Lab Tests

Dr. Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen (@MerriwetherForager), forager, scientist, author, and adventurer, requested some WeatherWool Fabric for testing. Professionally, Dr Vorderbruggen is an applied chemist who is used to spending time in the lab. Mark and I got acquainted a little bit because he posts such great information on Instagram. Mark also has a foraging website and Facebook forum. If you have any interest in Nature and Wild Foods, you've got to check his material.

Mark's first test was to see how long it would take 400ml (almost a pint) of water to pass through WeatherWool MidWeight Fabric. Mark put the water in an Erlenmeyer Flask, secured some MidWeight Fabric over the mouth of the flask, then turned the assembly upside down and started a timer.

Above, the inverted flask. Below, a closeup of the Fabric over the neck of the flask.

Mark told me that he expected the water to run out fairly quickly, and when no water had escaped after an hour or two or three he was very surprised. He went home and came back the next day and when we spoke, over 24 hours had elapsed and still no water had come through, although some air bubbles could be seen moving upward through the water. Mark and his boss pronounced this result "astounding".

For my own part, I don't know what to make of it. We at WeatherWool have never done any lab tests at all. All our testing has been done in the field. I know our Fabrics breathe very well ... and if I didn't know that, this lab test would have made me very leery. I also know from field testing that if you spend enough time in the rain, the fabric will soak through. So I really don't know WHAT to make of this lab test, except that it is pretty interesting.

We are looking forward to the results of Mark's further tests. I do not know what he has planned, but it is a kick for us to have an actual professional scientist testing our Fabrics under controlled conditions.

Mark is testing WeatherWool out of his own curiosity, and is not being paid by us. He has been interested in getting some Fabric to have a custom garment made, and so he requested Fabric Samples for eval.

THANKS for the testing Mark, and for giving permission for us to use your work!!

20 September 2018