Wearing outdoor clothing without synthetic material?

First of all, be aware that brands specializing in synthetic-free outdoor clothing are very rare. Indeed, there are many brands that work with recycled materials (such as Klattermunsen or Houdini), but few have completely ignored synthetic materials.

Mover is perhaps the brand that goes the furthest in this direction, with a few pieces that stand out from the crowd, but there are no miracles: it is cotton or wool that replace synthetic, with their constraints. .

Let's see how to frolic on a hiking trail using only natural materials!

The base layer

It's a bad start because that's where the absence of synthetics will be difficult to manage... but not impossible!

In cool weather

If it's for a cool weather hike, you can take a 100% merino t-shirt . But be careful, 100% merino is more fragile than polyester , and if you plan on intensive use, friction with your bag is very likely to cause holes in the long run . It must therefore be used wisely.

This is why most merino base layers for hiking include a little polyester or nylon to increase durability.

Merino for hiking has some undeniable advantages: it dries faster than cotton (but much slower than synthetic), maintains acceptable thermal properties when wet, and above all, it is odor resistant. You can sweat in it for several days, it will barely retain the smell of perspiration.

Let's mention Ogarun , which manufactures outdoor clothing in merino wool in France.

For those who want other ideas:

• the Arms of Andes brand also offers a small 100% alpaca base layer line
• Kora specializes in base layers with yak wool (but made in China)

And our 100% merino BonneGueule t-shirts then?

Good question !

I have a few friends who take our Reda Active merino wool jersey t-shirts for their hikes, but it's not something I recommend for use.

It is a material which was developed by Reda to have the most beautiful and luxurious hand possible of a 100% merino in urban use for everyday life , and not for wearing for hours and hours. hours (and days) with a 10 kg backpack on my back.

On the other hand, for a short day trip, with a light backpack, there is no problem.

In hot weather

In hot weather, it's difficult to do without synthetics. Some people like to hike in a merino t-shirt, but I'm still too hot and I don't tolerate it well.

Cotton should still be avoided because it dries very poorly (in addition to being a nest of odors) but... do we have any other choice?

I remember a hike in the Basque Country, with temperatures of over 25°C, bright sun and wind.

A friend had a pair of cotton fleece shorts, which became completely soaked with sweat an hour into our well-started walk. Well these shorts never dried out, despite the summer weather.

On a day hike, in hot weather, it's okay, but imagine what happens over several days, with big temperature variations and rain: you're going to be soaked all the time.

Linen or hemp are perhaps an alternative, although I fear strong abrasiveness on the skin with the straps of a backpack.

Concerning myself, if it were me, I would opt for a Ventile shirt from Hilltrek (100% cotton), in light weight.

It can accommodate a merino t-shirt underneath: there are therefore great possibilities for layering.

And for some reason that I can't fully explain, Ventile dries faster than regular cotton. It will therefore be perfect in hot and humid weather, and will withstand a little summer shower without worry.

The mid layer

If the choice of base layer without polyester was slim, it is much easier to find a mid layer in natural fibers!

For a rustic solution: a sturdy wool sweater will do the trick. Think of your parents’ indestructible Saint James sweater…

And otherwise, the Kora and Arms of Andes brands offer slightly thick mid layers.

I bought an Appalachian Gear sweater out of curiosity, and it's actually a great mid layer for summer when it's a little cool. Be careful, it runs large! They also offer some gear for sleeping .

If you are interested in this brand, you will find some reviews (in English) on Youtube and on the internet.

Mover also offers an intriguing mid layer with alpaca wool .

Icebreaker and Woolpower are well known for their wool mid layers, but they are rarely 100% wool, there is often 25% polyester for durability.

Outerwear

The purpose of this piece is to protect you from the elements: rain, wind and snow. This is where synthetic reigns supreme, but there are still very satisfactory 100% natural solutions:

• for a warm jacket, I will take the Weatherwool jacket 100% merino wool from Rambouillet sheep, made in the United States, with a special fabric . It is very solid, and the “thru hiking” page is a delight to read. If the mountain jacket is not available, I will fall back on the classic model. And I say it again, Weatherwool is one of the brands that is the most generous in terms of explaining its products.

• for a rain jacket, the Ventile welcomes you! For winter weather, I will take the Talorc in double thickness of Ventile from Hilltrek, made in Scotland, and for the rest of the year, the version called “Hybrid Ventile” which consists of adding another thickness of Ventile on the shoulders and the hood. The rest of the body is with a single layer of Ventile to ensure maximum breathability.

• Mover also offers a Ventile jacket (note: EtaProof = Ventile since one bought the other), with absolutely 0% synthetic, including in the zippers.

With this system, you can cope with a wide range of temperatures, from snow to rain.

On the other hand… it’s heavy!

To compare with synthetic jackets:

• ultra-light rain jacket from Raidlight (a trail runner brand): 150 g
• Arc'Teryx Gore-Tex jacket (the standard model): 457 g
• Ventile Hilltrek jacket: 1100 g!

Trousers

With all the brand recommendations we have just seen, you will begin to see things more clearly, and it will be easy to dress this part of the body:

• in summer weather, I will choose Ventile pants from Hilltrek (with a choice of: double layer of Ventile, Hybrid Ventile, or single layer of Ventile)

• merino, alpaca or yak leggings from Missegle, Houdini, Arms of Andes or Kora when the weather gets seriously cold,
• and for very harsh winter weather, the Weatherwool wool pants , with a cut that goes beyond the standards of outdoor brands!

With these three pieces, you can hike in all temperatures.

And for hot weather, you will have no other alternative than to take cotton shorts from Mover:

The shoes

For very robust “low tech” shoes, without nylon, mesh or plastic, we are lucky to have the Le Soulor brand in France, which offers a simple and effective range of hiking shoes . They are also resoleable ! A service that is very practical when the shoe fits well…

For my part, loving very flexible hiking shoes (because I don't do high mountains), I would turn to the Aspe model .

For those who want a wider choice, the American equivalents are Limmer and Danner's.

The backpack

There things get bad because there isn't much...

There are a lot of backpacks for the day in cotton canvas or even hemp, but they are for urban use...

It's very, very, very difficult to find a hiking backpack without plastics, especially if you want a decent liter.

Let's look at some options:

• vintage with the vintage Swiss army bag, a more voluminous version , but very difficult to find.
• the 339 from Savotta (55-65 liters). I'm cheating a little because the straps are polyester, but the rest is cotton canvas. With a weight of 1.9 kg, I expected much worse!

• the Kasperi S.07, entirely in leather, very sturdy, very beautiful, made in Finland but expensive. With a volume of 27 liters, it is more of a backpack for the day. Note that the design of this bag could very well work in an urban context with a workwear/heritage outfit. You can hang a merino blanket and an adorable teapot there. The weight is not indicated.
• the cotton canvas bag from Lucky Sheep, 70 liters, but you will have to be ready to order (and pay) a backpack with a very artisanal design for which there is no review…

The sleeping bag

Here too, the absence of synthetic is going to be really difficult to fill. I only see two solutions:

• a good military blanket in rustic wool, to buy in a military surplus,
• or the Lucky Sheep sleeping bag , without synthetics and with wool insulation, but expensive and very heavy: allow at least 2 kilos for this sleeping bag considered “light” by the brand… On the other hand, for camping (i.e. with a well-established camp over several days in the same place), this is an option to consider!
• Also think about a sleeping bag “liner” made of silk or alpaca, it can help you get a few extra degrees.

The shelter

For the tent, it is possible to do without plastic materials there too, but be prepared to carry something heavy!

There are shelters in oiled cotton and even tents from the Bushcraft Spain brand for example.

And you see me coming: it’s going to be heavy! A tarp measuring 2.5 m by 2.5 m will weigh around 2 kg, compared to less than 400 g for a light tarp…

Also count a weight of 3kg for a 2-person tent , compared to 1kg for an ultra-light tent from Durston Gear…

(That said, it seems that cotton canvas is much more breathable than synthetic on a tent, which I would happily believe).

But it's not over, you will need something to protect you from the ground, a “ground sheet”, and count on 2kg more , but you will have ground protection with a robustness unlike any equivalent in Dyneema.

The floor mattress

This is an item on which I admit defeat, I have not managed to find an equivalent without plastic and with a reasonable enough weight to be transported over several days.

Indeed, nothing beats an inflatable mattress or a foam mattress, and if you really want to do without one, you will have to use a plant mattress that you can find on site and use a wool blanket. Or the ground sheet seen above. In short, it might not be the best night of your life!

My final opinion on synthetic-free outdoor clothing

You understand me, even if I welcome the approach, I find it very complicated to do without synthetics completely , and it comes at the cost of heavy compromises in weight and performance.

And yet, God knows how much I love Ventile, this 100% cotton fabric!

Synthetic materials offer possibilities that natural materials still struggle to match. They have very vast weaving and knitting possibilities: we can make more or less thick base layers, warm and insulating pieces, windbreakers, rain pieces, etc.

For example, in my story of my crossing of the Vercors , fortunately my pants were stretch and synthetic, because I never felt cold and they dried very quickly in the snow. Fortunately my merino wool base layer was reinforced with a little nylon to increase drying speed and durability. Fortunately my sleeping bag was nylon for lightness. Etc.

In summary :

• for a summer day outing, yes, we can do 100% natural,
• for a hike of several days — and especially in summer — I have doubts!

And finally, I think my final recommendation is to take the best of both worlds, summarizing very roughly:

• wool for its anti-odor properties and its warmth even when wet: therefore for a base layer.
• down for its unrivaled weight/warmth ratio: for static insulation and a sleeping bag
• and synthetic for its quick drying and durability: for everything else.

As usual, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to use the comment area!