Tinkerbelle & saltwater sores

[Owly055]

I just finished Robert Manry's book Tinkerbelle, the story of a solo nonstop crossing of the North Atlantic in 1965 in his modified 13.5' Oldtowne Sailboat in 78 days from Falmouth Ma to Falmouth UK.......  A good read.......... recommended by a member in an older post.   It's available here to read free:   http://site.ebrary.com/lib/clevelandstatedr/docDetail.action?docID=10424772

One of the more interesting things I encountered reading this was his solution to salt water sores on his neither regions.    He changed from wearing cotton next to  his skin to wool.    One always finds interesting potentially useful tidbits in this sort of reading.   This particularly appealed to me as I have a history with sheep that dates back to childhood.    It's rewarding to find that natural fibers like wool are NOT obsolete in this day of modern high tech petroleum based fabrics.

     Interestingly I also read an article in the NYT this morning concerning the "disturbing" loss in human fertility due to ill formed sperm cells.   The problem is attributed to endocrine disruptors....... essentially chemicals leeching out of plastics.   Also a greatly increased rate of testicular cancer.   Personally I consider this loss in fertility a good thing......... Humanity is hardly "endangered" by reduced fertility, though our insane growth addicted economy is.   I attribute nearly all of humanity's problems to over population.   Not much danger from wearing tight fitting polyester underwear however  ;-)    It might be wise however to discontinue cooking foods directly on your hot black painted GRP deck   ;-)

Photo below is a reproduction........

                                                                                      H.W.

[Phantom Jim]

Thanks for the tip on the book.  It looks like it is going to be a good read.

[Godot]

I wear wool socks while hiking. They prevent blisters. It makes sense that wool underwear would do the same thing.

[Owly055]

I wear wool socks while hiking. They prevent blisters. It makes sense that wool underwear would do the same thing.

    I wear short nylon ladies stockings (ankle high) under my wool socks when hiking.  The low friction allows them to slip within the wool socks so my feet can move around without generating hot spots that quickly turn into blisters.   I also have developed methods for lacing my boots that prevent heel lift.  I'm of course talking about extended hiking..... as much as 20 miles a day in steep terrain carrying a load, where heel lift is a real issue.   Modern boots suck....... almost without exception.   My Ancient Richard Pontevert Galibrier Super Guide boots are in a class of their own, and of course not available in the US these days.  They are heavy, and extremely rugged, as well as very stiff, with enough lamination in the soles that the rocks don't beat my feet up on a long hike as is the case with modern hiking boots.   To be fair these are a mountaineering boot, not a "hiking boot", so comparing them to something like my Keen Liberty Ridge boots (junk) isn't really fair.   They are of course over 30 years old and on their second set of soles.   
     Excuse my rant, but I'm passionate about my footwear and frustrated with what is currently available and popular.......... These folks don't know what a real boot is!!!

                                                                                       H.W.

[SeaHusky]

I don't remember when I first learned to not have cotton fabrics closest to the skin but rather wool. Today all "outdoors people" seem to have turned to merino wool but it amazes me that the crab fishermen on the show "Deadliest catch" still wear cotton hoodies as their main clothing even though one of the captains is of Norwegian fisherman decent.

[Owly055]

I don't remember when I first learned to not have cotton fabrics closest to the skin but rather wool. Today all "outdoors people" seem to have turned to merino wool but it amazes me that the crab fishermen on the show "Deadliest catch" still wear cotton hoodies as their main clothing even though one of the captains is of Norwegian fisherman decent.

    Most of my friends and neighbors are Norwegian, many of them only a generation removed, and until recent years many were first generation Americans...... I can say from experience that they have as a rule no better judgment than "white people"  ;-)     
                                                 H.W.