Try this experiment next time you play couch potato: lay a single open sheet of newspaper over you. Within seconds you can feel the warmth generated from your body. You can easily see that doesn’t take much insulation to stay warm if it is the ‘right’ insulation (remember, paper is a ‘natural’ product). Actually, anything in nature that works can be used as insulation: in addition to the down from birds, wool, and animal fur there is plant seed “down” (the fluffy seed pods of various plants), bark, grass, leaves and plant stalks.
We humans can take a lesson from the animal world as we see small creatures insulate their burrows with grass and fur. Birds use fibers and feathers to soften their nests before laying eggs, and insects build elaborate habitats with mud and bits of grass. What makes them so effective is that wool, fur, feathers and down, have a wonderful loft-they trap great quantities of air which in turn capture and retain body heat. Today, the modern search for a better insulation is driven by the attempt to “out-loft” nature.
But there is no insulation–natural or man–made-that is lighter, warmer, or softer than down. Down is the soft, shaftless clusters culled from the breasts and underbellies of geese and ducks. Each cluster is shaped like a ball, composed of thousands of fibers growing out of a central point. Feathers have shafts and are curved. Both feathers and down create a natural protective shield from the elements. They keep ducks and geese warm, even in the coldest climates by creating pockets of trapped air which insulate the birds. The colder it is, the harder your body works to produce heat, therefore more heat is trapped by the clusters of down, keeping you toasty warm.
Granted, down looses its loft when it gets wet, and some people believe that it also loses its insulating power when it is wet. Yet it takes down longer to get saturated than it does synthetics; its natural oils shed water and act as a built-in repellent. The main problem is quick drying: down simply does not give up water as easily and quickly as man-made fibers. However, in giving up water slowly, it preserves important body heat and energy.
So what do today’s manufacturers of insulative material try to duplicate? According to a report by Dr. Fred Fortess, director of apparel research at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, a single gram of wool gives off 27 calories of heat when it goes from dry to wet; as wool absorbs moisture from the air, the fibers liberate heat. This is a characteristic of wool that scientists have been trying to improve in synthetic fibers.
Du Pont claims their Micro-loft insulation offers “down-like” comfort. All manufacturers show charts and graphics that compare their products to the insulating ability of down and most fall short of achieving the fill power of down. (Fill power is a rating of down’s quality as measured by its lofting ability. One ounce lofts to a maximum of 700 cubic inches.)
It is a difficult challenge: cut the wind and retain the warmth without getting all steamed up inside. Add to the challenge by wanting maximum performance and minimum weight. Yet nature’s miracle insulators can meet many of these requirements.
The most common and profuse types of seed down come from cattails, thistles, milkweed and cottonwood. And, since some species of these plants grow all over the continent, I’m sure you can find at least one of them in your area. Other plants also yield seed “fluff” but it takes longer to collect in quantity, therefore is less energy effective. One disadvantage of seed down to duck or goose down is that it is seasonal.
Milkweed, thistle and cattail seeds ripen in late summer. Occasionally you can find cattail seed heads during the winter months that are still intact, and sometimes even into the following spring. But the wind, rain and snow generally strip thistle seeds by early fall and the dry pods of milkweed open completely to release their seeds to the ground. You can generally find large clumps of cottonwood seed pods on the ground in the early summer, but rain quickly flattens them, destroying the insulating properties.
The good thing about cattails and milkweed pods is that you can collect and store the entire seed head or seed pods before they explode and have a good supply all winter. Just remember . . . these are seeds and stored seed heads and pods attract critters looking for food.
Because it is easy to collect and often abundant, cattail down can be very useful in a variety of ways. First, it provides everything you need for a cozy bed. But don’t sleep directly on the down because it gets into your mouth and nose and activates allergies. Instead, contain it between layers of cattail leaves, grass or bark. The insulation above you keeps it’s loft, that below you gets compressed, so add extra layers between you and the ground where you intend to sleep.
You can also stuff seed down into socks, pant legs, gloves, or wrap some in a bandanna and use it for a headband or hat. But remember, too much of a good thing isn’t always better. If you compact the down into your clothing, it restricts air flow and actually reduces the insulating effect. Your goal should be to provide a loose layer of insulation to trap body heat.
Unless your shoes or boots are exceptionally large, the best way to take advantage of seed down to warm your feet is to make a “bootie” by filling the space between two socks. Booties are great to wear around camp, for sleeping or for intermittent periods to warm feet on the trail.
I once made a cattail down vest from two shirts sewn together with yucca fiber and stuffed with approximately 17 cattail heads. It was comparable to a duck down garment for warmth and only slightly heavier in weight. We also made our son a cattail-down sleeping bag from his wool survival blanket and he used it for many moons, even after the down went flat. But that is the main problem with seed down, it is not as resilient as bird down-after a few weeks of use it should be replaced. Of course it can’t be washed without destroying the loft, and it tends to “mat” if it gets wet.
The most comfortable sleeping comes when you have plenty of insulation beneath you. In fact, about 4 inches of dry grass laid criss-cross is a good mattress. Since most of your body heat escapes downward, about 70% of your insulation should go beneath you. It is normal for people to pile on the top layer to try to stay warm, but if you keep in mind the 70% rule, you will sleep far warmer and consequently, more comfortably.
Long strips of dead bark from cottonwood, juniper, sage, aspen or basswood trees, grass, and dry leaves all make excellent bedding or insulation. Gather as much as you can justify. In other words, if it is scarce take just enough to provide the warmth and insulation you need; if abundant, make yourself comfortable. The thicker your bedding, the warmer you will sleep and the more rest you will get for your effort. A good night’s sleep helps your mind function at its utmost with new ideas and problem solving. It is pretty obvious if you spend the night shivering and shaking in the dirt you won’t be your best the next morning.
Dry fallen pine needles also supply great (although sometimes piercing) comfort and insulation. The layer of needles piled up nearest the trunk of evergreen trees are usually dry, especially at lower elevations. The best thing about pine needles is their ability to “fill gaps.” If you scatter a quantity of them on the floor of your shelter you won’t have to be so careful about removing roots, rocks and filling in holes. The result is a “springy” cushion that can be covered with other less prickley bedding. It makes your shelter smell great, too. (See “A Soft Bed in the Woods” by Ernest Wilkinson, The Best of Woodsmoke. Horizon Publishers, 1983. p. 77.)
I emphasize dry pine needles because damp or wet bedding saps the heat from your body like wet clothes. Wet clothes cause heat loss at a rate 25 times faster than normal, and if the wind is blowing, the damp cloth acts as a wick that conducts body heat away much faster than it can be produced.