1 is water repellent as it retains heat and contains oil. A representative of warm fabric that has good wicking properties and can be wet.

In addition, it has a structure that contains air, has high breathability, and has good moisture absorption, so it has the property that it does not easily get damp when sweating.
Because it is strong against fire, it would be nice to have some sparks.

Demerit

As it is a very shrinkable fabric, you have to be careful when washing it, and washing it will reduce the oil that is also the source of water repellency and reduce the performance, so if you are not familiar with it, you should put it out for cleaning. Is good

Silk

Silk is a fiber made from silkworm cocoons.
It is often used in high-end products because it has a glossy and soft feel. It is also used in satin.

Merit

It has about 1.5 times the hygroscopicity of cotton and is superior to cotton in terms of heat retention, moisture retention and quick drying, and is also one of the features that it is extremely light.
It is often used for innerwear and underwear because of its soft feel.

Demerit

Although some silk can be washed, it is basically not washable in a washing machine because it is weak against water. It is also easy to get sweat stains.
Weak against sunlight and less durable.

Cashmere

Cashmere is a fiber made from goat hair called cashmere goat.
Light and soft, glossy and small in production, it is reigning as a leading manufacturer of high-grade fabrics.

Merit

Its characteristics are very similar to wool, and it has high water absorption, heat retention, moisture retention, and wicking properties.
Furthermore, it feels softer than wool, so it won't tingle. Also, since the fibers are thin, it retains more heat than wool.

Demerit

The lower the strength, the finer the fibers, the finer the fibers and the more they will be damaged by friction. It's also delicate and difficult to maintain.

Chemical fiber

An artificially created fiber. Many have properties that are not found in natural fibers.
Although the water absorption is low, many of them have excellent quick-drying property, water repellency and abrasion resistance.
It is divided into synthetic fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, recycled fibers, inorganic fibers, etc.

Polyester

The fiber made from the same material as PET bottles, and the most major chemical fiber. Synthetic fiber made to resemble cotton.
Performance is difficult to tell because it is often mixed with other fibers.

Merit

As it has a strong molding strength, it is extremely tough to prevent wrinkles and collapse.
Originally it is difficult to absorb water and is equipped with quick-drying performance. However, as it is, it has poor hygroscopicity and breathability, so it easily gets damp.

Demerit

It is easy to ignite, so be careful of sparks. Once it catches fire, it can spread all at once.
Even if heat is applied, it will melt and deform.

Camping

Fabric that is often used for tents and tarps.
Unlike cotton products, it is light and compact because it can be made thin due to its high water repellency.
On the other hand, it is also weak against fire and heat, and it easily pierces with sparks. It also has no breathability, so it completely blocks the wind.

Nylon

The catch phrase is "Thinner than spider thread and stronger than steel". A synthetic fiber made to resemble silk.

Merit

Molding is also sturdy here. Due to its high elasticity and elasticity, it is often used in stockings and sportswear.
Lightness and durability are superior to polyester.

Demerit

It is more sensitive to heat than polyester, so more caution is required. Nylon is also the best to get stuffy.

Camping

Nylon is a material that is often found in tents and tarps, like polyester.
Since it is lighter than polyester and weak against fire, it is often used for mountain climbing tents.

Blend material

A material that combines multiple materials.
Most of the materials are used to match the strengths and the weaknesses of matching materials, but they are also used to reduce costs.

Polycotton

Fabric made of polyester and cotton. Also referred to as T/C.
Characteristics also change depending on the blend ratio.

Merit

It has the durability and water-repellency of polyester, as well as the breathability, fire resistance and touch of cotton.

Demerit

Heavy and easy to mold compared to polyester.

Camping

Fabric used in tents and tarps.
It is strong against both sparks and water (rain), but fire is inferior to cotton and water is inferior to polyester.
It has a half-finished image, but if you look at it as a fabric that compensates for the defects of cotton, it has great advantages.

Silnylon

Nylon silicone coated fabric.
Often used in bags and tents.

Merit

More waterproof than nylon.

Demerit

Because it is coated, it has poor breathability and a high degree of flammability.

Polyurethane

Basically a fiber that is blended with some kind of fabric. It is used not only in clothing but also in heat insulating materials and sponges, and is also blended with synthetic leather.

Merit

Since it has high elasticity, it is blended when making stretchable fabrics. Also, because it is light in weight, it is often used in sportswear.

Demerit

It has a short life due to deterioration over time due to the effects of sunlight.
The old synthetic leather is peeled apart because of deterioration of polyurethane.

Name of knitting

The material of the fabric itself is the one mentioned above, but it is sometimes used like the fabric name depending on the knitting method, so I will explain it to the children.

Denim

Denim fabric famous for jeans.
Cotton is used as the material. A woven fabric called twill weave using dyed cotton and undyed cotton is called denim.
Recently mixed with various fibers, so performance is also mixed.

Merit

The cotton is thick and woven firmly, so it is hard and has excellent durability. The characteristic is that the hardness becomes softer as it is used and it becomes familiar to the user. Since it is thick, it retains heat well.

Demerit

Since it is thicker than cotton, it does not breathe well and becomes heavy, and when wet, it is heavier than cotton and difficult to dry, so it is not suitable for summer and sweaty mountain climbing and sports.

Indigo dyeing has low stability, so it is easy to lose color when rubbed or wet. Be careful not only that the color will fade, but it may also transfer to the fabric that is in contact with it.
When washing, do not mix with other things and turn over the fabric to wash so that there is little color loss and there is no worry of color transfer.

Knit

A knit is a fabric knitted with a single thread. Performance changes depending on which fiber is used.
Knit is "knit" in Japanese. It has a strong impression that it looks like a fabric, but it is simply the name of the knitting method.

Jersey

The image of the jersey is strong, but the jersey is a knitted fabric.
The jersey you usually imagine is made of polyester. The sweatshirt is made of cotton.

Satin

Satin is a fabric that is made from a blended material and has a weaving method called “Susu weave”.
Various materials such as cotton, silk, polyester, nylon and polyurethane are used.

Other

The fabric you see in camping, etc...

Carbon felt

Heat-resistant material felt.
Originally used as a protective material for welding sparks, it is also used in camping to protect the ground by laying under a bonfire.

In fact, it is also used for alcohol stoves, and it seems to be stable when carbon felt is impregnated with alcohol.