Here are a few quick tips to remember the properties of clothing fabrics to help you dress for the outdoors:

Remember – In a survival situation, shelter and protection from the elements is critical. Don’t forget that your clothing is your primary shelter and clothing should therefore be well thought out.

Shelters are effectively micro-climates which allow us not only to survive, but to live and settle in environments that would otherwise be quite inhospitable. Proper clothing is what allows us to leave our shelters (homes, buildings, vehicles etc.) and move around. Therefore it is essential to think of our clothing as a shelter… After all, our clothing does in fact protect us from the sun, wind, rain, snow etc…

C is for Cotton: Casual, Comfort, Cold when wet, Can’t Wick moisture

W is for Wool: Warm, Wicking, Works Well Wet, Won’t Stink, Works Well around a fire

F is for Fleece: Fluffy (warm), Fears Flames, Fights moisture (wicking)

P is for Polyester: Poor around fires and flames, a Pro at wicking

S is for Synthetics: Sensitive to fire and flames, Super for Specialty kit (technical clothing)

Tip: If your outdoor clothing is not particularly suitable for sitting around a camp fire, pack a light wool blanket with which you can wrap yourself up in…this will help protect your clothing against sparks.