Discussion Forums

AJ Tahan

Hi guys,

I've been a long-time lurker on this site, and a supporter of Nathan (and Steph's) work. A brilliant resource.

A while ago I had a chat with Nathan about top-quality clothing that could survive "long-term" use in the wilderness. We both agreed that a lot of the flimsy, 'ultra-light stuff on the market (riddled with glue, taped seams, and water-proof coatings) just isn't designed to endure repetitive use in our tough NZ conditions.

While modern technology has certainly opened many doors, and brought with it a slew of amazing gear/gadgets, nature has been refining itself for millions of years and produced some amazing products of its own.

One word: WOOL

Most manufacturers of fragile, disposable outdoor clothing want us to believe that wool is unsuitable for 'serious outdoor use'...which is ridiculous, considering that most of the people throughout history who actually LIVED outside day-in-day out, all used wool (in addition to other natural materials such as fur and leather).

IF( hypothetically speaking) they had access to our modern fabrics, I still think they would have stuck to their far more durable and resilient natural fabrics. There was a time when people hung onto their clothes for an entire lifetime (Scottish Highlanders being one notable example) and REPAIRED stuff, as opposed to throwing sh*t out.

All wool isn't created equal. The idea that wool automatically = "heavy when wet/slow drying", simply isn't true. It's got everything to do with how the wool fabric is constructed, and whether it's combined with any other materials to boost its performance.

In my search for some hard core woolen gear, made the 'old way', I came across a Swedish company called Micklagard. They're doing what Swanndri SHOULD be doing. They produce garments made from heavy-duty felted wool, treated with silicon to make them far quicker drying and very weather resistant. This is an example of taking something which 'works', and putting a modern spin on it.

Micklagard's stuff is built to last decades of use. And everything they make is hand-made in Sweden. No Chinese off-shoring.

Furthermore, every garment of theirs can be tailor-made to fit your unique dimensions (for an extra hundred bucks or so).

I ended up purchasing their hooded Anorak "Anorak Abisko", and f*ck, it's brilliant. Takes rain like a champ, and it's very warm yet breathable.

I loved it so much, that (being part Swedish myself and able to speak the language) I decided to team up with them and be their NZ Rep.

Have a nosey at the following document for more info:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H0T7w-z6ngxUq0-1u-ul5wIHCfgzp16v/view

I'll be able to do members on this forum discounts, if need be.

Cheers,
AJ