Cotton Kills
"Cotton Kills"
This concept was drilled into us during Wilderness First Responder (WFR) school, yet it’s surprising how many folks working and playing in the outdoors are unfamiliar with what this means.
In short: Cotton, especially 100% cotton garments, is not recommended for outdoor recreation or backcountry camping.
Why?
A. It can be dangerous.
B. It’s less comfortable.
Cotton doesn’t handle moisture well, aka sweat, rain, snow, or water from river crossings. Water and sweat are common encounters while recreating outdoors. When cotton gets wet, it takes a long time to dry, loses its ability to insulate, and actually traps cold against your body.
If it’s cold and you sweat, cotton will let heat escape from your body, leaving you wet, cold, and at risk for hypothermia. And in warm weather, wet cotton clings to the skin, traps heat, and feels uncomfortably heavy. Unless you can fully dry it out next to your fire, it remains a liability.
For most casual outdoorspeople who aren’t heading on multi-day backcountry adventures, cotton probably won’t kill you. But avoiding it during outdoor activities will make your experience far more comfortable and enjoyable.
At Abode Outside, we design our performance collection with this in mind. We only use blends of yarn that maximize outdoor functionality while minimizing our impact on the planet like EcoVero viscose from wood pulp, recycled polyester, and wool.
This is good info for everyone working in the outdoor industry. The right gear not only enhances your experience but keeps you safe.
