furry warmth

[paul2809]

now, i have a question for you guys. I was just wanting to know maybe like on a scale of what the warmest furs are to list. maybe like from rabbit to mink to fox/lynx/sable to be considered when buying a fur from some where or someone......... I was just looking for this factor when buying any fur, even faux fur too. Yes I love my new faux fur brown mink mens jacket. Its really warm too but id just like to know that way when we all do get the furs we want, want it to be a considered option........ But what im also curious about is that?? does it pertain to the lenght of the coat its self?? Does this play a major factor in fur buying??

[Guest]

It all depends.

 

I have a Lynx lined hooded Lambskin leather jacket that would allow me to survive the deepest Arctic freeze. Part of it has to do with the incredibly warm Lynx and that it is a lining.

 

On the other hand my Mink lined jackets are not nearly as warm as my Sheared Beaver and sheared Alaska Fur Seal jackets. They are up there with the Lynx lining. Don't have my Crystal Fox lined Denim jacket yet to compare.

 

My Bobcat lined Buckskin jacket is both warm and also very comfortable in warmer weather as well.

 

These are all fur lined which, I'm sure has a big impact on warmth.

 

It is interesting that the Mink is the least warm which makes it very good as a transition jacket. Because of this I'm having one of my favorite Lambskin jackets fully lined with sheared Mink. I call it my "Law and Order" jacket. It looks like the ones the detectives wear on the show.

 

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[White Fox]

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At first I thought you had a new coat today. I thought maybe that was you in your Avatar

 

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[AKcoyote]

There are two factors that contribute to the ability of a fur to keep you warm.

 

First is the ability of the leather to keep the wind from displacing the layer of warm air next to your skin. The design of the garment can aid or hinder this.

 

Second is the furs ability to trap a layer of insulating air in its hairs. This second ability depends mostly on the softer under-wool layer of the fur. Generally the thicker the layer of insulating air that a fur can hold, the warmer the garment.

[he64]

Generally, as AKcoyote implied, "thicker is better".

On the "price vs. warmth" scale, that probably means a thick blue fox

is close to the sweet spot.

 

BTW, I hear there is a good reason you won't find people living in the

arctic (inuits) wearing their fur-based clothes with the fur on the inside.

If you do that, the water you sweat will condense on and freeze the leather,

making it rather stiff and unpleasant to move around in. For most of us others

that's fortunately not a consideration we need to take into account.

[Guest]

he64;

 

You are correct with them not wearing much, if anything under their fur.

 

Most folks, most of the time wear underwear and other clothes which serves to take up the sweat. If the Inuits did this they just might wear the fur inside? But then that s a whole technology level they never went to for many obvious reasons.

 

Internal vs external humidity has much to do with the dynamics as well.

 

The Inuits do use Seal fur of several varieties for obvious reasons again.

 

The very dense under fur of Alaska Fur Seal, Otter and Beaver does seem to put them at the top of the warmth chart. Un-sheared they all have thick guard hair as well as excellent waterproof qualities [when alive].

 

 

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[MAINLYMINK]

he64 and OFF,

 

I would commend to you the book "Scott and Amundsen" (also published, earlier, as "The Last Place On Earth" -- not to be confused with another "The Last Place On Earth" about Kenya and its wildlife) -- this is the book that describes the race that developed for the south pole.

 

Amundsen was highly professional and taught himself about survival by living with the Inuit before going south -- he also travelled around the entire Arctic ocean, locked in the pack-ice in his ship Fram. As a result of his experience with the Inuit, he and his crew for the south pole wore one set of clothes made from caribou (I it was) with the fur on the inside; another, heavier set of clothes made from bearskin (again -- I think that was it?) on the outside. Perspiration was NOT a problem. He was very thorough in his preparation and deserved the success, even though, as a British schoolboy, I was raised to think of Scott as being the archetypical Victorian hero -- he was not!

 

Scott was ill-equipped for the expedition (since we're going into history here -- I hope no one minds this red-herring?) and really had no interest in polar exploration -- he saw the undertaking as a chance at promotion in the Royal Navy! Imagine: their outer garments comprised canvas anoraks, over woollen sweaters -- and not very much more besides!

 

So, Amundsen wore two layers of fur -- familiar (or desirable) clothing to many people here, I am guessing? (Yes...lovely!)

[White Fox]

MainlyMink, you are correct. In winter they always used one fur inside and covered it with another fur outside. As weather became warmer, I am not certain if they got rid of the fur in first or the fur out first though. That might have depended on what they were doing. For instance going to work is different than going to a party.

 

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[minkme]

Generally, as AKcoyote implied, "thicker is better".

On the "price vs. warmth" scale, that probably means a thick blue fox

is close to the sweet spot.

:

 

Ok, So the thicker the fur, the warmer it is ( Mink vs Fox, etc).

 

Does it matter if the fur is worn inside or out?

[Guest]

It's the under fur which is what sheared Beaver, et al is when the guard hairs are removed.

 

The under fur of the Minks is not nearly as dense.

 

Caribou is not the same. It's 'fur' is hollow guard hairs which is one thing that gives it such special qualities.

 

Seems nature engineered many different animals with specialized fur.

 

The Wolverine's Fur is prized for use as the hood ruff because it doesn't frost up with your breath in the super cold the way other furs do.

 

The Lynx fur is very different on the different parts of its body which is what makes it such a luxuriant fur with the varying textures and hair qualities. More extreme than other furs.

 

Fitch as a weasel fur [Minks are a Weasel] has some qualities I personally fine very nice over the other Minks. I think it's a bit warmer than the other Minks. It does have a silkier guard hair than most Minks.

 

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