Clothing sets our identity and shapes our awareness
My daughters took me to the @vicbackcountryfestival for Father's Day (back in 2024). We met some new faces, but we stood out wearing our natural garments. Young teenagers feel pressure from that..
I'm proud of my daughters making and wearing Peak Oil Company gear. They're learning to stay comfortable in cold climates, night and day, sleeping and being active in their gear. I hope they grow more and more confident in it, and discern wisdom from peer pressure and fashion.
They're starting to understand how their dermis works in relation to their clothing. They know how body heat and vapour behaves, and how to manage condensation and moisture in their clothing. They know about micrococci, micro plastics, PFAS and other chemicals and how they can affect their health and comfort.
They're learning how to manage their hemp/cotton, wool melton, sheepskin and waxed canvas garments, in conditions like the wet and wild wind we had those two days. They've worn their gear skiing and camping in the dumping snow of Japan, as well as the wind driven rain, and hot spring melt of Australia. They've had to manage those elements through the day, and then sleep comfortably in their clothes.
They know when it's time to shield themselves with waxed canvas, and how to vent vapour from the shell layer to avoid condensation. They've even starting to share their own theories with me about how different materials perform with vapour, absorption, insulation, ventilation and shielding..
They're starting to read terrain for shelter and exposure, and how to use the wind to their advantage when needed, such as ventilation and even evaporation, but protecting themselves from chill.
And they're slowly learning how to telemark ski and tour snow country.
I hope they keep the motivation and maintain this approach. I hope they manage to resist the fashions, marketing and peer pressure. I hope they keep building toward independent knowledge and self confidence through their experience.
The next time a Dupont marketing campaign comes along and tries to convince them and friends to spend fortunes on mass produced technical colours made in dubious conditions, they might be in a better position than their parents were to resist and protect what they know.
